Posted on 09/13/2013 9:54:52 AM PDT by null and void
The driverless S-Class was able to deal with some difficult situations involving traffic lights, roundabouts, pedestrians, cyclists and trams
A particular challenge for autonomous vehicles is the way in which they communicate and interact with other cars.
'This sometimes results in comical situations, such as when, having stopped at a zebra crossing, the vehicle gets waved through by the pedestrian – yet our car stoically continues to wait, because we failed to anticipate such politeness when we programmed the system.'
Scientists at Oxford University are working with Nissan in Sunderland to create ‘robotcars’ that can drive themselves independently using details of the road they are driving on stored in on-board software.
The Nissan self-drive Leaf electric car is controlled by an iPad, and the Oxford team behind it claim the technology could be installed in mainstream cars as a £60 option.
Cameras and lasers built into its chassis map a 3D model of its surroundings when it is driven manually, which is fed into a computer stored in the boot.
A laser at the front scans 164ft ahead 13 times per second for obstacles, such as pedestrians, cyclists, or other cars in an 85-degree field of view.
If it senses an obstacle, it slows and comes to a controlled stop. The driver can tap the brake pedal to regain control of the vehicle from the computer.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Front brakes activated by a hand lever.
Rear brakes activated by a foot lever.
I did not propose limiting technology.
“You’ve never had to drive 40,000 miles a year in Los Angeles!!”
My condolences.
From what I've seen there aren't many qualified humans around period. Just a bunch of damned amateur members of the human race.
That’s going to some interesting cases when they happen.
Just don't use the Microsoft car operating system.
Just don't use the Microsoft car operating system.
Drunk: Oscifer, I wasn’t driving my car was.
You missed a huge increase in purchase price, as well as maintenance, inspection, and calibration costs.
Questionable liability issues (who's insurance covers what?)
As for:
Fewer disability cases due to car accidents.
Assumes facts not in evidence. Elevators fail, bridges collapse, airliners crash, ships sink, anything designed and built by humans can and does fail, sometimes slowly, sometimes in a most spectacular manor. It is always best to plan for the worst (that's why airliners have two pilots)!
People are freed to be productive during the car ride.
I don't see updating your Facebook page, tweeting, texting, and sundry other such as being "productive". Chopping wood? I don't think so...
Elderly who can no longer drive safely can now get around safely.
You obviously have never had to cope with the elderly as passengers have you? They need assistance getting into a car seat, someone has to stow the walker/wheelchair/crutches in the trunk before you leave and when you arrive, retrieve the "mobility aids" and then push them the 1/4 mile from the parking lot to their destination since the "handicapped slots" are all taken by nominally healthy people who have scammed themselves a handicapped pass (morally & ethically handicapped!).
Elderly that would need someone to drive them to the doctor can now go by themselves.
Not gonna happen, see above. In addition, someone needs to accompany the "patient" to fill out the insurance information, provide information Re current medications, reason for visit, sit in on examination and take notes of any changes in home care required (remember elderly patients tend to be a bit forgetful), and then push the patient back across the parking lot, help them into the car (not as easy as it sounds), stow the wheelchair, get in and reset the GPS for home. Heave a big sigh when you pull into the driveway and your mother-in-law says cheerfully, "we forgot to get my script filled at the pharmacy, we'll need to stop there on the way home as I need to pick up some other things too. My list is in my purse." "Where is my purse? Oh no, I think I may have set it on the floor in the Dr's office." Another big sigh, reset GPS, &C, &C, &C...
That is what it means to be a care giver to an elderly patient. You are the one needing patience! (and a stiff drink as you crawl under the covers, you keep going because all too soon she will be gone and you will be left with thoughts of who will fetch your walker when you become "elderly")
Youth that need to get to ball practice can do so by themselves.
You'd trust a kid with a $40,000+ vehicle, all by himself? You must be mad! What's wrong with a bike?
Low cost driverless delivery vehicles would be possible.
And how does this unmanned vehicle unload itself when it gets to your house? Does it sit and wait for you? Does it run back to the warehouse with your goodies? What next? Keep trying until it finds someone home? Maybe it just dumps your new flat screen in your driveway...
Hmm, needs work...
Regards,
GtG
PS I worked over 40 years as an engineer, mostly in product design and development. I used to think that a rational design standard was "fool proof". I had to change to "damn fool proof" as the years passed. I found even that was not sufficient as God seems to be providing more talented fools these days...
G
This is the version Mercedes never released:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytVdBLMmRno&feature=player_embedded
</Sarc>
you should try 1/2 million miles a year,with a 13 speed 18 wheeler.
The only time my leg will pump 16 times per second is when I’ve had one too many cups of Joe.
We have that on our Jag. Tried it once, never again. Our new Mercedes has some kind of anti collision, lane swipe thing, heck not even sure. Hubby turned it off immediately.
One more reason to stay out of Austin when these hit the road. I see more tee bone collisions in the future when some idiot testing blows through a traffic light at 50 mph into cross traffic.
The cost might be a lot lower than you think. The mechanics, sensors and computer and not that expensive. And the software is a fixed cost.
And it's already shaping up that we will have multiple competitors.
Inspection/Calibration might be comparable to current cars computers. Which is none. When the computer fails, you replace it.
"Assumes facts not in evidence. Elevators fail, bridges collapse, airliners crash, ships sink, anything designed and built by humans can and does fail, sometimes slowly, sometimes in a most spectacular manor."
Those facts are in evidence in other systems where machines have eliminated human error. Airliners are largely automated and have a much safer record per mile than do automobiles. Elevators rarely cause injuries, they have automatic safety brakes. Every ship collision I can think of was due to "Human error" not computer error. There will be some machine caused crashes but the Google self driven car already has an impressive number of miles with no collisions.
"I don't see updating your Facebook page, tweeting, texting, and sundry other such as being "productive". Chopping wood? I don't think so..."
How you use your time is up to you. You could read your work email, write reports, do homework, etc. Sometimes even facebook is productive. And if you update facebook in the car then you don't have to do it when you get to the office. Don't assume all work must occur either in an office or in front of a woodpile. Some people talk productively on the phone while driving, but the distraction is a hazard. Other's don't talk because they wan't to focus on driving.
You obviously have never had to cope with the elderly as passengers have you?
I have extensive experience with the elderly. Did you think that all elderly are exactly alike? Not all elderly that can no longer drive safely need assistance into and out of cars. And many elderly drive long after it is safe for them to.
Even for those that do need assistance, people at each end of the trip could assist without them to make the trip. You could load your parent in the car, and the doctor's office could have someone go out and assist them out of the car. Would you send someone off by themselves who had severe dementia? Probably not. But don't stereotype all seniors that way.
"You'd trust a kid with a $40,000+ vehicle, all by himself? You must be mad! What's wrong with a bike?"
Well for one my kids live too far from their school to bike. And two, the kid is NOT driving. The vehicle is driving. This is trusting a vehicle with your kid. Yeah, I'd want to see a safe track record. And I probably still wouldn't put a young kid in by himself. But my 6ft 14year old, no problem.
"And how does this unmanned vehicle unload itself when it gets to your house?"
There are many, many ways to solve this problem. A simple automated verification call confirming that you will be home, prior to packing the vehicle would suffice. Goods on a palette could simply be dropped off using an automated arm or tilting bed.
I dub you Gandalf_The_Negative.
But.......it’ll be like those damn ATM’s that Obama said took all of our jobs.
Automation is coming and yes I expect major labor dislocations from it. This is just one thing. General purpose robots are not far behind. Some are already in production. Manual jobs will be devastated.
All the more reason for us to raise the import tariffs and pull what jobs we can back from overseas. Safety net programs now are nothing compared to what we are going to need when automation really hit's it's stride.
Mine has the same kind of thing.The same sensors that control the "active" cruise control can,it's claimed,sense that a crash is imminent and,in some situations,applies the brakes itself.Not long ago I had a near miss (got distracted for a second) and that feature activated and probably saved me from a serious accident.I'm now a big believer in *that* feature but still not a fan of "active" cruise control.
Well if we can get the car to drive itself maybe we can finally have a car with a wet bar......
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