Bay 12 Games Forum

Radio based virus? 

Or someone would jack the radio signal and give false info, more likely. It's not like the tech's hard to find... you can buy short-ranged ones in like walmart and junk.

Which is probably why you wouldn't have them skim radio. Something internet-based would be considerably more likely. Alternately, some kind of intermittent pulse system or confirmation signal or somethin', to make things more difficult for aspiring troublemakers/make sure the information's coming from a trusted source. Plenty of things you could do to make it more trouble than it's worth.

I also imagine automated cars wouldn't be able to deal with off road conditions, such as driving on property, four wheel driving etc.

Pretty sure if they're not already able, they will be in short order past major adaptation. Last I checked, we've got a lot of (admittedly usually smaller, but eh) robots built for navigating (with varying degrees of autonomy) inclement terrain already, and often in considerably worse conditions than "back yard" or whathaveyou. It's... as it has been being said. A decent computer is just massively beyond anything humans are capable of, when it comes to stuff like driving. Give 'em the right programming (which, if we don't already have, we're getting there) and sensor suite (ditto) and there's nothing in the field of navigation they can't outperform humans in regards to. We're just... really not well built for stuff like that.

As for manual pleasure driving -- sure, they'd still have those. Still be built, probably even without automated backup and whatnot. We still build and use bows and muskets for fun, after all. By and large the same principal. I do rather imagine it would be notably difficult to manually drive in public legally, after a point, though. I'd posit it would effectively be some variation of endangerment, eventually. Enjoyment of something isn't really sufficient to justify putting other people at risk, generally.

... ducks were a thing before this version? First time I've seen 'em, m'self.

Well. If they're going to do joke items, I have to admit that's a decent one.

E: Also, hang around ducks for a while, with the sound on. You'll know it when it happens.

Someday I'll get an Irish Wolfhound and it'll be the biggest dog to make up for all the dogs I never got to have. But it's a pipe dream for now and the forseeable future.

Just... get a mutt for your first dog. Or two. Or five. Or all of them. They tend to last live longer, have less health problems, and have better personalities than purebreds. I've had both and, well. The mutts have had a better record. Not to say the purebreds did badly -- I've had some excellent ones, over the years -- but the mutts did better on all counts.

... and yeah, condolences to Pnx, especially if the two of you were close. My experience with that situation's getting closer every day, and... well. On the one hand, it's better to go and be at peace than stay and suffer, but losing someone that's been a major and consistent part of your life is, well. No fun, to understate things.

No... no, I'm unfortunately quite sure people do want that service, especially if you brought it to them (robot or not). Not the largest market, but it's definitely an existent one, and I'd wager good money it's a market with a sustainable population.

What, you don't think Google is going to have ridiculous amounts of surveillance on these things?

Oh non-existent lord, bless me with a twin so that I may steal their identity and use it to troll google's robotaxis.