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Comment by c23gooey | Hacker News Reader

I feel as though they really havent embraced the driverless concept with their prototype.

Why have seats that are fixed and facing forward? What about a couch? Why is there a dash?

The people in the video are essentially watching the car drive itself, when they could be doing anything else.

There are probably a multitude of reasons why the things above are the way they are. However, the prototype seems like just another car to me.

Also, off-topic, but can we have a google/product launch video without the corny piano soundtrack.

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People want to know where they are going. Very few, if any, people would be happy looking at where they've been. The dash is most likely two-fold: they have to cover up what's behind the dash and they need a place to put things like air bags. Finally, if I was designing this, I'd want it to feel enough like a car that people fully recognize all the ways it's not a normal car to increase their excitement about it. Just like they put a cartoon face on the front, complete with a nose: make people feel good about it.

Ever sat backwards on a train? Or first class in a plane? It doesn't matter if you're not driving.

As was already said, some people get sick. Also, many more people prefer to be facing forward on a train. I know I personally do. Sure, I can handle facing backward with no problems, but I just prefer facing forward.

I much prefer facing backwards, because I know in the rare case of crash that I am going to be much safer.

This is also true of aircraft and cars and buses and coaches. Sadly, most people do feel uncomfortable facing backwards and so the risky forwards-facing seating is used.

I really don’t think that kind of risk mitigation is of much utility.

It would save many lives in cars.

I know a lot of folks who get car sick sitting backwards in busses.

>Why have seats that are fixed and facing forward?

Seats facing forward means that acceleration pushes you backward into your seat. Any other direction would increase motion sickness. And what would be the advantage of the seats facing a different way?

>What about a couch?

The seats do look like a couch to me...

Rear facing seats are safest, since acceleration is not the biggest problem, rapid deceleration is.

http://www.airspacemag.com/need-to-know/are-aft-facing-airpl...

Not when your top speed is 25mph. You're far more likely to get rear-ended than suffer a head-on collision.

>And what would be the advantage of the seats facing a different way?

In a four seater, two seats forward and two seats back, for conversations. With only two seats, there is little benefit except for a head on collision.

>what would be the advantage of the seats facing a different way?

When you got into a head on collision, you would (perhaps) be spared the whiplash.

They should add a table, or two sets of seats facing each other, and an optional table that pulls out between them. Then show 4 people in the car, having a little business meeting on the way to their office, or have a family of 4 in the car, eating sandwiches or something on the table as they go to school.

That should be one of the key points, you can use this time productively, and not just spend it looking out the windshield. You can visit with your children on the way to their school, and not have your back to them as you divide your attention between the road and their conversation. Show a side-by-side of a parent driving, scatterbrained and frustrated, then show one sitting next to their child in the automated car reading a book together as it drives.

One of the cars my parents had when I was growing up was a VW Eurovan. The seat configuration in the car was a 'sofa' (fits 3) facing forwards and then 2 seats facing the sofa. On the left hand side of the car was a foldable table. As a kid it was fun to use it to play cards with the person in front of you or to eat, etc. etc.

0:50 over at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBt-013d7Bw

I absolutely agree that cars can be much more fun when set up with different seating configurations.

That looks cool, and sitting facing rear is safer too!

> Also, off-topic, but can we have a google/product launch video without the corny piano soundtrack.

I think we can thank Apple for that.

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