Sally by Isaac Asimov:
Science Fiction Inventions, Technology and Ideas

"With the highway slaughter mounting year after year, something pretty drastic must be done. We can’t suggest eliminating all automobiles; no government body would dare to legislate us back on our feet. That leaves but one answer: make cars more intelligent than their drivers!

Sure, it can be done. Look at all these cybernetic brains they’re using nowadays. Solve everything from your income tax to the number of molecules you can squeeze into a moustache cup. After a few minor adjustments, one of these mechanical minds could be installed to take over the operation of your Plymouth. Nothing to do but sit back and be driven to your destination without danger of being plowed into by some moron.

Of course, there is one fly in the gas tank, so to speak. Suppose you let Isaac Asimov ( we understand he never learned to drive!) tell you about it in this unique story of the future rulers of the roads."

Fascinating 1953 short story that details a visit to a kind of preserve for autonomous vehicles. I'm particularly interested because of the way that cars are being "trained" by watching millions of human behaviors using deep learning algorithms.


('Sally' by Isaac Asimov)

Read this story in Fantastic magazine here.

Select an invention:

Automatobile
An autonomous private car.

Automatobus
An autonomous or self-driving bus seating a number of people.

Autonomous Car Intercommunication
Automatic cars talk to each other about everything.

Positronic Motor
A combination of motor and brain; an engine with a cerebellum and a carburetor.

Self-Cleaning Autonomous Car
An automatic vehicle that keeps itself clean.

 

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