Showing posts with label Google. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Google. Show all posts

Thursday, 6 November 2014

Autonomous Cars


Here's some of the detail surrounding the exciting new development of self-driving cars.



Setting the bar that the autonomous car has to acheive needs to be seen in context, and clearly by many of the comments on the article it's not.

Many people seem to think that unless it can perform perfectly it shouldn't be allowed. This leaves us stuck with a less safe system, killing and maiming more.

I like to think that the bar that should be set is that it is just better than us humans, that killed 1700 people on the roads in the past year in the UK alone. At the moment it exceeds that massively!

It runs alongside the constant removal of responsibility we seem to deem acceptable by people driving. Both by insisting that more vulnerable road users should behave in a way that enables people driving to stop paying attention and by the way we constantly mollycoddle people inside cars away from their actions.

It would seem the best thing to do is completely remove responsibility and hand it over to a machine capable of making many more decisions, much quicker and without anger, impatience, or belligerence we experience when behind the wheel.

Thursday, 1 November 2012

Google Map Icons for Cycling Mapping


I've collected some icons that are useful when mapping out areas in Google Maps for suitability for cycling. The basic set that appear from Google are a little limited. Also the use of personal icons is a little cac-handed. The icons have to be loaded into each map not into the Google Maps personal account settings. That's one reason to write this post, so I have access to them easily for loading (and re-loading!) myself.

These were part of the original expansion set that Google Maps had, since moved to a new site run by the makers, nicolasmollet.com, I believe.

I've done one map (of Nidderdale) so far using these, but intend to start building maps of a variety of places I know and including video clip links.

First, cycling specifics, to do with ease of access.
Easy Cycling

Hard Cycling

Quiet Cycling

Offroad Cycling

Not Suitable for Cycling

No Cycling


Then, information about the environment.

Uphill

Busy Road

General Hazard

Windy Road

Water

Barrier


Finally, some more generic icons giving further information.

View

Walking

Food/Drink

Video Clip

Photo



Icons loaded but not used from nicolasmollet.com but kept so that they are easy to find in the future.
View (sun)

Downhill (not transparent)