We're not quite to Skynet

Thag · Post by **Thag** » 2004-03-14 12:50pm

Kill all humans...bzzzt

On the other hand, I'm not too surprised at the outcome of this race, being run by the Pentagon and all.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-03-14 01:39pm

Which means the Pentagon's and DARPA's technowank idea to have a majority UAV and UV military force is even more improbable anytime soon. It's simply unworkable and humans will always be a part of combat, it's a human thing after all otherwise we may as well just all play Wargasm which had the right idea.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2004-03-14 02:20pm

I find this amazing. I bet the reason there was so many problems was because they modified their cars so much. I mean, cmon, engine trouble? I can bu a brand new Jeep and drive through the desert and not have a single problem, yet these people cant get 7 miles without breaking down?! wtf did they DO to those cars!?

Comosicus · Post by **Comosicus** » 2004-03-14 02:48pm

kojikun wrote:I find this amazing. I bet the reason there was so many problems was because they modified their cars so much. I mean, cmon, engine trouble? I can bu a brand new Jeep and drive through the desert and not have a single problem, yet these people cant get 7 miles without breaking down?! wtf did they DO to those cars!?

Probably the trouble happened at the interface between the computer and the engine. A human driver can make decisions based on instinct... there's no such things in a computer.

probably the transmission got toasted or things like that.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2004-03-14 02:58pm

kojikun wrote:I find this amazing. I bet the reason there was so many problems was because they modified their cars so much. I mean, cmon, engine trouble? I can bu a brand new Jeep and drive through the desert and not have a single problem, yet these people cant get 7 miles without breaking down?! wtf did they DO to those cars!?

Mr. Murphy of Murphy's Law fame is a bastard. There's an article in the latest issue of Scientific American about one of these teams, they used a modified Humvee as I recall. They got it to go over 100 miles in trial runs but I don't think the terrain was as bad and it was a loop not a point to point course.

Also, humans have tons of experience and "gut instincts" which just can't be programmed into a computer yet. Humans can still spot and correct for things that a computer will have no idea about.

Dark Hellion · Post by **Dark Hellion** » 2004-03-14 03:10pm

YOu realize that setting a brick on the gas pedal would have gotten some of the vehicles farther than all the complex computerization could? I find that funny.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2004-03-14 03:15pm

So what? A brick on the gas pedal will never get the vehicle to the finish line, while the computerized systems at least have a chance.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2004-03-14 03:20pm

Have you seen the things these people built? They're not merely computer controlled cars. THOSE would have succeeded. These things are cars with absurd modifications. One team BUILT their entire car from scratch.

The Albino Raven · Post by **The Albino Raven** » 2004-03-14 03:36pm

Drop a 12 year old in the desert and tell him to drive, I imagine you would get similar results. Until computers can learn and gain experience, there are some things they will simply not be good at.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2004-03-14 03:47pm

I could drive quite well when I was 12, thank you.

Comosicus · Post by **Comosicus** » 2004-03-14 05:20pm

kojikun wrote:Have you seen the things these people built? They're not merely computer controlled cars. THOSE would have succeeded. These things are cars with absurd modifications. One team BUILT their entire car from scratch.

Do you know any pics?