GM will launch self-driving car in 2008

Post by **neps** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 3:25 pm

This will totally give new meaning to the term auto-pilot: GM will be launching a vehicle with an actual self-driving system in its 2008 Opel Vectra. That’s right — think KITT, people, but without the smarmy voice (well, we assume, anyway). It will be able to pilot itself even in heavy traffic at up to 60 mph, which is more than we can say for most of our friends, really. It’ll be using lasers, a video camera and a sophisticated computer brain to recognize signs and detect obstacles. Let’s hope the OS it uses is, um, extremely stable.

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000137056230/

ReddawgKnight · Post by **ReddawgKnight** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 4:19 pm

interesting

Knight Racer · Post by **Knight Racer** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 4:43 pm

the only thing I'm afraid of is will it be able to stop as soon as a pedestrian steps in its path or a pet.Would it be "SMART" enough to stop when a ball jumps in front and a kid follows it out into the street.

FuzzieDice · Post by **FuzzieDice** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 7:13 pm

I would think so.

FWIW, I hope they put an AI in there that talks, anyway. If not and I can afford one of these things, I'll put my OWN talking AI in there.

Only, why oh why did they make it into a jellybean?

BTW, they are also thinking hydrogen fuel too. So who knows when the next "KITT" will really be here.

Nice find, neps!

Knight Racer · Post by **Knight Racer** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 7:34 pm

You guys might want to hold on tme all the technology in kitt will be developed,cars won't look like cars anymore.

Phoenix915 · Post by **Phoenix915** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 10:34 pm

Ooh, nice.

Speaking as a person who is learning how to drive, I think a self-driving car would be a good thing for a beginner to have. Think of it! The car rights itself when the frightened 16-year old driver on the road for the first time steers it towards a drainage ditch.

...Not that anything like that has ever happened to ME, of course.

Fantine · Post by **Fantine** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 10:40 pm

I love GM...but most of their models are sporty looking little death traps (see crash test ratings).

This looks like a sporty little computerized death trap. I'm sure it drives fine, but the other idiots on the road....still would be a problem.

TheKnightFox · Post by **TheKnightFox** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 11:39 pm

theyve come pretty far i must say.

its uh...kinda hard to believe...but hey, if they could do it on airplanes, they could sure as hell put a self drive program on cars....am i right?

too bad they haven't put an autopilot system on helicopters yet...that'd be cool...*sigh*...oh well ^_^

KentuckyKITT · Post by **KentuckyKITT** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 1:54 am

I like the idea, but I would hope there would be a manual overide option. I could see utilizing auto-drive on long trips and interstates...but not in stop and go traffic in the city. I like having control of my car and I don't want to someday just get in some poorly designed box that takes me to my destination while I just sit there. I like the feel of the steering wheel in my hands and the feel of the accelerator and the control of something that is one of man-kinds greatest inventions....if you can't tell, I like to drive! Although the technology would be nice for those long trips when you just want to take a nap at the wheel instead of stopping at a hotel, I wouldn't want it to become an everyday thing......to me, having a car that drove itself all the time would become boring...just like riding a bus or subway as you have no control over those vehicles. Your fate is in IT'S hands!

Ponder this one too: what if an auto-drive vehicle hits a regular "manual controlled" vehicle and the driver was not driving.....WHO'S fault is it when it comes to the insurance claim????????????????????? Kinda scary!!

KentuckyKITT · Post by **KentuckyKITT** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 1:59 am

Here's another.....I guess there won't be anymore DUI's or drunk drivers???

and another....I guess the parents don't need to pick up their kids, they can just send the car with a preprogrammed destination to pick them up.

How about this...."Honest officer, if I was speeding, it was the car's fault...I was not in control."

K.I.T.T · Post by **K.I.T.T** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 9:36 am

hehe, was bound to happen sooner or later. But interesting never the less.... every Knight Rider fans dream!

Uh, was with

but without the smarmy voice (well, we assume, anyway).

Grr

Nick

Knight224 · Post by **Knight224** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 11:38 am

That takes all the fun out of driving!

FuzzieDice · Post by **FuzzieDice** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 9:47 pm

I would love it! And I don't think it would REPLACE driving. It didn't for Michael and KITT.

And think of this, you can't find your car in the parking lot or even can't find a parking space. You go in the store, let the car find a spot then come and get you when you come out of the store! Man how many times I'd LOVE to have that.

For now, I put white racing stripes on a black car and a window banner... that not only looks cool, but does make it easier I think to see Dryden in a sea of cars at the store.

Can't mistaken him, he's rather obvious.

Michelle · Post by **Michelle** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 10:53 am

HEY now if anyone KR fan becomes rich enough they can make an exact replica of the Knight 2000 with the souto piolot and just thing eventually they will make AI and we would have KITT!!!!!! Who knows what else!!!!

c my fanfic coming soon!!! The Foundation!

Lyn · Post by **Lyn** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 4:59 pm

Hopefully that kind of car won't be available only to greedy politicians.....

KidlovingKitt · Post by **KidlovingKitt** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 2:30 pm

A self driving car would be superb!Seems like i won't have a chance of driving a car,so a self-driving car would be great for me!

cloudkitt · Post by **cloudkitt** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 4:13 pm

lol, sounds awesome-although it would cast all new light on car bombings, it would make KARR look like fun. That's why the cars need a personality yet-so they can refuse, lol.

FuzzieDice · Post by **FuzzieDice** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 6:40 am

cloudkitt - You have a point! And unfortunatley unlike KARR, cars don't just mysteriously and seemingly get themselves back together again after they blow up.

I honestly don't think they'd ever make that technology ever possible.

jup · Post by **jup** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:56 pm

Did you know:

The self driving car has existed since Knight Rider premiered?

Yes. It's computerized. And, yes. It looks at the road to see how to drive. Back in the early '80s, this self driving car was worthless, though. The processing power was too weak for it to move more the 6 feet every hour. But, it didn't hit anything while it 'drove'. And, it drove a van full of computers to do it with. Now, the thing can go down the freeway at 70 MPH, running on a small laptop. BUT...it still only looks 3 feet ahead. >_< So...I highly doubt it can stop like KITT...or anything. Nothing goes from 70 MPH to 0 in under 3 feet...without total destruction.

FuzzieDice · Post by **FuzzieDice** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 1:42 am

In "Silent Knight" even KITT hit a kid running in the road. It's odd as he's not supposed to hit anyone. I would have to review the episode to see if KITT was actually moving or stopped before the kid hit the car. Of course the kid wasn't injured. But it just seemed odd because of all the hype in the story about KITT being perfect and not being able to get into an accident.

Michael also hit a semi with KITT when he found he couldn't turbo-boost in one of the episodes. KITT just bounced back a bit, undamaged.

jup · Post by **jup** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 1:24 am

FuzzieDice wrote:In "Silent Knight" even KITT hit a kid running in the road. It's odd as he's not supposed to hit anyone. I would have to review the episode to see if KITT was actually moving or stopped before the kid hit the car. Of course the kid wasn't injured. But it just seemed odd because of all the hype in the story about KITT being perfect and not being able to get into an accident.

Not fully sure...but, I believe the kid faked the impact to get away from the thieves who just robbed the bank.

Michael also hit a semi with KITT when he found he couldn't turbo-boost in one of the episodes. KITT just bounced back a bit, undamaged.

If you are talking about the same episode I am thinking of...it's very interesting...and I had to do a slow motion replay to see just what happened.

Turns out...KITT didn't even touch the semi before bouncing back! They KNEW that the Trans-Am couldn't stop in time with the speed and distance the scenee requirded. So, they rigged up some sort of secured cable to harness the vehicle's forward motion with. (And, this was LONG BEFORE the infamous 'knife to the eye' scene out of the Mission Impossible movie. (Where they used a cable and rigging on a knife handle to stop it from causing injury.))

Taking the technical side out of it...it sure does make a great piece of fanciful fiction to say that KITT has scientific impact barriers that can't be seen..to insure he can't collide with anything.

GM will launch self-driving car in 2008

GM will launch self-driving car in 2008

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