What do you think about self-driving cars?

[Lord Tyrion]

Assuming all vehicles had a transponder fitted, self driving or not, then the self drive would know where and how fast any vehicles within range would be. It would not need to see them.

I'm happy with that response. The problem is how long would it take before all vehicles were of this type? What happens in the meantime when there is a mixture? I'm not sure I want to be in a driver less car with a mixture of vehicles on the road which are not talking to each other.

 

[CB11ACD]

I'm happy with that response. The problem is how long would it take before all vehicles were of this type? What happens in the meantime when there is a mixture? I'm not sure I want to be in a driver less car with a mixture of vehicles on the road which are not talking to each other.

I understand the concern, and I will try my best to give an answer.

Self driving cars will not depend on "talking" to other cars. infcat most in development are being done so without that feature. Image the sensor system and computer as a human driver, except instead of one pair of eyes and 3 mirrors it has 360 degree cameras, lider which can map in 3D the world around it as well as other sensors like radar. The vehicle will not be as intelligant as a human, but it will have much more data available to it. They will also be pre-programmed with HD mapping, which is a much much more detailed version of something like google maps.

So the self-driving cars will work independantly and not be talking to other cars, it will understand what a car is and will be able to predict its motion as well as we can. What it will struggle with initially is pedestrians and predicting the movement, but work is being done on that.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I understand the concern, and I will try my best to give an answer.

Self driving cars will not depend on "talking" to other cars. infcat most in development are being done so without that feature. Image the sensor system and computer as a human driver, except instead of one pair of eyes and 3 mirrors it has 360 degree cameras, lider which can map in 3D the world around it as well as other sensors like radar. The vehicle will not be as intelligant as a human, but it will have much more data available to it. They will also be pre-programmed with HD mapping, which is a much much more detailed version of something like google maps.

So the self-driving cars will work independantly and not be talking to other cars, it will understand what a car is and will be able to predict its motion as well as we can. What it will struggle with initially is pedestrians and predicting the movement, but work is being done on that.

I think it is fascinating but I don't think I want to be the guinea pig . I'm sure the few scenarios I have mentioned are common place and either answers are in place or they are being looked at.

I think the easiest start would be haulage convoys through the night. A driver was describing the potential for them to me only recently. There are various trunking vehicles travelling through the night, effectively going along motorways for 99% of their journeys, mostly on empty roads. They could easily be self driving as there are far fewer variables on a motorway. I can envisage that happening in the near future.

An interesting area to be involved in

 

[Bunkermagnet]

It amazes me that in a time when we are pushing back against "big brother" we are looking to bring "big brother" into our drving world.
I can honestly say I would want to keep whichever is my last car only I control before "big brother" takes the wheel, and then give up driving altogether after that.
It reminds me of 1984.

 

[USER1999]

I think if the car has to be reactive, to what it sees, in real time, it is doomed to fail. There is no way it can predict what could happen, the way a human with experience can.

 

[Imurg]

I think if the car has to be reactive, to what it sees, in real time, it is doomed to fail. There is no way it can predict what could happen, the way a human with experience can.

A very simplistic scenario but one that I go through with all thenkids is...
Going down the road and you see the rubbish bins are out.
Is there a bin lorry around the corner? Do we need to slow down and be prepared?
Or are there only a few bins out...meaning that they've been emptied and some people have taken theirs in..?
Neither guaranteed but could a car be programmed to think like that?
Can it be programmed to see reflections in Windows or the side of parked cars and determine if it's a car, pedestrian or something else?

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I think if the car has to be reactive, to what it sees, in real time, it is doomed to fail. There is no way it can predict what could happen, the way a human with experience can.

Exactly.
My VW van has that damned braking thing whereby it activates the brakes if it thinks its going to hit something, only it can't read the car in front has it's indicator on, and the road is clear for which I am about to go round...but no..it hits the brakes, and nearly gives me a reshaped rear end because the person behind is quite rightly not expecting my van to hit the brakes hard.

 

[USER1999]

My CLS has this too, so if I am going down a narrow road, and the car coming the other way pulls into a gap to let me through, when I accelerate, it whacks the brakes on. Ok, it is safe, but it has no idea what I am trying to do.

 

[CliveW]

What would happen if you took your car abroad and all the cars were driving on the opposite side of the road?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

What would happen if you took your car abroad and all the cars were driving on the opposite side of the road?

Presumably there is a GPS element that recognises it is in a different country.

 

[Dibby]

A very simplistic scenario but one that I go through with all thenkids is...
Going down the road and you see the rubbish bins are out.
Is there a bin lorry around the corner? Do we need to slow down and be prepared?
Or are there only a few bins out...meaning that they've been emptied and some people have taken theirs in..?
Neither guaranteed but could a car be programmed to think like that?
Can it be programmed to see reflections in Windows or the side of parked cars and determine if it's a car, pedestrian or something else?

Surely even a human driver should only be driving as fast as they can stop within sight range. Assuming you apply this rule, the self-driving car doesn't need to consider that it's bin day, because it is always looking for obstacles, and prepared to stop. In this sense it actually has an advantage over humans, it's always looking in every direction at the same time, whereas humans have to choose when and where to look based on the cues you mention. Also presumably the self-driving vehicle is also using some kind of radar or similar, so it can actually "see through" smoke or fog, unlike human drivers.

Strange that a lot of people here distrust the self-driving car, but will regularly step on a train, boat or aircraft that is not being driven by a human at least for some parts of it's journey.

 

[BubbaP]

Enough of the serious stuff, do explain your forum handle CB11 ACD 😀👍

 

[Swinglowandslow]

Just a thought about speed limits.
If I suggested that the technology exists, (which it does,and could be easily implemented) , that would constantly monitor the speed of every car, would know when that car exceeded the speed limit on each and every occasion, and could issue fines accordingly- would such a scenario be welcomed?
No, I thought not.
Well, no driverless car will ever exceed the speed limit. And so, when there are still cars with human drivers, though maybe in the minority, those drivers will be so policed. And maybe even earlier in the transition to driverless cars.
Happy days!

Just a thought😀

 

[USER1999]

So in a situation where it is beneficial to traffic to let people out of a side road, what happens?

I drive in North London mainly. If I followed the highway code, I would never get out of the car park. You have to pull out, and block the traffic, to turn right. How does sn autonomous car do this?

 

[anotherdouble]

I dont

 

[CliveW]

Interesting article on the BBC News this morning...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/busin...pens-if-you-fall-asleep-in-a-self-driving-car

 

[Imurg]

Interesting article on the BBC News this morning...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/busin...pens-if-you-fall-asleep-in-a-self-driving-car

Interesting
It comes back to my point that if the driver has to be concentrating enough to be able to take control he may as well be driving to start with.

 

[bobmac]

Some say..........
In 2 or 3 generations, most people won't own a car, they'll just call for one or book one when they need one.
Press a buttons on an app and a driverless 'taxi' picks you up and takes you to work/home/pub/golf course etc.
No need for huge car parks, driveways, double yellow lines, mots, road tax. insurance etc.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Some say..........
In 2 or 3 generations, most people won't own a car, they'll just call for one or book one when they need one.
Press a buttons on an app and a driverless 'taxi' picks you up and takes you to work/home/pub/golf course etc.
No need for huge car parks, driveways, double yellow lines, mots, road tax. insurance etc.

Tommorows World had us all driving hover cars in 2 or 3 generations.........................

We currently have buses, trams, trains, taxis and yet people still like having their own car. It wil take a major sea change in thought, or heavy taxes put on by the govt., to get people to give up their cars and rely on taxis all of the time.

Totally logical for cities. I can see a time when park and ride in cities becomes the norm but not the inbetween bits.

 

[bobmac]

Totally logical for cities. I can see a time when park and ride in cities becomes the norm but not the inbetween bits.

I agree, but in 50 years time, will there be any in between bits left
Looking back 50 years, we were just getting colour tv.

Who remembers Ted Lowe's classic..........

"Steve is going for the pink ball - and for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green."