
Why Google Made Its Self-Driving Car So Darn Cute - sunilkumarc
http://techcrunch.com/gallery/google-self-driving-car/
======
jmpeax
Being a programmer, a sci-fi fan, and always excited by new developments even
from a young age, I thought I'd never reach a time where I would find it
difficult to accept new technology. Clones, immortality, interstellar travel,
tech-enabled telepathy, bring it on.

I now realise that sitting in a self-driving car will cause me to press on the
ghost brake pedal while sweating with anxiety every time it needs to slow
down, while kids who will grow up with these things will not even raise their
pulse by 1 beat per minute.

~~~
annnnd
> I now realise that sitting in a self-driving car will cause me to press on
> the ghost brake pedal while sweating with anxiety

No it won't. :) In next versions you will probably not be facing the road
anyway. Do you "ghost brake" when driving in the back of a limousine?

~~~
swombat
_Do you "ghost brake" when driving in the back of a limousine?_

Yep. I'm frequently uncomfortable when someone else is driving. There's a
handful of people in the world who don't make me uncomfortable when driving...
my parents, a few friends who drive "safely"... Oh, and taxi drivers (where
somehow my lizard brain appreciates that though I am not in control, the
creature that IS in control has 100+ times more experience of driving than me,
and is therefore unarguably a better driver). Though not all taxi drivers -
some of the minicab (as opposed to licensed black cab) drivers make me
nervous.

So for this technology to work for me and not make me nervous each time I step
into it, I'll have to really get to trust it.

I'm not sure putting a cute face on the front of the car is gonna do that for
me, but the effort is definitely worthwhile.

~~~
dmd
> the creature that IS in control has 100+ times more experience of driving
> than me, and is therefore unarguably a better driver

Bingo. A self-driving car will have _millions_ or _billions_ of times more
experience driving than you.

~~~
ghshephard
Another key thing about cars - microsecond response as opposed to millisecond
response. There are a number of (but not all) situations where that 1000x
reduced latency will make a difference between a collision and a miss.

More importantly, the automated car will be able to scan 360 degrees for
endless amounts of time with that same microsecond response.

The tipping point for automated cars is going to happen faster than anyone
today would ever imagine.

~~~
swombat
Don't get me wrong - I totally support self-driving cars and I _will_ \- once
the technology is cooked enough - feel much safer in those than in normal
cars... well, as long as we get all the other non-self-driving idiots off the
roads, of course.

I was just responding to the parent of my reply that yes, I do "ghost-brake",
and so yes, efforts to make the car appear safer are a great idea, that will
impact more people than the parent thought.

~~~
Nevermark
Self-driving cars will have reflexes and driving skills so great that they
will be able to navigate complex obstructions and other machine driven traffic
using nanosecond turning choices and G-forces that will leave you as jelly on
the side of the car, in no capacity to do any backseat driving, and then pour
you out at your destination microseconds faster.

Nothing to be anxious about it will all be over soon.

------
Joeboy
I can't get beyond the second slide. Possibly because

> TypeError: a.adsReloadAd is not a function

Edit: Oh, I can if I turn adBlock off.

~~~
swombat
Totally hate the format... what is this, Buzzfeed meets TechCrunch?

As if TechCrunch's main stream of news wasn't "mainstream" enough already...

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jacquesm
What is the ANCAP rating for these? Cute they might be but they look to be
quite flimsy in construction. Maybe that's one of the reasons why they are so
slow, not just to avoid the risks of high speed impact but also so that they
don't have to be tested right alongside the output of the rest of the
automobile industry. That gives google time to perfect the software in a real
world traffic without all the costs and competition with regular car
manufacturers.

It is reminiscent of the Aixam line
([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aixam](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aixam)) of
microcars.

~~~
jpatokal
As a low-speed vehicle capped at 25mph, the car is exempt from most federal
regulation.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-
speed_vehicle#United_State...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-
speed_vehicle#United_States)

~~~
Crito
_" In many cases, doors may be optional, crash protection from other vehicles
is partially met compared to other non motorized transport such as bicycles
because of the use of seat belts. In 2011, a Time magazine article concluded
that the lack of passenger safety protection made most LSVs unfit for city
driving, despite their excellent maneuverability.[6]"_

I suppose rationally I should consider these safer than bicycles or
motorcycles, and therefore feel comforted, but without crash protection I
would fear being side-swiped from drunk drivers. I hope they are building
these to regular-car standards, despite not being required to.

------
higherpurpose
I actually think it's a pretty smart idea. You don't have to "own" one of
these, so it's not like you'll care much about the design suiting your style.
They will be used more like taxis or delivery cars. You don't have to like
that all taxis are yellow and look the same.

------
shiven
A future with no taxis! No Lyft or Uber either.

Less and less humans tied up doing work that can be done by a "bash
script"[0]. I look forward to this!

[0] Or highly advanced AI for that matter. Same final impact.

~~~
pbhjpbhj
A future with self-driving cars makes more sense if all cars are taxis (of
some form). Why leave your car stationary overnight (except perhaps to charge)
when it can be out driving people around and earning money?

I'd like to see a system where one could purchase a guarantee that you'd get a
car of a particular class to take you where you need to go within a given time
(shorter time, higher cost; if you decide you can always wait 60mins for a
ride from the time of booking the management of availability is far easier).
Or, you'd just book journeys in advance - cheaper if you match logistical
requirements. Then car ownership can be far more optimally managed.

~~~
drb311
Book a car in advance? Stone age!

Google Now will figure out where you need to be, and have a car waiting for
you when you open the door.

~~~
swombat
Google Tomorrow will figure out what you needed to do at the remote location,
do it for you, and avoid the need for a trip altogether.

Google The Day After Tomorrow gets rid of the need for you to exist at all!

~~~
drb311
It'll still want me to sit at home looking at ads. If it wants to do
everything else for me I'm OK with that.

------
fidotron
Maybe they're actually going after the Asian market, and not the US one?

It never ceases to amaze me how narrow minded much of the North American
market is about the dichotomy between cute and cool/powerful. (You could quite
easily make the case some markets are the extreme opposite). The console
market has this too, which is one of the reasons the XBox brand has a sort of
imposed low ceiling on success outside of the English speaking world.

For example:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PaPeRo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PaPeRo)
They supposedly worked quite hard to balance cuteness, which was regarded as a
necessity, with functionalism, and it's got enough echoes I wonder if the
people behind this car had seen it.

~~~
netcan
Apple is your counterexample. Made in the US for US markets first. Apple
products have always been cutsie.

------
akumen
Cute? Personally, I think it is fugly.

~~~
cliveowen
Agreed, and that enormous thing on the roof just shouldn't be there. "Google
plans to build 100 to 200 of these prototypes, and work towards safety
approval by the end of the year. The future’s coming a lot faster than we
thought."

If this is the future I hope there will be time travel, so I can go back.

~~~
swalsh
Seriously, your big problem with self driving cars is you think a giant laser
on top is ugly?

~~~
iagooar
I can kind of understand that. Cars are not only a motor on 4 wheels. Design
is one of the most important aspects when man building and selling cars, so it
is not strange that people think of the camera as something that doesn't fit.

Until Tesla came and showed an electrical car that actually DID attract car /
driving fans, the majority of people wouldn't consider an electrical car
because most of them were plain ugly, even if the technology underneath was
plain neat.

Same thing with self driving cars. I know it's not top priority for now, but I
think the real breakthrough will be achieved by a completely redesigned and
appealing car.

~~~
zanny
> I think the real breakthrough will be achieved by a completely redesigned
> and appealing car.

Hopefully, on a Tesla. Tesla range and safety design + self driving. I'd pay
six figures for that.

------
waterlesscloud
Nice catch about the shape minimizing blind spots for the roof-mounted lasers.

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toxican
Every time a self-driving car story pops up, I think of Rush's Red Barchetta.
I have a sinking feeling we're eventually going to get to a point where
traditional cars are completely outlawed. I definitely would love to be driven
to work every morning, but I know I'd miss having the option to drive myself
with the windows down. Driving can be fun!

~~~
lars512
I'm sure they'll have historical districts where you can rent an old time car
and drive manually on weekends, with the appropriate waivers and insurance
forms signed :)

~~~
krapp
A future where personal freedom and autonomy is treated as a dangerous and
obsolete quirk?

Where do I sign up?

------
frik
It looks similar to a VW Beetle/Bug, an economy car produced by the German
auto maker Volkswagen (VW) from 1938-2003:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Beetle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Beetle)
(scroll down to the prototype and influence sections and compare the photos)

------
csixty4
I love the cute, organic design. It'll make it more approachable for a lot of
everyday users. But I wonder if they're shooting themselves in the foot with
the automotive set: people passionate about their cars, who have a lot of
their identity tied to their relationships with their automobiles.

I remember when the Aptera[1] was announced and "car people" slammed it for
not looking like…a car. They wouldn't be caught dead driving such a strange-
looking vehicle.

Does Google have a plan to address these criticisms and stop them from
poisoning the discussion around the product?

[1]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptera_2_Series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptera_2_Series)

------
robg
I've been amazed at how persistent animacy is.

[http://ai.ato.ms/MITECS/Entry/hatano.html](http://ai.ato.ms/MITECS/Entry/hatano.html)

Seeing life in inanimate things provides a deep source of recognition.

------
fixermark
Suddenly, that Boston Dynamics purchase clicks into a bigger picture.

------
uptown
The shape reminds me a little of an older marketing campaign from VW. They
promoted the strength of the VW Bug's arc.

[http://www.alanpafenbach.com/vwminisite/webroot/websites/rfa...](http://www.alanpafenbach.com/vwminisite/webroot/websites/rfar/flash/index.html)
(Warning - Flash)

[http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2010-01/vin-amp-vin-vs-
sup...](http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2010-01/vin-amp-vin-vs-super-beetle)

------
ehurrell
As my old AI lecturer put it "If a person driving a car runs over a person
that driver is at fault, if an AI driving a car runs over a person that AI
will probably never be used again in any car.", so it's interesting to see the
'cute' approach they are taking to, as the article says "minimize the fear".

~~~
andrey-p
I looked at the images and my initial gut reaction was "aww, I can't be afraid
of _that_!" even if I still find the idea scary.

I think it's a very successful design.

~~~
ehurrell
I'd agree, except that quote stuck with me!

------
swalsh
They must have hired a PR person to join the team :D there's some noticeable
features missing. I would have loved to see a giant LCD screen showing me
whatever I might want to know... but I think that would make people insinuate
that google's going to use it to bombard them with ads.

------
justinph
I wonder what car it is based on, if any. Is it electric or gasoline powered?

The seats look like they're from a Fiat.

~~~
pistle
Is all the gapping, creases, and folding a feature of the Fiat?

A little extra work on tension/tucking would have given a better fit and
finish.

------
matobago
Is this made by Tesla?

The seats and the look of the factory is very similar... just wondering

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inappropriate
Cup-holders in a future car aren't the hallmark of timeless design. This makes
me curious to know more about this inappropriate decision.

~~~
josefresco
Why are they out of place? Sports cars lack them because you're supposed to be
focused on driving. If the you aren't driving, I would think cup holders would
make more sense than ever.

------
nodata
s/Cute/Ugly/;

------
smanuel
> The cute design minimizes fear about the risks of self-driving vehicles

I'm sorry but no cute design can repair the damage done by this episode of
Silicon Valley:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eAONrlcfJg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eAONrlcfJg)

Sorry Mr. Car

