Google Self-driving Mini-car Spotted in the Wild!!!
Today, I saw the future happening right now. There has been so much talk about the risks and dangers of autonomous cars, mostly from people who have never seen one live, but have an opinion. And then I drive down in Mountain View / Palo Alto along the San Antonio Road and right there is not one of the experimental self-driving cars using a standard Lexus, but one of the steering wheel less, small, two passenger Google/googly cars. Notice the Lidar system on top of the car, and the shape of the back mirrors with sensors built in.
And suddenly it all looked so real, so normal, so not worth all the fear-mongering that some people have been doing. And so real, and not just far-in-the-future talk that the incumbent manufacturers like Mercedes or BMW want to tell us. And how tough it is. And how it will never really totally work, because driving yourself is so much joy of driving.
Guess what: two teenage girls were taking the ride, and the car just smoothly and safely blended into the traffic. Watch the short video that I was able to take.
Here again we realize what has been said before:
People said it's impossible. Then somebody who didn't know that just did it.
And this is the Silicon Valley Spirit: Just do it. Get shit done! And don't just go for the low-hanging fruits. Everyone can do the low-hanging fruits. But doing the hard things, this is where the wannabes separate from the real innovators.
Are you a wannabe or do the real and hard things? Are you the one who's preventing good stuff happening or making it happen? It's your decision!
Mario Herger is CEO of Enterprise Garage Consultancy, bringing the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley into your company.
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Mario, a brilliant post and the video is awesome also! I'd say that no car should be allowed on the road without a driver inside it, but I hope Chris Urmson gets his dream fulfilled... i.e. "4 years time".
Head of Innovation and external affairs at INACAP - La Serena - with expertise in innovation and entrepreneurship
9yAmazing quotes! Lets hope we can get to see and use this tech in other places so people can experiment it in their daily routines. It is as incredible as inspiring.
Sales professional, delivering enhanced customer experience and operational efficiencies through IoT
9yNaysayers said it wouldn't happen anytime soon, there is a lesson here though
Cybersecurity Engineer
9yWhat will the Super Bowl commercial look like for this?
Operations Leader Providing Accounting, Finance, and HR Expertise
9yI Agree It is totally cool!! Why fearing something that would actually save lives and be better for the environment?? Go Googles!! Now, imagine "from my generation" being in Blade Runner and/or the "5th Element" transportation mode, above ground... Personally I believe in my opinion that a lot of the imagination made and that we have seen in movies will come alive, be real at some point. For me it is common logic and simply the normal evolution toward our future.