The US Air Force has a cargo aircraft that has been actively able to take off, fly to two different drop points before flying on to a final destination to land itself. It has been able to do this since the late 1960s. At the time I served, this was the only deployed aircraft with a amazing analog computer on board that drew information from a group off instruments as well as internal correction data. By today's standards it was a very simple computer. While some smaller aircraft had inertial navigation, the specific cargo aircraft I'm referring to did not use inertial navigation to fid its way, nor did I ever hear of the aircraft ever flying without a crew in a operational mission.
The computer, at the time, was designed to be preset before takeoff where to drop freight and where to land without a crew. Only with a crew could the drop points and landing location be changed A reminder: this was all before GPS had been deployed or even hinted at.
That's really cool. Nav sounds similar to the system that the SR-71 used (locating stars in the sky, even during the day). The Army has lots of fully autonomous aircraft today. The Navy has a drone that's landing on air craft carriers.
My job is actually in unmanned systems, so I'm with you on the capability. There's a lot more money in selling or renting automated cars to individuals than there is in eliminating the two guys up front in an aircraft carrying 130 passengers. I do agree that the air problem is easier to solve, but the ground problem is completely solvable, especially when you consider infrastructure enhancements.
Quote:
Originally Posted by architecton
In 1985 they thought that by 2015 we'd have Flying cars, Holograms, self-tying shoelaces and HOVER BOARDS!!!
...oh and self drying biker jackets!
That movie also thought we'd be able to play games with motion detection interfaces, use tablet computers, communicate occasionally through video conferencing, have VR and AR goggles, own wide screen wall-mounted displays, and have the option to watch TV w/picture-in-picture.
That movie also thought we'd be able to play games with motion detection interfaces, use tablet computers, communicate occasionally through video conferencing, have VR and AR goggles, own wide screen wall-mounted displays, and have the option to watch TV w/picture-in-picture.
Yeah but those "assumptions" were based on products that were either commercially available OR at advanced development stages. We had proper computers, game consoles and CGI in 1985 you know. Remember Tron from 1982 or the "Last Starfighter" from 1984?
When's the last time a ball came bouncing out in front of a airplane? Case closed
When was the last time a car carrying hundreds of people flew at hundreds of miles per hour or safely navigated through heavy turbulence unscathed? Case re-opened!
When was the last time a car carrying hundreds of people flew at hundreds of miles per hour or safely navigated through heavy turbulence unscathed? Case re-opened!
All things that airplanes have been able to do on autopilot for years.
Yeah but those "assumptions" were based on products that were either commercially available OR at advanced development stages. We had proper computers, game consoles and CGI in 1985 you know. Remember Tron from 1982 or the "Last Starfighter" from 1984?
Who called them assumptions? In 1985, we were still ~10 years from CRT front-projection wide-screens, and those were not wall-hangers.
I believe self-driving cars will become common in the next decade. I don't see any remaining technical obstacles without solutions.
You know, Google and Audi have self-driving cars in advanced development today...
Google and Audi are noobs and are not even worth mentioning. Researchers have been experimenting with self-driving cars for decades now. It's nothing new...
Google and Audi are noobs and are not even worth mentioning. Researchers have been experimenting with self-driving cars for decades now. It's nothing new...
The EUREKA Prometheus Project... Even the name is AWESOME! " src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />
Agreed, great project name...
That said, first to research doesn't correlate to first to market, unless CMU recently announced an automotive brand? If Mercedes is worthy of mention now, because they have current research in progress.
My point is that if there's an argument that since some previous predictions (like from BTTF2) were incorrect, that doesn't mean that all predictions are incorrect. Feel free to keep web searching the research into various technologies though.
Google and Audi are noobs and are not even worth mentioning. Researchers have been experimenting with self-driving cars for decades now. It's nothing new...
The EUREKA Prometheus Project... Even the name is AWESOME! " src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />
Agreed, great project name...
That said, first to research doesn't correlate to first to market, unless CMU recently announced an automotive brand? If Mercedes is worthy of mention now, because they have current research in progress.
My point is that if there's an argument that since some previous predictions (like from BTTF2) were incorrect, that doesn't mean that all predictions are incorrect. Feel free to keep web searching the research into various technologies though.
I'm afraid that your optimism is misplaced.
We won't see driverless cars being adopted in your lifetime.
Comments
What did people 50 years ago think would be the norm today, and isn't?
In 1985 they thought that by 2015 we'd have Flying cars, Holograms, self-tying shoelaces and HOVER BOARDS!!!
...oh and self-drying biker jackets too!
The US Air Force has a cargo aircraft that has been actively able to take off, fly to two different drop points before flying on to a final destination to land itself. It has been able to do this since the late 1960s. At the time I served, this was the only deployed aircraft with a amazing analog computer on board that drew information from a group off instruments as well as internal correction data. By today's standards it was a very simple computer. While some smaller aircraft had inertial navigation, the specific cargo aircraft I'm referring to did not use inertial navigation to fid its way, nor did I ever hear of the aircraft ever flying without a crew in a operational mission.
The computer, at the time, was designed to be preset before takeoff where to drop freight and where to land without a crew. Only with a crew could the drop points and landing location be changed A reminder: this was all before GPS had been deployed or even hinted at.
That's really cool. Nav sounds similar to the system that the SR-71 used (locating stars in the sky, even during the day). The Army has lots of fully autonomous aircraft today. The Navy has a drone that's landing on air craft carriers.
My job is actually in unmanned systems, so I'm with you on the capability. There's a lot more money in selling or renting automated cars to individuals than there is in eliminating the two guys up front in an aircraft carrying 130 passengers. I do agree that the air problem is easier to solve, but the ground problem is completely solvable, especially when you consider infrastructure enhancements.
In 1985 they thought that by 2015 we'd have Flying cars, Holograms, self-tying shoelaces and HOVER BOARDS!!!
...oh and self drying biker jackets!
That movie also thought we'd be able to play games with motion detection interfaces, use tablet computers, communicate occasionally through video conferencing, have VR and AR goggles, own wide screen wall-mounted displays, and have the option to watch TV w/picture-in-picture.
That movie also thought we'd be able to play games with motion detection interfaces, use tablet computers, communicate occasionally through video conferencing, have VR and AR goggles, own wide screen wall-mounted displays, and have the option to watch TV w/picture-in-picture.
Yeah but those "assumptions" were based on products that were either commercially available OR at advanced development stages. We had proper computers, game consoles and CGI in 1985 you know. Remember Tron from 1982 or the "Last Starfighter" from 1984?
When was the last time a car carrying hundreds of people flew at hundreds of miles per hour or safely navigated through heavy turbulence unscathed? Case re-opened!
All things that airplanes have been able to do on autopilot for years.
All things that airplanes have been able to do on autopilot for years.
How about the takeoff and landing parts?
Yeah but those "assumptions" were based on products that were either commercially available OR at advanced development stages. We had proper computers, game consoles and CGI in 1985 you know. Remember Tron from 1982 or the "Last Starfighter" from 1984?
Who called them assumptions? In 1985, we were still ~10 years from CRT front-projection wide-screens, and those were not wall-hangers.
I believe self-driving cars will become common in the next decade. I don't see any remaining technical obstacles without solutions.
How about the takeoff and landing parts?
Can be done. But you knew that. There are some liability issues, and some flying conditions that need a pilot in the plane.
But, eventually they could forgo the pilot. Most crashes these days are pilot error anyway...
Look at this that happened last summer.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/defence/11050637/US-Navy-tests-drone-alongside-fighter-jet-from-an-aircraft-carrier.html
Those are unmanned drones landing/going off on an aircraft carrier with other manned fighter close by.
That's a LOT harder than landing/taking off on a normal landing strip in good weather, with other planes quite distant.
You mean the wheels? What about them?
Takeoffs are easy, landing is much trickier.
Who called them assumptions? In 1985, we were still ~10 years from CRT front-projection wide-screens, and those were not wall-hangers.
Widescreen was introduced in 1897...
The first true all LED flat panel television TV screen was developed by J. P. Mitchell in 1977... more info here
So Zemeckis combined the two and gave us this...
Widescreen was introduced in 1897...
The first true all LED flat panel television TV screen was developed by J. P. Mitchell in 1977... more info here
So Zemeckis combined the two and gave us this...
Yeah, and that wasn't available when the movie released, but that's pretty much exactly what we have now.
You know, Google and Audi have self-driving cars in advanced development today...
You know, Google and Audi have self-driving cars in advanced development today...
Google and Audi are noobs and are not even worth mentioning. Researchers have been experimenting with self-driving cars for decades now. It's nothing new...
The EUREKA Prometheus Project... Even the name is AWESOME!
" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />
Google and Audi are noobs and are not even worth mentioning. Researchers have been experimenting with self-driving cars for decades now. It's nothing new...
The EUREKA Prometheus Project... Even the name is AWESOME!
" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />
Agreed, great project name...
That said, first to research doesn't correlate to first to market, unless CMU recently announced an automotive brand? If Mercedes is worthy of mention now, because they have current research in progress.
My point is that if there's an argument that since some previous predictions (like from BTTF2) were incorrect, that doesn't mean that all predictions are incorrect. Feel free to keep web searching the research into various technologies though.
Google and Audi are noobs and are not even worth mentioning. Researchers have been experimenting with self-driving cars for decades now. It's nothing new...
The EUREKA Prometheus Project... Even the name is AWESOME!
" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" />
Agreed, great project name...
That said, first to research doesn't correlate to first to market, unless CMU recently announced an automotive brand? If Mercedes is worthy of mention now, because they have current research in progress.
My point is that if there's an argument that since some previous predictions (like from BTTF2) were incorrect, that doesn't mean that all predictions are incorrect. Feel free to keep web searching the research into various technologies though.
I'm afraid that your optimism is misplaced.
We won't see driverless cars being adopted in your lifetime.
Sorry to burst your bubble.
I'm afraid that your optimism is misplaced.
We won't see driverless cars being adopted in your lifetime.
Sorry to burst your bubble.
No bubble here. I know how to drive.
We shall see.
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