Email, browser development, maps, and many other web-based projects have been the focus of Google's development since its inception; obviously they would turn next to automobiles. Newsweek claims that payoff for Google may not come for a few years. So why not invest in something useful, like bug-free stock exchange software, or teleportation?
Okay, I admit, there may be some reasonable purpose for cars that drive themselves, but what it truly boils down to in the end is survival. Change is the golden ticket to success in the technology department, and Google is no exception. Just take a look at the leaders in the technology industry. Microsoft was originally a computer language company. Where would they be today if they had not jumped on the IBM train to develop their operating system? Sorry Bill, but let's be honest, we both know BASIC wouldn't cut it.
So why does Google throw money at a futuristic idea? Not because they can, it's because they have to.
Calling this project a "dead-end" is a bit premature. Like most business ventures, they are taking a risk on an awesome idea with the hope of future returns. Google has this awesome application called Google Maps which they decided to include in a few Prius' (Pri'i perhaps?) It is a good business move, both for future returns and for current PR.
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ReplyDeleteYes, I absolutely agree. Is "futuristic idea" better? I honestly think this project has awesome potential. Coupled with Google's idea of a smart grid system, they are taking some big steps towards a cleaner, more cost-efficient environment.
ReplyDeleteDo you still have to get car insurance for me if we have a car that drives itself?
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is something almost obnoxiously cheeky about Google's imaginative escapades. But I find something refreshing in this company's risk-welcoming, devil-may-care, save-the-whales attitude. It contrasts pleasantly with the dully repetitive, strategically sound activity of other big computer companies. Look at video game publishers, for example. When was the last time they came out with a daringly original product? Portal?
ReplyDeleteThe self-driving car is an idea that we all knew was coming. Imagine a world in which all of the cars drove themselves. You could go much faster on the freeway, and pack traffic much closer together. Theoretically the software would be smart enough to maximize transportation for the millions of cars on the road at once. Its a fascinating leap forward in travel. Being a part of innovations like these is really the reason why I love computer science, its exciting!
ReplyDeleteGoogle seems to be over the top in some of their ideas but the meek and humble get run over in this industry. They'll come out with things that no one thinks will work and most of them won't, but our grandchildren won't know how to survive without the ideas that do work.
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