Google Auto?

Google has over 70 different companies in all different industries and businesses. And now, they want to take on the automobile industry. Google is currently developing an automobile that basically drives itself. I have watched a couple videos on YouTube featuring a Toyota Prius mounted with a bunch of cameras and other sensors, speeding around a track in an empty parking lot. Another video shows the vehicle in action on city streets. The technology is still in the early stages, but I think it will be revolutionary in the next 10 to 20 years.

From the information I could gather watching a couple videos, the car drives itself by using cameras to look for traffic lights, signals and other objects, and a scanning laser mounted on top of the vehicle that also tracks nearby objects like cars or pedestrians. Basically you tell the car where you want to go and its computer, powered by Google of course, plans the route you will take. The car is aware of speed limits, traffic conditions and even objects that suddenly come in your path. This technology will definitely be the future of driving. But I don't think that it will replace drivers altogether. Google is developing this technology to make driving safer, not so people can drink and "drive" or be asleep at the wheel. But that's exactly why I want this technology.

Eventually, I can see the driver-less car being so common that we can send it to the airport to pick up a relative, or have it drive itself to the mechanic. Imagine living in a big city and driving to work, but your late and can't find parking. No problem, just send your car back home and program it to come back and pick you up at a certain time. What if Google put a sort of breathalyzer in the car so if you blow a certain limit, the car won't let you drive, and it drives itself home? Instead of sitting in traffic wasting time, you can be working on schoolwork or reading a book. This technology can save thousands of lives a year by reducing the number of car accidents. Here is a cool info-graphic I found that has some interesting information regarding driver-less cars.

Driver-less car Infographic

Another Google development is Google Art. This probably wont be a major source of revenue for Google, but it is a very cool project nonetheless, especially if you are into art. Google has partnered with the most prestigious art museums all around the world to put their painting online. You can choose which museum you would like to visit, and view all the painting they have. You can zoom in to get a close up that is so high definition, you can see the individual brushstrokes. Another cool feature uses Google's Street Maps technology, where you can take a virtual tour of museums where you can walk the corridors and feel like you are inside the museum itself. You can pan the camera 360 degrees and click on the painting you want to see up close. You can even start and art collection where you save all your favorite works of art. If you are into art I would definitely check out Google Art.