On a few occasions, Dr. Shamp has mentioned in my new media classes how cool you are if you drive a Prius. How cool could you be if you didn't drive a Prius?
Pretty cool apparently. Last week, the Pribot, a robotic Toytota Prius, took to the streets of San Francisco without a driver. Anthony Levandowski, a 28-year old engineer from S.F., developed the Pribot. The Pribot drives itself using a combination of GPS, inertial guidance, and infrared sensors to navigate the roads.
Levandowski said he created the Pribot as a hobby and because, "the technology for being able to improve your convenience and safety while on the freeway is just around the corner. I want to be the one to provide that."
I think this new robotic car is a good idea because this new robotic car technology seems like technology that could keep people from getting into serious accidents. I think it's amazing that someone has invented a car that can operate without a driver. Next step: flying cars?
P.S. The initial run of the Pribot was a success. The Pribot had a police escort to make sure it behaved appropriately and only had one small paint scuff at the end of the journey.
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