[EA]

Originally Posted by Matthew_MI

I think autonomous vehicles are a horrible idea! It's going to create a generation of less skilled drivers, that are too dependent on autonomous technology. Computers are known to glitch. What happens when it glitches and the person in the car doesn't react on time? If snow or ice build up on the radar sensors? That car will become a weapon, killing people. Automakers are wasting their money. People want safe, reliable transportation. With affordable options, and the more high tech these cars become, the higher the price tag, and maintenance cost.

Humans glitch, text, have sex, masturbate, read, watch videos, put on make up, vlog, drink, do drugs, run on no sleep, have medical episodes, and have poor driver training.


There's been millions of miles driven autonomously and very few wrecks. 2 were glitches in early systems and the rest were idiots wrecking into the autonomous car.
There's an autonomous shuttle down town that has been operating for a year. Other than a truck driver hitting it, there's been no incidents. There's no one inside it.
Buses, cabs, limos, shuttles, rideshare, and regular people crash every single day in Vegas.
I'll take the computer every single time.

[lvmensch]

I think it will be a while yet but it is pretty well inevitable at this point.

As has been pointed out the big problem at this point is more that the AVs are too cautious. The only major failure to date was the Uber fatality which was close to unthinkable. It was the easiest of virtually any scenario but still failed. Major indictment of the Uber process.

The accident rate is already better than 10 to 1 for humans causing an accident with the AV rather than caused by the AV. And that will continue to improve.

I still think the initial implementation will be trucks and car services.

The things see better than humans and can handle the mechanisms much better. And if things are not working correctly they will simple refuse to move or only operate at some limited get home condition.

They will I think dominate by 2030.

[EA]

Originally Posted by lvmensch

I think it will be a while yet but it is pretty well inevitable at this point.

As has been pointed out the big problem at this point is more that the AVs are too cautious. The only major failure to date was the Uber fatality which was close to unthinkable. It was the easiest of virtually any scenario but still failed. Major indictment of the Uber process.

The accident rate is already better than 10 to 1 for humans causing an accident with the AV rather than caused by the AV. And that will continue to improve.

I still think the initial implementation will be trucks and car services.

The things see better than humans and can handle the mechanisms much better. And if things are not working correctly they will simple refuse to move or only operate at some limited get home condition.

They will I think dominate by 2030.

That uber thing was the woman's fault.
Outside of a crosswalk, on a dark road, around a corner, and didn't look before crossing or during crossing.

If you're driving down the road and some idiot jumps out in front of you it's not your fault.

[JonathanLB]

They're the future, and not that distant future whatsoever. People are always irrationally pessimistic and emotional about anything new, even if it's better by far than the present situation. It's just human nature, I guess, or the nature of dumb people, at least. "Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind's made up!" A lot of the country's traffic problems and accidents will be solved by self-driving vehicles and I think eventually they'll all be on a central system, coordinated by a large computer array, so that any chance of accidents is basically near zero. You won't be allowed to drive on a public road, it'll be all automated, and a number of people won't even own cars, they'll just use services like Uber that send a car their way cheaply and it'll make more financial sense for many than $500-600/month spent on their own car.

I'm enjoying driving while I still can, because though I'm only 35, it won't be long before nobody drives on a public road and old school driving is just a thing of the past or something you do on private property or on a track somewhere to remember what it used to be like. Professional drivers like race car drivers will be seen more glamorously.

I think the timing is good because as human lifespans become ever longer, and we find more ways to keep the body functioning and extend lifespans, people will have less tolerance for the high death totals from automobile accidents. They already seem unacceptable but when you have most people living very long lives, it becomes even more of a waste.

[lvmensch]

Originally Posted by EA

That uber thing was the woman's fault.
Outside of a crosswalk, on a dark road, around a corner, and didn't look before crossing or during crossing.

If you're driving down the road and some idiot jumps out in front of you it's not your fault.

Technically however it was almost a gimme...Clear target that was seen well early enough to avoid. Simply a shortcoming in the Uber software that did not attempt to avoid her until too late. And it was not a jump out situation. She came across other lanes and was clearly visible to the sensors. It was simply a failure of the most basic and easiest part of the Uber software.

[EA]

It won't be a central computer. What they are working on is communication between vehicles.
Being able to talk to the cars around itself will keep everything flowing well and minimize accidents.
The only accidents you're going to see are people walking in front of cars and random mechanic failures.


Tesla, Google, Volvo, GM, Ford and several other massive companies are investing heavily into autonomous cars.
The cars will be ready in a few years. The hold up will be, as usual, the government.

[lvmensch]

Originally Posted by JonathanLB

They're the future, and not that distant future whatsoever. People are always irrationally pessimistic and emotional about anything new, even if it's better by far than the present situation. It's just human nature, I guess, or the nature of dumb people, at least. "Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind's made up!" A lot of the country's traffic problems and accidents will be solved by self-driving vehicles and I think eventually they'll all be on a central system, coordinated by a large computer array, so that any chance of accidents is basically near zero. You won't be allowed to drive on a public road, it'll be all automated, and a number of people won't even own cars, they'll just use services like Uber that send a car their way cheaply and it'll make more financial sense for many than $500-600/month spent on their own car.

I'm enjoying driving while I still can, because though I'm only 35, it won't be long before nobody drives on a public road and old school driving is just a thing of the past or something you do on private property or on a track somewhere to remember what it used to be like. Professional drivers like race car drivers will be seen more glamorously.

I think the timing is good because as human lifespans become ever longer, and we find more ways to keep the body functioning and extend lifespans, people will have less tolerance for the high death totals from automobile accidents. They already seem unacceptable but when you have most people living very long lives, it becomes even more of a waste.

No big central computer. This is all local stuff in the vehicle and close surround. There will be central processing but it will deal with system level stuff like traffic and bottlenecks. Think of waze with 5 foot resolution. But things like intersections will be autonomous and local.

[OmegaSupreme]

It should be against the law to have anything other than driverless vehicles on the road, especially in Las Vegas. They are much, much safer than human drivers

It's also the only way to get moron drivers off our roads. Especially since any moron can get a license.

[WVREDLEG]

Originally Posted by EA

It won't be a central computer. What they are working on is communication between vehicles.
Being able to talk to the cars around itself will keep everything flowing well and minimize accidents.
The only accidents you're going to see are people walking in front of cars and random mechanic failures.


Tesla, Google, Volvo, GM, Ford and several other massive companies are investing heavily into autonomous cars.
The cars will be ready in a few years. The hold up will be, as usual, the government.

Hackers and government run cyber cells in China, Russia and nK will get a vote on how well this all works out. It is not as clean as it seems.

I am all for the driverless vehicle. I am not ready to accept that anyone can make a symbiotic network that is safe from malicious acts--yet.

[EA]

You must not be aware of the fact that people can hack human driven cars already.
Autonomy is going to happen it's not up to debate.