Another Step Towards the Driverless Car

jtogel writes "At Essex, we have for some time been working on automatically learning how to race cars in simulation. It turns out that a combination of evolutionary algorithms and neural networks can learn how to beat all humans in racing games, and also come up with some quite interesting, novel behaviours, which might one day make their way into commercial racing games. While this is simulation, the race is now on for the real thing — we are setting up a competition for AI developers, where the goal is to win a race between model cars on real tracks. As the cars will be around half a meter long, the cost of participating will be a fraction of that for the famous DARPA Grand Challenge, whereas the challenges will be similar in terms of computer vision and AI."

Oblig

[commisaro]

I for one welcome our new automated race-car overlords.

Re:In case of rapture

[binarybum]

Persuading elderly drivers to give up their cars is difficult

    Have you ever really tried? Sure they get ornery and wave their canes around a bit, but most of them are fairly frail and the task can be completed with ease. Sometimes they're confused and just think you're a valet - these ones will hand you the keys with a smile!

Re:In case of rapture or old folks driving

[WillAffleckUW]

Persuading elderly drivers to give up their cars is difficult, and the baby boom generation is putting a lot of people in that situation in the next decade or two.

I find backing over them works fairly well.

Re:The Important Question

[Harmonious Botch]

If it's windows, we'll have the red screen of death.

Not just for older drivers - wives also!

[mrbluze]

Sitting in a car with my missus driving is much the same as being in a driverless car:

1. Still get claw marks on all the passenger-side interior handles and the dashboard
2. Still likely to hit every bird, squash every small furry animal on the road and drive over every cardboard box and bit of metal.
3. Still get no response or admission of guilt when the car crashes

Biggest difference is that the thing is more likely to know the way to someplace.

Never gonna happen...

[gkhan1]

If we start using driverless cars, the Blue Screen of Death will suddenly have a whole new meaning!

Oh great!

[codemachine]

It is bad enough seeing a steady stream of cars and SUVs with only one person in them streaming out of the downtown at rush hour. Now we're going to have cars out there that aren't even taking anyone anywhere.

The environmentalists will not be happy with this development!

Re:Safety vs. Freedom , again.

[droopycom]

You are free to walk. (for the time being).

Re:In case of rapture

[NerveGas]

I just want it so I can sit in the rear seat and watch a movie, play video games, work, whatever. Hey, put some "limo-black" tint on the rear windows, recline the seats, and get jiggy while your car cruises down the highway. You can't beat that.

Re:Safety vs. Freedom , again.

[Snart Barfunz]

Just a small point - marketing driverless car software as a 'killer app' - probably a bad idea.