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west_gardener

The future is here (LONG)

west_gardener
9 years ago

smack down the middle of our street.
DD and GS (age 7) were visiting this weekend.
At some point we heard a sound of what we thought was a remote controlled airplane. We looked up and saw a silver object flying above the houses. It was not a plane nor a helicopter. It had no wings nor helicopter blades.

Back and forth it went, eventually it came back to hover over our street. It made a u turn, then we saw that it had a camera. It was hovering over us,It was a drone or a hoover craft, and GS was so excited, he was jumping up and down, waving his arms.
I noticed that there were a couple of guys up the street that were controlling the "object".
I explained to GS that it was some guys up the street that had flown this object and at some point he could do the same.
It so happens that we have a flight simulator downloaded (free download) on our laptops, and when he got into the house he asked to "fly":
On a personal note, I'd say that I'm not comfortable one bit about having drones or hover craft flying over our house, so at some point we'll have to have some rules and regulations. This is another case where technology is way ahead of the rules/law.
But this is silicon valley.

Comments (5)

  • west_gardener
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Oh brother, I'm getting too old for this,lol.
    Read in the local epaper that google is going to test their self driving car on our city streets.
    Below is a link to a photo.

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • lilosophie
    9 years ago

    Wonder what happens if a drunk gets into his self-driving car, is he DUI?
    As far as the remote controlled camera, I don't like it a bit. But then I am a dinosaur and on my way out, so have fun, folks.

  • west_gardener
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Lilo, I had the same thought about the DUI, also wondering who gets the driver license and insurance? And if you get in a fender bender, who do you yell at, the car or the non driver, driver?

    The article said Google would probably start selling the cars in a couple of years. I'm pretty sure some of the cars will end up in my neighborhood, because we have a lot of Google people living here and they always want the latest.
    About you being a dinosaur, not at all. There are more of you/us than of "them". It is just that our city is the "test kitchen" for a lot of their products. That's why I know about this stuff.

  • gmatx zone 6
    9 years ago

    I'm right along with you two about not feeling good about some of the new technology. I really feel for you West_Gardener with all the testing in your area. Be sure and let us know how it goes, especially when they try out the self-driving car. A real test would be to send it up to San Francisco and have it go down that really ziggy-zaggy street. I might even be willing to cough up a plane ticket to fly out there to watch that one.....LOL (;-)

    About the only use I would ever have for a drone would be if it could put the cows/calves back in the pasture when they decide to get out. However, the feed bucket still works just fine - had to use it this morning to put a cow and 3 calves back in. Looked like Little Bo Peep walking down the middle of the road with them following! Don't know why they decided to get out, but thank goodness we have great neighbors on this section.

  • rob333 (zone 7b)
    9 years ago

    Here's a thought I have on self-driving cars and drunk drivers. It'll end. Won't it? If they're not driving, shouldn't they end up at their destination without plowing into anything... or anyone? Wouldn't that be a good thing? Not that I am wild about self driving cars or justifying drunk driving. But maybe it'd truly solve that problem.

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