Google's Self Driving Car Takes Blind Man To Taco Bell (VIDEO)

Google just gave Steve Mahan the ride of his life.

Accompanied by Morgan Hill Police Department Sergeant Troy Hoefling, Mahan recently got behind the wheel of Google's modified Toyota Prius, an autonomous vehicle built on technology outed by Google in late 2010 that does all the work for the person in the driver seat.

The trip, however short, was somewhat of a miracle to Mahan. (A video of the outing was posted on Google's official YouTube channel.)

After a few Taco Bell tacos and a quick pick-up of his dry cleaning, the ride came to an end. It wasn't quite like Al Pacino's Ferrari-driving experience in "Scent Of A Woman", but the legally-blind Mahan won't be quick to forget his time behind the wheel.

"This is some of the best driving I've ever done," Mahan, the CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Blind Center, jokes during the video. He also reveals that he's 95 percent blind.

Self-driving cars, while still years from potentially hitting the marketplace, are getting closer and closer to becoming an everyday reality. In February, Nevada became the first state to spell out regulations for companies testing driverless vehicles like Google's on public roads.

"Then they have to take us out and prove that they can do it," Bruce Breslow, director of the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles told the Associated Press. "They're not ready to go to market yet."

However many states, perhaps some with more complex traffic patterns, may not be so quick to let these automated automobiles hit the pavement. Safety concerns were raised after Google's car was involved in an accident in August of last year, though in an odd twist it turned out that someone was behind the wheel, physically controlling the vehicle, at the time of the crash.

Check out some of Google's most experimental projects.

Loading Slideshow

• Gmail (2004)

  The now-ubiquitous Gmail -- Google's email product -- was unlike any previous email service when it was introduced <a href="http://googlepress.blogspot.com/2004/04/google-gets-message-launches-gmail.html" target="_hplink">in 2004</a>. It featured way more storage space (1 GB per user), search capability within your email, and conversion view, which groups together all replies to the original message to keep the conversation in a single thread. It also included a built-in chat service. <em>CORRECTION</em>: An earlier version of this slide stated the Gmail was launched in 2007. It was actually launched in 2004.

• Google Mars (2006)

  Google worked with NASA researchers to create a detailed, digital map of the planet Mars. <a href="http://www.google.com/mars/" target="_hplink">Google Mars</a> works similarly to Google Earth -- except you're navigating around a far-off planet. Users can explore regions, mountains, plains, canyons, craters and other elements.

• Google Sky (2007)

  <a href="http://www.google.com/sky/" target="_hplink">Google Sky,</a> the outer space version of Google Earth, is a way to explore the sky from your computer or mobile device. Click the Sky button on the Google Earth toolbar and you can see constellations, the moon, the planets, and user guides giving information on each. And, of course, there's a search bar to locate whatever part of the sky you're looking for. If you're unfamiliar, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX9MeF2Au9c&feature=player_embedded#!" target="_hplink">this YouTube video</a> gives a good guide.

• Google Reader (2007)

  <a href="www.google.com/reader" target="_hplink">Google Reader</a> is a web-based news aggregator. It utilizes RSS feeds and included sharing capability until October, 2011, when this feature was <a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2011/10/how-survive-switch-google-reader-google/44069/" target="_hplink">disabled and replaced</a> with a Google+ button.

• Google Moderator (2008)

  <a href="https://www.google.com/moderator/" target="_hplink">Google Moderator</a> ranks user-submitted questions that come in during an online discussion. It was first created to help moderate the company's tech talks, and was later used by President Barack Obama's team to sift through Americans' questions for the newly elected president. It works like this: Participants can submit questions or ideas, and other participants vote on them. This crowdsourcing technique helps identify the questions and ideas with the most support or interest from the group.

• Google Body (2010)

  Google Body allowed users to navigate through 3D anatomical models of the human body. Google Body ceased operation in Oct. 2011 -- when Google Labs shut down -- and will relaunch as Zygote Body. <a href="http://www.zygotebody.com/" target="_hplink">Zygote Body</a> will be a searchable, interactive 3D model of human anatomy. Check out this video for a look at the former Google Body.

• Google Docs (2010)

  <a href="docs.google.com" target="_hplink">Google Docs,</a> a web-based office suite that includes word documents, spreadsheets and other formats, was innovative for a few reasons. One, the documents are accessible from any computer or device. Two, they're collaborative: You can share documents with coworkers or friends and read or edit them simultaneously. The docs also automatically save as you go, protecting the work from browser crashes or other accidents. Google Docs is a combination of two previous company projects: Google Spreadsheets and a web-based processor, Writely. There have been several iterations in the past five years, with the mostly completed version announced in 2010.

• Google Goggles (2011)

  <a href="http://www.google.com/mobile/goggles/#text" target="_hplink">Google Goggles</a> is on the cutting-edge of visual search. The product enables users to search with images instead of words -- basically you take a picture of something, and Google will recognize it and pull up search results on it. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/07/google-goggles-search-by-_n_382871.html" target="_hplink">See a demonstration here</a>.

• Google X (2011)

  A November <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/technology/at-google-x-a-top-secret-lab-dreaming-up-the-future.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all" target="_hplink"> <em>New York Times</em> piece</a> gave a glimpse into Google's super-secret "Google X" lab, where the company is dreaming up innovative ideas for the future, like elevator that goes to outer space, driverless cars, and all manner of robots. In January 2012, Google announced an experimental lecture forum called "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/google-unveils-solve-for-_n_1258870.html" target="_hplink">Solve For X</a>," with an aim at solving "moonshot thinking." As Google <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/whats-your-x-amplifying-technology.html" target="_hplink">explained in a blog post</a>, the project will "take on global-scale problems, define radical solutions to those problems, and involve some form of breakthrough technology that could actually make them happen."

• Chrome Experiments

  <a href="http://www.chromeexperiments.com/" target="_hplink">Chrome Experiments</a> showcases innovative, interactive and generally awesome things being built all over using JavaScript. Some personal favorites: <a href="http://www.chromeexperiments.com/detail/ocean-simulation/?f=" target="_hplink">Ocean Simulation</a> and <a href="http://www.chromeexperiments.com/detail/webgl-globe/" target="_hplink">WebGL Globe</a>.

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Comments

[Modest Complexity]

06:03 PM on 04/11/2012

Well, that video was pretty cool. Maybe it's a sign we're one step closer to SkyNet taking over everything, assuming that's not the case this is really exciting. How cool was that to see a blind guy being able to drive to Taco Bell and complete a drive-thru order? Amazing, and think of the possibilities for people with other disabilities, the elderly, etc.

Also, what cool music in this video, I've been a fan of The Album Leaf forever and "We Need Help" is such a fitting song. Inspiring stuff, Google.

[LangstonA]

07:45 PM on 04/02/2012

So mom could be at work and send the car ON IT's OWN to pick the kids up from school at 3:00pm and drive them back to the house or to soccer practice then back home. Then back to work to pick mom up at the end of the day.

Now, combine this with online shopping. You can already order groceries "for pick up" from some Albertson's and some Von's stores. The next step would be to send the car to pick the kids up from school and drop them off at home. Then send the car to the grocery store and when the car arrives at the store it alerts you. You call the grocery store and say "My car is waiting outside, could you please load the trunk with the groceries I ordered online for pick up." The store clerk loads your car, the car drives itself to your house where your kids unload the groceries and put them away. Then the car heads back to your work to pick you up after your work day ends AFTER stopping at the full service gas station where the attendant fills your car with gas that you have also pre-ordered online.

Your work day ends and you get in the car and get a one hour nap while the car drives you home.

[goboinouterspace]

08:44 AM on 07/18/2012

And hopefully you don't go home and drown your kids in the bathtub or drink a fifth of vodka and beat your wife because you are so stressed out by your living schedule.

[LangstonA]

07:31 PM on 04/02/2012

Taco Bell?! I thought Google's moto was "Do No Evil". What? The Farmer's Market wasn't open?

[goboinouterspace]

08:45 AM on 07/18/2012

I guess the blind guy let his stomach choose instead of his agenda.

[dahile00]

09:21 AM on 04/02/2012

Unless we can use these things the way we used to use trains in my area (Central Kentucky), this is just a useless venture. Turn these into public transportation options, then talk to me about it.

[Geffel]

01:44 AM on 04/02/2012

It's clearly a liberal plot to discredit Intelligent Design. I blame Obama, the commy fascist Muslim Hindu. Science is what people do when they don't home school their childer.

[goboinouterspace]

08:46 AM on 07/18/2012

I thought trolls were supposed to be funny and witty . . .

[HazelPethigFan]

03:40 PM on 03/31/2012

Actually, farmers have been using automatic driving systems for years on tractors:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb3aM7XSVFk&feature=related

[Geffel]

01:45 AM on 04/02/2012

Yes, I remember reading about this in Time some years ago. Difference is that there's less likely to be traffic coming the other way in a corn field.

[HazelPethigFan]

08:48 PM on 04/02/2012

yes..but they still have to be very accurate

[Desolati0n]

07:34 AM on 03/30/2012

Look Ma no hands.

[Steve Lives]

04:24 AM on 03/30/2012

The death of the trucking industry. Bring it on. The sooner the better.

[Miriam Breslauer]

02:52 AM on 03/30/2012

I would love to have this feature on my car. As a disabled woman who really shouldn't be driving, this would provide me the accessibility I need without the nightmare of making sure I am safe to drive.

[Killermolls44]

05:29 PM on 03/31/2012

Sounds like the tech you need :)
Granted it needs to be developed.

[DRaymond]

02:43 AM on 03/30/2012

If you think that this is an altrustic effort to get a blind man tacos you are crazy.

Google is about collecting data on you.  If they are driving the car they get to know everyplace you go every time you go there, and if your passengers have Android cell phones they will no doubt know who is in the car with you.

Google is about delivering customers to businesses.  And how much easier is that if they are the one driving the car?

George Orwell would never have guessed that Big Brother would actually turn out to be an overgrown ad agency.

[hungrypilot]

02:50 PM on 03/30/2012

Sad soul you are.

[goboinouterspace]

08:51 AM on 07/18/2012

At first I was blinded by how awesome the technology is . . . Then I read your comment and realized that you are absolutely right. In reality, this is a big brother nightmare. Thanks.

[John J Wallace]

01:30 AM on 03/30/2012

To those thinking this would be a worry and a danger.

Think about it this way. Get on a plane and take a flight anywhere. Yes there is likely a pilot and a co pilot, however in this modern age computers manage and have control most of the flight. In fact they could take of and land too, but pilots tend to do so themselves.

Also consider a fighter plane, without computers managing a massive amount of the control of the plane, these aircraft would never leave the ground. So much so that they have 3 computer systems because a fail means a crash regardless of pilot skill.

So computer controlled cars with multiple sensors would probably be far more safe than any human. A computer can react in a split second and not only can it react faster than a human but it can transmit to other close computer controlled vehicles and thus manage situations on a large scale.
Link below talking about computers in flight.
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Evolution_of_Technology/Computers/Tech37.htm

[cetancretan]

02:27 PM on 03/30/2012

I don't think computer controlled aircraft are at all analogous.

Seems like the hard part of programming a robot is to react to changing environment. If you get in one of these things you are putting your life in the second by second decision making process of an algorithm.

A significant difference between airplanes and and cars is that airplanes operate in a highly predictable environment. Other airplanes, air of course, weather (which is operates presumably on calculable physics), and the occasional bird seems to be about all. Automobiles are subject to an innumerable variety of obstacles. I haven't seen to many computer systems run without a single bug, and these programs don't even have to deal with real world obstacles.

Hypothetically, if every driver was replaced by a driving app, which seems highly unlikely for many reasons, there would still be too many non-computerized obstacles to deal with. Talk about the blind leading the blind.

[wtf is this]

12:08 AM on 03/30/2012

I want one for my mom! Beats taking away her car keys so she can't drive any more... sigh.

[thebuzzmanisone]

11:46 PM on 03/29/2012

why torture the man with taco bell.

[Unlisted2u]

08:21 PM on 03/29/2012

And in even further breaking news, certain HuffPo mods continue finding it necessary to flag then delete comments grounded in truthful observation.

It's known as censorship, mods. This is The United States of America, not North Korea.

[cccoyote]

08:10 PM on 03/29/2012

Ride - safe
Food? - questionable

[LysetteOne]

08:39 PM on 03/29/2012

Ride -safe
Food - total evil. GMO poison. It is unfortunate that we can't just go grab a taco anymore. It starts with that shell. Corn is over. No longer from nature.

[cccoyote]

09:05 PM on 03/29/2012

A taco, prepared, cooked, packaged for less cost than a can of condensed tomato soup makes one wary of quality.
Reading the long list of ingredients on a pkg of taco shells is even more repulsive.