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Everything Google does feeds back, somehow, to data mining. How does self-driving cars fit in to Google's plans? ETA: Downvoted for asking a serious question?

Everything Google does feeds back, somehow, to data mining. How does self-driving cars fit in to Google's plans? ETA: Downvoted for asking a serious question? WTH?

draz 15y ago
I dont work for Google, so I dont know. I'd imagine some projects aren't all about the strategic long term "money plan," rather that strategic long term "people plan." This is a cool project, and Google might just want to give talented people an outlet for their creativity. They work on this fun-project (and are having a good time so they don't want to leave Google), and they also work on another project that actually brings in money. Moreover, a project like signals prestige to outsiders (which attracts more talented people). Plain and simple
Game_Ender 15y ago
What do you think a bunch of people in self driving cars with smartphones or personal wifi hotspots are going to do? Surf the internet, and therefore use more of Google's products. It's similar to Chrome or Android in that it enables more people to use Google's core services which they make money off of.
- Qworg 15y ago
  Well, the car itself becomes a device, right? - Active internal displays that push ads based on detailed mapping information. - Delivering you to a particular location after you look it up on Google. What's the Price per Delivery (PPD) on AdWords?
- ctdonath 15y ago
  Sensible answer, tnx. Anyone play with the numbers? average web use vs. average AdWords profit vs. typical commute?
- rhino42 15y ago
  Also, publicity... Never discount publicity
tzs 15y ago
Here's a possibility. I'm not saying they will do this. It's just an illustration of what someone controlling the software in a fleet of self-driving cars could do. You summon a self-driving taxi to take you to Bob's Bistro--known throughout the city for its steaks, and your call is serviced by a car using Google self-driving software. Google knows who you are and knows where you are going. The car's route planner determines that there is a route that is within 10% of optimal that takes the car past Sam's Steakhouse, and Sam is currently paying for a Google ad campaign targeted at self-driving passengers. The car takes you past Sam's where Sam has a hard-to-miss sign touting reviews that say his steaks are better than Bob's. Google is clever so the car might even time this so that you'll hit a red light in front of Sam's to give you a better chance of seeing Sam's sign. If the sign is electronic the message you see comparing Sam's to Bob's might even be specifically targeted at you. A moment later when the next cab goes by, carrying a passenger to Carl's Crab Shack, that sign might have a message touting Sam's amazing surf'n'turf compared to Carl's. Right now, you go to Google when you want to drive more traffic to your website. With self-driving vehicles, you'll go to Google when you want to drive more traffic to your brick and mortar site.
- tomkarlo 15y ago
  This is a pretty paranoid and far-fetched scenario. Generally, I'd expect that an automated taxi would operate under rules similar to current taxis - the obligation would be to take the customer to the destination via the most direct route specified, unless otherwise directed. Taking someone on another route might constitute kidnapping - you're essentially transporting them against their will to somewhere they did not ask to go.
  - sophacles 15y ago
    I didn't read the parent as paranoid at all. I thought it was pretty cool. Further, wrt the optimal/most direct route thing: * the algorithm could be tweaked to "adpresence" en-route fairly easily * "most direct route" is an ambiguous term. There could be two routes that involve almost same distance in miles, but the slightly longer one is likely to take less time. Which constitutes most direct? It turns into an optimization problem, possibly with no obviously optimal point (particularly when you account for fuzziness needed to deal with unexpected traffic patterns, accidents, etc). * Finally, the ad-laden route could be a free ride, whereas the "direct" route could be paid. This may or may not get around regulations, but as long as the time delta was not significantly bad, I would choose the ad route.
mcxx 15y ago
Constantly updated Street view. Also, they could map all the roads of the world this way.
- ctdonath 15y ago
  THAT is awesome.
- dazmax 15y ago
  Not to mention perfect real-time traffic data. Also they could get some info on business patronization.
- tazzy531 15y ago
  This would be an extremely expensive way to map the world.
  - ctdonath 15y ago
    Only if Google were paying all the costs. To the contrary, it makes for the biggest crowdsourcing project ever.
HNatWORK 15y ago
Everything except for some of the Google X Labs projects, of which this is one. I'm going to take an optimistic tack and say they're doing this for the PR benefits of being seen as creating new technology that gives people tools they never thought they could have, somewhat like Microsoft has done with the Kinect.
- marshallp 15y ago
  Microsoft made bank with the kinect. Also, google is in serious danger of being killed by facebook (more data = better search results), so google needs another huge profit stream. Running the entire transportation infrastructure can be that (there will be competitors, but with google's superior tech talent, their vehicles will be safer and hence win).
  - jiggy2011 15y ago
    Do you think that google will sell the vehicles themselves or will they just license the technology to existing automakers?
    - marshallp 15y ago
      If I were them, I would just run the vehicles as a fleet. The have many billions in cash and borrow any amount, so why not. Then innovate on the maintenance of the fleet with robots as well. Maybe start with franchising. Plus, they automatically set the rates for each individual journey dynamically and extract as much as possible.
      - jiggy2011 15y ago
        Interesting, I can see how the taxi idea could be more efficient. On the other hand cars are a great way of signaling things (like wealth, trendiness etc) and I think people like the idea of having their car.
        eru 15y ago
tomkarlo 15y ago
More likely downvoted for making an unsubstantiated generalization - Google is a huge company with hundreds of products and projects, while many of them may connect to advertising / data mining, there are lots that don't.
jka 15y ago
It'll give them very accurate information on where people are travelling from and to - much as Google Maps directions/navigation does, but on a much more precise and reliable scale. Bear in mind that there's a completely alternative model for car ownership; with fully automated vehicles, there's no absolute requirement for people to 'buy' a car - there could be shared metropolitan resources of cars, which would arrive and pick you up 'on demand' (much like a shared taxi service, subsided by subscription) Also, given that Google would probably know the locations of all the cars at any point in time, they could also get very, very detailed traffic flow information. This they could use to further optimize traffic - i.e. load-balancing traffic through different routes - but also this could potentially be sold to other transit agencies, or even tied to demographic data to suggest where stores should open new premises. Probably some more ideas/data sources and uses in here that I haven't considered too :)
missing_cipher 15y ago
It could gather information on a highway's traffic and things like that, sell them to whoever is interested in that stuff(News maybe?)
blhack 15y ago
Yeah, there is literally no chance that they're pursuing this because it will be a multi-billion-dollar-per-year industry selling hardware to people and changing the world for the better. It must be because they have some dire plan to find out where I get my tacos! /s

Everything Google does feeds back, somehow, to data mining. How does self-driving cars fit in to Google's plans? ETA: Downvoted for asking a serious question? WTH?

draz 15y ago

I dont work for Google, so I dont know. I'd imagine some projects aren't all about the strategic long term "money plan," rather that strategic long term "people plan." This is a cool project, and Google might just want to give talented people an outlet for their creativity. They work on this fun-project (and are having a good time so they don't want to leave Google), and they also work on another project that actually brings in money. Moreover, a project like signals prestige to outsiders (which attracts more talented people). Plain and simple

Game_Ender 15y ago

What do you think a bunch of people in self driving cars with smartphones or personal wifi hotspots are going to do? Surf the internet, and therefore use more of Google's products. It's similar to Chrome or Android in that it enables more people to use Google's core services which they make money off of.

Qworg 15y ago
Well, the car itself becomes a device, right? - Active internal displays that push ads based on detailed mapping information. - Delivering you to a particular location after you look it up on Google. What's the Price per Delivery (PPD) on AdWords?
ctdonath 15y ago
Sensible answer, tnx. Anyone play with the numbers? average web use vs. average AdWords profit vs. typical commute?
rhino42 15y ago
Also, publicity... Never discount publicity

tzs 15y ago

Here's a possibility. I'm not saying they will do this. It's just an illustration of what someone controlling the software in a fleet of self-driving cars could do. You summon a self-driving taxi to take you to Bob's Bistro--known throughout the city for its steaks, and your call is serviced by a car using Google self-driving software. Google knows who you are and knows where you are going. The car's route planner determines that there is a route that is within 10% of optimal that takes the car past Sam's Steakhouse, and Sam is currently paying for a Google ad campaign targeted at self-driving passengers. The car takes you past Sam's where Sam has a hard-to-miss sign touting reviews that say his steaks are better than Bob's. Google is clever so the car might even time this so that you'll hit a red light in front of Sam's to give you a better chance of seeing Sam's sign. If the sign is electronic the message you see comparing Sam's to Bob's might even be specifically targeted at you. A moment later when the next cab goes by, carrying a passenger to Carl's Crab Shack, that sign might have a message touting Sam's amazing surf'n'turf compared to Carl's. Right now, you go to Google when you want to drive more traffic to your website. With self-driving vehicles, you'll go to Google when you want to drive more traffic to your brick and mortar site.

tomkarlo 15y ago
This is a pretty paranoid and far-fetched scenario. Generally, I'd expect that an automated taxi would operate under rules similar to current taxis - the obligation would be to take the customer to the destination via the most direct route specified, unless otherwise directed. Taking someone on another route might constitute kidnapping - you're essentially transporting them against their will to somewhere they did not ask to go.
- sophacles 15y ago
  I didn't read the parent as paranoid at all. I thought it was pretty cool. Further, wrt the optimal/most direct route thing: * the algorithm could be tweaked to "adpresence" en-route fairly easily * "most direct route" is an ambiguous term. There could be two routes that involve almost same distance in miles, but the slightly longer one is likely to take less time. Which constitutes most direct? It turns into an optimization problem, possibly with no obviously optimal point (particularly when you account for fuzziness needed to deal with unexpected traffic patterns, accidents, etc). * Finally, the ad-laden route could be a free ride, whereas the "direct" route could be paid. This may or may not get around regulations, but as long as the time delta was not significantly bad, I would choose the ad route.

mcxx 15y ago

Constantly updated Street view. Also, they could map all the roads of the world this way.

ctdonath 15y ago
THAT is awesome.
dazmax 15y ago
Not to mention perfect real-time traffic data. Also they could get some info on business patronization.
tazzy531 15y ago
This would be an extremely expensive way to map the world.
- ctdonath 15y ago
  Only if Google were paying all the costs. To the contrary, it makes for the biggest crowdsourcing project ever.

HNatWORK 15y ago

Everything except for some of the Google X Labs projects, of which this is one. I'm going to take an optimistic tack and say they're doing this for the PR benefits of being seen as creating new technology that gives people tools they never thought they could have, somewhat like Microsoft has done with the Kinect.

marshallp 15y ago
Microsoft made bank with the kinect. Also, google is in serious danger of being killed by facebook (more data = better search results), so google needs another huge profit stream. Running the entire transportation infrastructure can be that (there will be competitors, but with google's superior tech talent, their vehicles will be safer and hence win).
- jiggy2011 15y ago
  Do you think that google will sell the vehicles themselves or will they just license the technology to existing automakers?
  - marshallp 15y ago
    If I were them, I would just run the vehicles as a fleet. The have many billions in cash and borrow any amount, so why not. Then innovate on the maintenance of the fleet with robots as well. Maybe start with franchising. Plus, they automatically set the rates for each individual journey dynamically and extract as much as possible.
    - jiggy2011 15y ago
      Interesting, I can see how the taxi idea could be more efficient. On the other hand cars are a great way of signaling things (like wealth, trendiness etc) and I think people like the idea of having their car.
      - eru 15y ago

tomkarlo 15y ago

More likely downvoted for making an unsubstantiated generalization - Google is a huge company with hundreds of products and projects, while many of them may connect to advertising / data mining, there are lots that don't.

jka 15y ago

It'll give them very accurate information on where people are travelling from and to - much as Google Maps directions/navigation does, but on a much more precise and reliable scale. Bear in mind that there's a completely alternative model for car ownership; with fully automated vehicles, there's no absolute requirement for people to 'buy' a car - there could be shared metropolitan resources of cars, which would arrive and pick you up 'on demand' (much like a shared taxi service, subsided by subscription) Also, given that Google would probably know the locations of all the cars at any point in time, they could also get very, very detailed traffic flow information. This they could use to further optimize traffic - i.e. load-balancing traffic through different routes - but also this could potentially be sold to other transit agencies, or even tied to demographic data to suggest where stores should open new premises. Probably some more ideas/data sources and uses in here that I haven't considered too :)

missing_cipher 15y ago

It could gather information on a highway's traffic and things like that, sell them to whoever is interested in that stuff(News maybe?)

blhack 15y ago

Yeah, there is literally no chance that they're pursuing this because it will be a multi-billion-dollar-per-year industry selling hardware to people and changing the world for the better. It must be because they have some dire plan to find out where I get my tacos! /s