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 ...
I was just thinking the same thing, driving IS fun! I DO want an automatic transmission however. :)
I accept the appellation in so much as I am and always will be opposed to any advance in technology that decreases my freedom to do as I please, when I please. A "self driving" automobile will, in my opinion, serve as an "input terminal" to a vast government data base, tracking the movements of every citizen in real time.
I suspect that such a device will include an "off switch" accessible to police. I envision a day when if the police/government wants to have a talk with you they simply transmit a "stop" command to your vehicle which pulls you over to the curb and locks the doors.
Imagine what fun hackers could have with a transportation system filled with computer controlled vehicles. If you think that hackers are dangerous with the Internet (power grid, water and sewer infrastructure, &c). Picture the effect of sending random commands to accelerate and turn to the vehicles on the Interstate.
Advanced technology is always a knife that cuts both ways, no improvement is all good, sometimes the solution is worse than the problem...
Regards,
GtG
Yes.... right up until the software crashes. Then, so do you.
And if your 6' 14yo son decided to skip practice and spend a day at the lake with his 14yo girlfriend he wouldn't have to drive, just re-program the gps destination. You're right, he isn't driving, he's telling his "chauffeur" where to go.
G
Is that after the wreck it has caused with the "self driving" semi-truck?
G
****************************
Bad knees.
It’ll have some fail-safe’s. They won’t be perfect. It’ll probably be about the same odds as your existing stearing failing and causing the same wreck with the semi-truck.
I expect it the odds are high it will be safer than human drivers out of the gate. Perfect no, but better and will improve over time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.