Some lucky attendees of this week’s TED conference were given rides in Google’s self-driving car. And one in particular was kind enough to take a video of what it’s like to ride shotgun. Plenty of NSFW language, because THE CAR IS DRIVING ITSELF
Google’s been working on these self driving cars in secret but are actually testing them right now, right out in the open. The NY Times saw one of these cars in action:
A Prius equipped with a variety of sensors and following a route programmed into the GPS navigation system nimbly accelerated in the entrance lane and merged into fast-moving traffic on Highway 101, the freeway through Silicon Valley.
It drove at the speed limit, which it knew because the limit for every road is included in its database, and left the freeway several exits later. The device atop the car produced a detailed map of the environment.
The car then drove in city traffic through Mountain View, stopping for lights and stop signs, as well as making announcements like “approaching a crosswalk” (to warn the human at the wheel) or “turn ahead” in a pleasant female voice.
Ideally, there’s a driver sitting at the steering wheel, ready to take over whenever anything