Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"Science fiction writers, I am sorry to say, really do not know anything. We can't talk about science, because our knowledge of it is limited and unofficial, and usually our fiction is dreadful."
- Philip K. Dick
 |
| Automatic Automobile | ||
| A car that drives itself. |
John Poorson, inventor, was inspired by an all-to-common circumstance:
"And that is just one more reason why the average human being should not be allowed to drive such a powerful machine!" he mused to himself. "it has taken the combined intelligence of all the scientists of modern time to perfect the automobile and yet it is sold to and driven by any moronic fool who is able to gather together the few dollars necessary to buy a secondhand one."
Now, let's see what he created in response to this incident.
The glancing blow from the recklessly driven automobile had spun him into the gutter, but had injured little except his pride and his clothing.
| "I want to show you something new in the way of an automobile."
"Nothing new about this," laughed Babson, scornfully. "One of our best and most familiar models." "How about the steering wheel?" "Where is it?" "I do not need one. Sit down and make yourself comfortable. Now watch me. We are going into traffic..." |
| From The Living Machine,
by David H. Keller. Published by Wonder Stories in 1935 Additional resources -
|
Just think of the advantages of the self driving car!
As far as I know, this is the first reference to the idea of an autonomous automobile.
Old people began to cross the continent in their own cars. Young people found the driverless car admirable for petting. The blind for the first time were safe. Parents found they could more safely send their children to school in the new car than in the old cars with a chauffeur.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from The Living Machine
More Ideas
and Technology by David H. Keller
Tech news articles related to The Living Machine
Tech news articles related to works by David H. Keller
| Cruise Automation's 'Highway Autopilot' For $10K |
| myCopter Personal Aerial Vehicle (PAV) |
| Spam Autonomous Cars And Philip K. Dick |
| Toyota's Camatte Has William Gibson's Digital Hood |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
'I had a small can of powdered alcohol disguised as tooth powder...'
'The jeweled hands clutching drinks (and the unobtrusive inspections with tiny remote-cast snoopers)...'
'It cut her out of the stream of vehicles and reduced the speed of her car...'
'A planet-wide chain of hotels that specialized in non-human service.'
