Google is, officially, taking over the world … and my car

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Just when I thought Google couldn’t get any more world-dominating, they go and release a car that can drive itself.

If you haven’t heard the story (and really, how could you not? Have you been locked in your closet reading classic novels by candlelight?), here’s a little video to give you the Google-is-God rundown.

Sneaky Google has been test-driving these automated, self-driving cars for months now — without the general public being any the wiser. Everyone thought they were passing Google Street View camera cars on the road, not cyborg-inspired vehicles.

This technology really is quite incredible. If you didn’t feel like watching the video and you really haven’t read anything about these cars, here’s the scoop:

Google’s cars can drive themselves thanks to an intricate array of cameras, sensors and data collected from Google maps and satellite information on traffic restrictions, obstacles, construction etc. Essentially, you can get into the Google car (a Prius no less), punch in your desired destination and sit back while the car does the rest of the work for you.

Drivers have the ability to take control whenever they want to, but really, why would you when your car can do it all for you?

Why would I?! Because I have a license and the ability to drive myself to my given destination.

This genius invention is just another step towards our glutenous, lazy futures where computers and gadgets do everything for us while we sit back on our ever-expanding backsides and let them.

I’m going to bring up an immature but valid point here: If you’ve ever seen Wall-E (and if you haven’t, I urge you too, it has some rather profound messages in all its cartoonishness) then you’ve seen what our reliance on technology could possibly do to us.

Google is an amazing company (and I feel like I should say that because if I somehow slander their good name, I’ll find myself in internet lockdown, with Google’s spiders purposely avoiding my blog and all my work), and they are constantly on the edge of all things cool in technology online and off. But have they taken things a bit too far this time?

Why is Google interested in the automotive world anyways, you ask? Well, according to what reading I’ve done, Google is interested in helping the planet, our environment and, of course, making our lives easier.

Because apparently driving is just such a horrible task.

Well, if nothing else at least we’ll be able to text, eat our breakfast and drink our coffees while we “drive” to work. And wait, will these self-driving cars make driver’s licenses null and void?

There are just too many points to discuss in one tiny blog and I don’t want to bombard you with ideas and ramblings in one post, oh faithful reader, so I will return to this topic when I’ve cooled off and Googled this topic a bit more.

Drive on,
– M.

~ by drivingmsmiranda on October 14, 2010.