self driving cars

[Fanatical Meat]

They're coming and I think it will solve many problem like blind people and seniors not losing their mobility, preventing drunk driving, excreta.
I also know once its main stream people will do tons of dumb stuff. He's some of the dumb things I predict. What's your predictions?

Of course there will be people that modify the cars sensors (I'm assuming the car will know when you're in the drivers seat. I see some guy going to his wife's home when he entered the wrong address and he asleep with a hooker.
I see someone falling out of their moon roof or convertible the car arrives home without a passenger
Someone poisons themselves because they use a camping grill in the car to make breakfast or burgers. CO2 or fire.
A zip line between two cars that gets screwed up because one has to avoid a road hazard.
A grandmother that ends up two states away because she endered the wrong address and didn't know how to change it

 

[phucheneh]

They're coming

Same response I give in ATG:

No. They're not.

Even the people in the industry who say 'self-driving cars are right around the corner!' have backed off and admitted...um...no...they're not.

People who profess such are akin to those in the 1960's that talked about how in the 1980's we'd have big self-reliant moon colonies and shit.

Exact same scenario: logistical impossibility.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I'm talking 20 years or so, come on play the game what stupid crap do you think will happen?

 

[uclaLabrat]

Insurance rates in Irvine would plummet

 

[PliotronX]

Same response I give in ATG:

No. They're not.

Even the people in the industry who say 'self-driving cars are right around the corner!' have backed off and admitted...um...no...they're not.

People who profess such are akin to those in the 1960's that talked about how in the 1980's we'd have big self-reliant moon colonies and shit.

Exact same scenario: logistical impossibility.

Yup, thered have to be some kind of centralized ground traffic control and thats creepy. It would have to be up to date to the second with road construction and detours. I really dont see it happening ever.

 

[phucheneh]

Yup, thered have to be some kind of centralized ground traffic control and thats creepy. It would have to be up to date to the second with road construction and detours. I really dont see it happening ever.

The most damning thing to me is that I don't see computer-controlled cars and human-controlled cars playing nice. And you're never eradicating the latter.

 

[Imaginer]

Yup, thered have to be some kind of centralized ground traffic control and thats creepy. It would have to be up to date to the second with road construction and detours. I really dont see it happening ever.

This. Many of the traffic problems stem from improper load balancing of traffic flow - outside of an individual driver's control as many drivers are inherently reactionary instead of actively aware to the situation (automated cars that are isolated aren't going to solve that other than allowing more mobile electronics time for all vehicle occupants).

It would also look into the core of a transportation's infrastructure of roads, lights, and control - keeping no conflicts of cars that would lead to accidents.

Also, I have problems working in a car as a passenger (road motion sickness and eyes adjusting to the screen from vehicle and road imperfections and vibrations). One is asking a huge cost replacement for everyone to change over, a cost many cannot afford to switch out.

And automated cars, does not make me want to give my motorcycle up.

 

[TheSlamma]

None of those things you listed stack up to the amount of stupid I see people do behind the wheel right now. Dumb drivers have been around a long time, but every year it's simply worse and worse with the increased number of distractions people have.

I'd love for computers to be doing the driving, it would be it's one and only task, the exact opposite of what people do behind the wheel now.

 

[Imaginer]

None of those things you listed stack up to the amount of stupid I see people do behind the wheel right now. Dumb drivers have been around a long time, but every year it's simply worse and worse with the increased number of distractions people have.

I'd love for computers to be doing the driving, it would be it's one and only task, the exact opposite of what people do behind the wheel now.

Nothing can fix stupid. In my personal opinion, automated driving would eliminate that learning of awareness and navigation control as well as respect in operations of moving about with respect to everyone else - making stupid worse.

 

[SandEagle]

i'd trust it over a woman driver any day

 

[mmntech]

This. Many of the traffic problems stem from improper load balancing of traffic flow - outside of an individual driver's control as many drivers are inherently reactionary instead of actively aware to the situation (automated cars that are isolated aren't going to solve that other than allowing more mobile electronics time for all vehicle occupants).

Poor design is a huge part of the problem. There's three main areas where accidents tend to happen:
-Left lane of the highway, which is usually caused by a sudden slowdown in traffic, or lane hoggers.
-Right lane of the highway near on and off ramps
-Intersections where a vehicle is attempting to make a left turn.

The last one is very easy to fix. Have advanced greens at every intersection with lights, and turn arrows at all major ones. These also need to function 24/7 instead of just during peak periods. Don't allow people to make left turns with through traffic at major intersections. Another issue that crops up is poor visibility for left turning drivers. Especially if the light is near a curve or the intersection if off kilter. A warning light for oncoming traffic is one possible solution.

Issues in the right lane at on and off ramps are usually caused by a few things. People not letting others merge, people cutting across all lanes to exit, ramps that are too short, or two ramps entering the highway at the same spot. There's on particularly bad spot on the 401 in Toronto where three on ramps merge into a single right lane. There's also heavy traffic merging in from the express to the collectors only a few meters in behind, in the left lane. So it makes it very difficult for people to squeeze in. There's at least a lest one crash there per day. Better spacing of ramps would help eliminate this problem. Though it doesn't solve assholes cutting across all lanes.

As for the third issue, that's difficult to solve because it's purely a driver error issue. The best you can do is design highways to try and prevent sudden jam ups. Lane hogs are a huge problem though and should be ticketed. Slow traffic is supposed to keep right.

 

[Albatross]

http://www.autoworldnews.com/articl...ar-cant-navigate-heavy-rain-or-most-roads.htm

 

[Red Squirrel]

I don't see it happen, then again you never know, tech does tend to work out when you think it wont. What happens when there's snow on the sensors, yeah you should brush it off, but some people don't bother or sometimes it's just too cold to sit outside brushing every nook and cranny so you just do a quick job. The danger would be partially covered sensors, it would think it can see properly and not raise any alarm but it would actually not see properly. Then if it's already snowing even if you clear all the snow, snow will get in them as you drive and it will eventually go "blind" and lose control.

I can see them work in very controlled environments like down south but I don't see them as mainstream. Another thing they have to account for is how slippery the road is. That is hard to make a sensor for. In winter you need to stop almost a block before your actual stop depending on if it's icy or what not, a self driving car wont be able to tell this.

 

[Imaginer]

Issues in the right lane at on and off ramps are usually caused by a few things. People not letting others merge, people cutting across all lanes to exit, ramps that are too short, or two ramps entering the highway at the same spot. There's on particularly bad spot on the 401 in Toronto where three on ramps merge into a single right lane. There's also heavy traffic merging in from the express to the collectors only a few meters in behind, in the left lane. So it makes it very difficult for people to squeeze in. There's at least a lest one crash there per day. Better spacing of ramps would help eliminate this problem.

I will emphasize that in BOLD. Too often, some one on the highway will keep speed and not being courteous in slowing down a few notches to allow the slower vehicle to gain the necessary speed (if they are even gaining speed at all on the intended on ramp) to merge. There are many that are just blindly following bumper to bumper without allowing the option to interleave with incoming ramp traffic.

And there are many more that would ignorantly travel in a driver's blind spot of another vehicle, without speeding up out of the way when possible.

Yes longer on ramps would be ideal, but in some areas of cities, it cannot be helped as it is too tight of a design - due to building or a dated infrastructure.

All of your other points elaborated and what I would agree with.

Though it doesn't solve assholes cutting across all lanes.

Poor travel planning and execution of the driver on where to go.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

They'd need to basically put a human brain in a car. Not happening any time this century.

 

[Imaginer]

I would say that having a actual person acting as navigator pointing points of interests well ahead of time so the driver can focus at the situation and driving scenario at the time, converging on the objective interest, is cooperatively ideal. The navigator isn't in your face with the constant pointings and micromanaging of your lane travel, and the driver can focus on the immediate without worrying about the final destination (being distracted with ANY GPS assistance and handling).

Like a pilot and co-pilot manner of aircraft. Or a pilot and navigator.

 

[Puppies04]

They're coming and I think it will solve many problem like blind people and seniors not losing their mobility, preventing drunk driving, excreta.
I also know once its main stream people will do tons of dumb stuff. He's some of the dumb things I predict. What's your predictions?

Of course there will be people that modify the cars sensors (I'm assuming the car will know when you're in the drivers seat. I see some guy going to his wife's home when he entered the wrong address and he asleep with a hooker.
I see someone falling out of their moon roof or convertible the car arrives home without a passenger
Someone poisons themselves because they use a camping grill in the car to make breakfast or burgers. CO2 or fire.
A zip line between two cars that gets screwed up because one has to avoid a road hazard.
A grandmother that ends up two states away because she endered the wrong address and didn't know how to change it

Need to add get back to the parking lot and find your car has been stolen, then get home and find the car took the thieves there and they stole all your other stuff.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Need to add get back to the parking lot and find your car has been stolen, then get home and find the car took the thieves there and they stole all your other stuff.

Actually never thought of that... and this could apply to current cars too. Any navigation points you have stored on your GPS can be a huge security issue if it's stolen. Best to input that stuff manually each time.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Need to add get back to the parking lot and find your car has been stolen, then get home and find the car took the thieves there and they stole all your other stuff.

Now this is what I'm looking for. I could see this happening.

 

[T9D]

It's definitely coming. You're in denial if you think it's not.

First it's going to start off on campus, businesses, school, whatever. Then they will get their own lane on the highway. Only self driving car lane. Then eventually be integrated more and more into the rest of the roads. Most likely they will segregate the normal cars from these and keep growing that. Until some day decades and decades from now only normal driving will be at certain places and spots. But for now you'll just drive normally in town, get on the freeways in your own lanes and it will self drive, and when you exit start normal driving again. Will progress from there.

Yeah there will be growing pains and some bad things will happen, the news will be all over it, and everyone will be scared. But it will be far less often than normal driving and safer.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

What's more likely is a continued decline in driving and slow migration back to urban centers with robust public transit.

Virtually every major city at one point had a complete mass transit network. We spent a fortune tearing it out and building highways to support cars. And now many are spending billions putting it back in.

 

[PliotronX]

Need to add get back to the parking lot and find your car has been stolen, then get home and find the car took the thieves there and they stole all your other stuff.

Wow, takes all the work out of finding the owners home where they are not present. My GPS home location is the main road a few blocks from the house just in case...

 

[Red Squirrel]

It's definitely coming. You're in denial if you think it's not.

First it's going to start off on campus, businesses, school, whatever. Then they will get their own lane on the highway. Only self driving car lane. Then eventually be integrated more and more into the rest of the roads. Most likely they will segregate the normal cars from these and keep growing that. Until some day decades and decades from now only normal driving will be at certain places and spots. But for now you'll just drive normally in town, get on the freeways in your own lanes and it will self drive, and when you exit start normal driving again. Will progress from there.

Yeah there will be growing pains and some bad things will happen, the news will be all over it, and everyone will be scared. But it will be far less often than normal driving and safer.

Actually I could see it happen but on some kind of rail system, not necessarily a train rail or even something you see, but it would be a road system designed specifically for these type of cars and they can only stick to that road in auto mode. The road would know where each car is and basically communicate with each car so traffic flows in unity. This would be major roads then you'd have to actually drive on the side roads. When you command the car to go to a certain spot it would basically start beeping or provide you some feedback to tell you that you are about to enter a manual drive road and there would be a "prep zone" so to speak so if you're not paying attention the car just stops (and people behind you start to beep at you lol) other wise if you start to control the car it you then take over and continue driving.

The "auto" roads would have very strict plowing requirements so sensors and other devices are free of any snow or ice but this process would probably be automated as they could have self driving snow plows too that just keep going around plowing the snow. Perhaps even some way to keep them bare so the grip is always the same and predictable. Though no matter how often they're plowed unless you start deploying street sweepers there's always going to be that 1-2 inch layer of hard packed snow that forms. Though with all the sensors and such as long as those are clear it can "learn how long it takes to stop or slow down and communicate that with the cars. I'm thinking the sensors would basically be small poles at every couple feet with lasers or something.

 

[Jeff7]

They'd need to basically put a human brain in a car. Not happening any time this century.

I'd imagine that they could handle >95% of anything on the road. Driving is.....well, I find it to be an incredibly mindless and tedious activity. "Keep the car between the lines and don't hit anything." After about the first 5 minutes it gets pretty old. If I'm doing a long <7hr drive, around the 45 minute mark is where I start checking the clock hoping that it's almost over. Nnnnnope.


Anyway, it's that last small percentage of things that would be tough for cars:
- Animals on the road. Where is the threshold for swerving or stopping, even to the point of causing a collision? Deer? Young deer? Dog? How big is the dog? What if a small toddler is wandering across the street?
- Trash on the road. Some of it is ok to run over, like an empty paper cup, or a plastic bag, or an asshole who's actively littering. Other stuff isn't ok, like a piece of firewood or a rock.
- A traffic light that seizes up and just shows solid yellow, and then the county fails to fix it properly for 2 months and counting.
- Police in an intersection directing traffic, or a homeless man waving his arms in the middle of an intersection.
- Properly road-raging at someone who cuts you off.


The majority of time spent driving is just spent with 99.8% of your brain doing absolutely nothing, while the remainder keeps the car aligned and moving properly. But there are those few snippets of time that deviate from the norm where a self-driving car would have problems.


And it pains me to say that, because I would very much love the idea of a self-driving car. But if Google is making it, it'll just be a vehicle (har har) for shoving more ads in your face.

 

[nettrader]

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers said that 75% of the cars will be autonomous by 2040