From: bb1@mikeang.net   
      
   Wow, this seems nearer than I imagined.   
   I was always telling our kids that in their lifetime they may not   
   have to be so afraid to drive as they can just tell the car that   
   they are "diving" to go-home or go-to-any-address etc.   
      
   But it is happening now! Wow. and Wow again.   
      
   ---article here--   
   Car of the Future May Drive YouSelf-Guiding Car Could One Day Ride in   
   Hazardous Military Convoys, or Help Save Lives   
      
   The car of the future will drive you. (ABCNEWS.com)   
      
      
   March 25, 2006 — The future of cars may not be a super-souped up vehicle that   
   you'll drive. The car may drive around on its own with you as the passenger.   
      
   Last fall, the Pentagon sponsored a race across the Nevada desert of vehicles   
   that could through the 132-mile course all by themselves. The prize was $2   
   million and a possible defense contract.   
      
   Twenty-three vehicles started the race, but only five finished. The robot cars   
   maneuvered their way through the treacherous terrain by using a combination of   
   GPS, laser sensors, and video imaging.   
      
   "What's amazing is this isn't just a remote-controlled car," said Ben Chertoff   
   , research editor for Popular Mechanics. "It's a car that actually thinks   
   where it is, figures out if there's an obstacle in front, and makes its own   
   decision to drive."   
      
      
   Military Uses   
      
   The military hopes driverless cars might one day lead to supply convoys   
   that don't need soldiers at the wheel — keeping them out of harm's way.   
      
   Such technology eventually could find its way to all of us.   
      
   "In the future, this will lead to smarter and safer cars," Chertoff said.   
   "Eventually, we'll have cars that can prevent a crash from happening, that   
   can wake you up if you fall asleep or drive a car back onto the road."   
      
   Sebastian Thrun, whose Stanford University team built the winning car, says   
   it more simply.   
      
   "I predict during my lifetime, I'll be driven around by a car," he said   
      
   http://Mike100story.Opportunity.com   
   ABOVE LINK- A story that has changed lives. Background story included also   
   free.   
      
   http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Technology/story?id=1767392   
      
      
      
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