Saturday 18 May 2013

Getting Hacked Off

Suddenly, the ending of the brilliant video in my post from earlier this month makes more sense.

The car that fascinates the two Spocks is this self-driving Audi TT:
This car raises two important questions: 
  • Do self-driving Audis tailgate other self-driving cars?
  • Will a 14-year-old from Indonesia one day be able to hack into self-driving cars?
 Actually, that second question raises even more questions.
 
The question itself, was first asked by a US senator as told to us by Autoguide today.
 
It's a bit scary when you think about it - especially if you live in Indonesia where most 14-year-old Indonesians come from.
 
Imagine you're on you way home from work, reading the evening newspaper or playing Tetris or having a quiet doze while your self-driving car is doing the important stuff when you suddenly find yourself driving through your local branch of Sainsburys (or Wal-Mart or Hero).
 
Technology in lots of modern cars will make them vulnerable for hacking whether it is upgrading the e.c.u. for more power or something more sinister altogether.
 
Self-driving cars themselves have progressed in leaps and bounds in the last decade with some help from the DARPA Grand Challenge with cars like this VW Passat...
 ...through to Google's self-driving Toyota Prius...
Such cars are now legal on the roads in several US States.

I'm rather glad they aren't here in the UK yet though.

Not that we aren't working on the same thing - check this out.

But, apart from nervousness about a computer controlling a ton or two of metal on the loose, I actually enjoy driving and don't want to ever lose out on that.

Plus, what about those Indonesian kids?

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