Attention Inventors: Google's Inverter Challenge

[Rdjntx]

I have a Ford Focus Titanium (2012) that self parks (parallel parking) and it is a hoot. scary as hell the first time you use it because you are all like "I will NEVER fit in that space holy crap!!" and "IT's CUTTING IT TOO CLOSE!" but park it it did and parked it well. I don't use it much but when I do, it's to show off LOL

Me too. Although I'm intrigued by the self parking feature now available. Anyone actually have experience with one?

[Sunking]

On the subject of self driving cars,

Technically it is already being done. Examples are modern warehouses with automated lift trucks, metro and airport light rail services already have and using it. For roadways the concept is called PLATOONS where a large group of vehicles move as a single unit, and sorted to peel off at exits to merge into another Platoon.

[SunEagle]

And each passenger has their own brain that can say, Put seatbelt on.

Except 3 of them were kids and Parents are supposed to look out for their children's welfare.

It is also the law in Florida that the driver is responsible to make sure everyone is safely buckled up before driving off.

I know he just lost his wife and daughter and may even lose his sons but the SOB should be brought up on charges. It is truly a tragedy.

Not saying a fully autonomous vehicle would be totally safe but it sure might reduce the number of accidents due to drivers paying attention to texting or grooming instead of the main focus of driving.

[Sunking]

Not saying a fully autonomous vehicle would be totally safe but it sure might reduce the number of accidents due to drivers paying attention to texting or grooming instead of the main focus of driving.

I do not see that happening anytime soon especially in the USA. When wrecks happen on an automated system who is liable and pays up? Do you want to give up another act of Freedom to the Goberment?

All I can say to both questions is NOT ME. I prefer to take my chances and put my fate in mine and God's hands.

[JCP]

Except 3 of them were kids and Parents are supposed to look out for their children's welfare.

It is also the law in Florida that the driver is responsible to make sure everyone is safely buckled up before driving off.

I know he just lost his wife and daughter and may even lose his sons but the SOB should be brought up on charges. It is truly a tragedy.

Not saying a fully autonomous vehicle would be totally safe but it sure might reduce the number of accidents due to drivers paying attention to texting or grooming instead of the main focus of driving.

Provided that the code is well QA'd (big assumption), a self driving car would probably be safer than a human driven car. I think that the difference is that we've come to grips with the fact that we make mistakes all the time, sometimes with dire consequences, but have not accepted yet that machines are fallible as well. So, if a Google car f... up once in a great while and kills its passengers, we'll all be up in arms, but readily accept that we kill each other on the road on a daily basis. At any rate, it'll be a while before it becomes remotely affordable. I read somewhere that a Google car costs over $100K in equipment right now.

[KenZ71]

I know a lot of people who would be much safer to themselves and those around them if they were in an automated vehicle.

As for the original topic, a better inverter yes that would be huge. Not just for solar, imagine better inverters for generators, UPS systems, the possibilities are huge in my opinion.

[SunEagle]

I know a lot of people who would be much safer to themselves and those around them if they were in an automated vehicle.

As for the original topic, a better inverter yes that would be huge. Not just for solar, imagine better inverters for generators, UPS systems, the possibilities are huge in my opinion.

Agreed. A more efficient inverter would be a boom to many industries. Hopefully whoever thinks one up will also consider it should be able to mitigate the harmonic distortion an inverter creates.

[Sunking]

As for the original topic, a better inverter yes that would be huge. Not just for solar, imagine better inverters for generators, UPS systems, the possibilities are huge in my opinion.

All those things are mature technologies. I have used many 1 MW inverters in data centers, they are commercial units with extremely high efficiency of 95% and better. Really not much room foe improvement.

Google does not have a good track record when it come to Energy. They were heavily invested in Nano Solar a USA thin film panel manufacture that only made but 3 panels.

[Mike90250]

automated vehicle

Automated vehicles fall apart when the Botts dots vanish, or construction has moved or changed the dotted lines for lanes. Google is only testing on cherry picked roads in pristine condition.

many years ago, I worked with the Terrahawk autonomous vehicle for the DARPA challenge, and when ever something unforeseen happens (a tree branch in the path, paper on the road) that the computer has no response for, it either stops or ignores it. Not good if you are half asleep and the system beeps and reverts to MANUAL. At least when we ignored it, the wheel travel was enough to handle driving over a K rail or whatever the problem was. Didn't help our score all the time. Not all the other vehicles were so lucky.
We had one NiCad pack (60KWh) meltdown, almost took out the vehicle, but we were able to hack the battery apart fast enough to save the rest of the car.

http://www.terrahawk.org/index.php

[Ian S]

I know a lot of people who would be much safer to themselves and those around them if they were in an automated vehicle.

As for the original topic, a better inverter yes that would be huge. Not just for solar, imagine better inverters for generators, UPS systems, the possibilities are huge in my opinion.

But they seem to be emphasizing a smaller size as opposed to higher efficiency. I don't see the point in that for residential solar installations.

[russ]

But they seem to be emphasizing a smaller size as opposed to higher efficiency. I don't see the point in that for residential solar installations.

100% correct - they are chasing a problem that does not really need a solution. However, this will make the green bunch all excited and happy so it serves their purpose. PR is everything.

[russ]

On the subject of self driving cars, I'd personally love the idea. Go out partying, get in the car and tell the car to take you home safely. Now, that'd be progress!! Realistically, I think that the best we can hope for, especially in the liability lawsuit crazed people republic of California, is enhanced collision avoidance automation. May not be the moon shot they're going for, but it may go a long way toward making road safer.

That I agree with!

[JCP]

That I agree with!

Russ and I agreed on something. I just put an X on my calendar.

[russ]

Russ and I agreed on something. I just put an X on my calendar.

Good one! You got me!