give it another 15 or 20 years and driving, or being automatically 
transported from point a to point B with nothing but intelligent direction 
will be a reality.
Certainly not in 5 or even 10 years with the way technology has plateaued 
lately.
the whole concept even of transfering matter from one point to another 
instantaniously is something that could be a reality in another 20 years.
we have the theoretical knoledge now, we just need to find a way to put it 
into practice.
much like the concept of the fax machine...the technology has been around 
for centuries, it was just a matter of finding the right method to put it 
into practice and boom, we have a method of taking a page of words and 
having them instantly transfered to anywhere and reproduced.
we see that as more then common place now, but 100 years ago, no one could 
imagine utilizing a data stream to electronically copy, and send and decode 
and print information.
though the technology was there in the form of morse code and telegraph 
machines.
So really, the driverless car, or at least, an automated vehicle that 
requires no sensory input from a human driver, but only intelligent 
direction, is totally possible, practical and feasible within most of our 
life times.

73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andy Baracco" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, August 08, 2009 10:11 PM
Subject: Re: Blind Driving to come soon!


>I am always interested in assistive technology from the technological
> standpoint, and would like to try driving the car for the fun of it,
> in a place where i wouldn't be in harm's way.  But i am concerned
> about the blind people who read articles like this, and expect that
> they will be off the bus any time soon.  it ain't gonna
> happen.  Because even if this becomes technologically possible, no
> state will license a blind driver, and no insurance company will
> insure one.  i have used enough technology to know that the best
> technology can fail.  Technologicaly, airplanes can fly themselves,
> but i do not know of any airline that has stopped employing
> pilots.  Technologically, the Bay Area Rapid Transit trains in the
> San francisco Bay area can run themselves, but on every train there
> is a human operator just in case the computers fail, and they
> have.  So don't burn your bus pass any time soon.
>
> Andy
> At 02:14 PM 8/8/2009, you wrote:
>>That's the dumbest project the NFB has come up with to
>>date!  There's enough sighted people on the roads who shouldn't be 
>>driving.
>>
>>And what does this message have to do with this list anyway?
>>
>>Terri Amateur Radio call sign KF6CA.
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Cox" <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sent: Saturday, August 08, 2009 1:18 PM
>>Subject: Blind Driving to come soon!
>>
>>
>>Hello All,  Thought this article might be of interest to all.
>>
>>20 blind people are able to test drive dune buggy designed by Va.
>>Tech students
>>02/08/2009 12:56:00 AM
>>THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
>>COLLEGE PARK, Maryland - Several blind people were able to get
>>behind the wheel of
>>a new high-tech vehicle designed by Virginia Tech engineering students.
>>Twenty blind people took turns manoeuvring the retrofitted dune
>>buggy Friday in a
>>parking lot at the University of Maryland. The test drive capped a
>>National Federation
>>for the Blind summer camp for 200 blind youth from across the country.
>>Virginia Tech was the only university to take on a 2004 challenge
>>from the federation
>>to build a vehicle that could let blind people drive.
>>The buggy they designed uses a laser sensor to figure out the road
>>ahead. A special
>>vibrating vest worn by drivers communicates speed and warns when to
>>stop. And a headset
>>relays voice commands signalling which way to turn.
>>
>>
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