'Error-Prone' Simulates Our Inferior Driving Skills
Let's us crash before we hit the road.
Driverless cars are on the way. The technology is improving rapidly and, soon enough, the cars will be part of our daily lives. But, because humans are entirely hubristic, it’s unlikely they’ll catch on immediately. We’ll always believe we can drive better on our own than we could with assistance. A new game proves otherwise.
Error-Prone was developed by Peter Cardwell-Gardner and Mark Backler to show that computers are really, really good drivers, Wired reports. The game simulates highway driving, with all the cars driving properly in a circle. When you enter the game, though, cars crash and burn. Even if you can evade fender-benders, the entire pace of traffic gets thrown off by your wonky human driving.
Error-Prone is a preview of how clean the roads may look when self-driving cars take over, but as Wired notes, it’s not perfect. The game cannot account for more local driving where unexpected interruptions (e.g., pedestrians, animals, fallen trees, etc.) disrupt the planned route. But the game’s goal is not to show us the future, but teach us the error of our cocky ways. Humans, give up and give in. Let a robot be your chauffeur.
