Say hello to the Google autonomous car

[homeforsummer]

That for me is the issue, if you're going to be actually seated in the driving seat and always having to monitor the car if it does something wrong then what is the point?

That's not quite the same as what @McLaren said.

Being able to take over when required, and having to constantly monitor, are two different things. There would indeed be little point to the latter, but it's more likely that cars will be able to operate independently of a user, but allow a user the option of taking over in certain situations.

However, I do eventually see some vehicles being completely autonomous, without any physical controls at all. Google's car is a bit like that, I believe. But for something like a taxi, or a bus, requiring less space for a driver means more space for passengers.

 

[sems4arsenal]

That's not quite the same as what @McLaren said.

Being able to take over when required, and having to constantly monitor, are two different things. There would indeed be little point to the latter, but it's more likely that cars will be able to operate independently of a user, but allow a user the option of taking over in certain situations.

However, I do eventually see some vehicles being completely autonomous, without any physical controls at all. Google's car is a bit like that, I believe. But for something like a taxi, or a bus, requiring less space for a driver means more space for passengers.

If it can in theory, do everything without needing any input from me aside from the destination and (maybe picking a parking spot) then I'm in, but if it envolves a human being in the driver's seat to take over at any point then nope.

I'm coomparing to a plane in that regard, where the pilot does indeed have to be in the driving seat.

 

[homeforsummer]

If it can in theory, do everything without needing any input from me aside from the destination and (maybe picking a parking spot) then I'm in, but if it envolves a human being in the driver's seat to take over at any point then nope.

The taking-over would be optional.

I'm coomparing to a plane in that regard, where the pilot does indeed have to be in the driving seat.

I expect the average flight could be carried out entirely autonomously, but the stakes are rather higher when you add a third dimension, hundreds of extra people and a great deal of extra velocity. Having a skilled professional ready to take over is arguably more important in a plane than it is in a car.

Though again, the taking over in a car would be optional, rather than necessary. That's not how it is at the moment - a Model S with Autopilot requires a driver there for the situations it can't handle - but it won't be too long before the computers are better-equipped to handle situations than the majority of drivers. When that happens, fully-autonomous travel would be possible, but driver control would be there should the driver wish to take over, rather than needing to.

 

[McLaren]

If it can in theory, do everything without needing any input from me aside from the destination and (maybe picking a parking spot) then I'm in, but if it envolves a human being in the driver's seat to take over at any point then nope.

I'm coomparing to a plane in that regard, where the pilot does indeed have to be in the driving seat.

It's destined to be the exact same. An airliner can very well fly & land itself; it's been shown before. But, it can't do any of that without a pilot not only telling it to, but programming it to as well; a pilot willing to let a plane go as far as to land itself has to relay to the plane all the variables around it so the aircraft can adjust. It will likely be the same with a car; it can drive itself from start-to-finish, but it needs a human to tell it to & make changes when necessary.

It doesn't mean a human has to constantly monitor it, but be aware of what it may encounter.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

Well, this car would make travelling easier. I would love to be able to just sit back and read a book while a car drives on it's own.

Of course, that doesn't mean I wouldn't give up on driving all together, I would still drive cars for fun around race tracks.

 

[Wolfe]

It's destined to be the exact same. An airliner can very well fly & land itself; it's been shown before. But, it can't do any of that without a pilot not only telling it to, but programming it to as well; a pilot willing to let a plane go as far as to land itself has to relay to the plane all the variables around it so the aircraft can adjust. It will likely be the same with a car; it can drive itself from start-to-finish, but it needs a human to tell it to & make changes when necessary.

I still highly doubt that digital sensors will ever be as infallible as the manufacturers and optimists think, so your analogy seems more realistic to me.

 

[TheSilentH]

What car all i see is a koala

 

[sumbrownkid]

Does it have a "I'm feeling lucky" option?

 

[Robin]

What car all i see is a koala

 

[ULTRAVIOLENZZ]

http://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/n...-in-car-artificial-intelligence-supercomputer

 

[Wolfe]

http://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/n...-in-car-artificial-intelligence-supercomputer

Interesting to see a company like Nvidia join in. However, like I said above, you can make the programming as smart as possible, but I firmly believe sensors and cameras will be inadequate to completely replace human drivers.

Least of all, we can expect mandated maintenance standards that are extremely stringent compared to what currently passes for roadworthy in a country like the United States, and autonomous cars won't take over the roads until everyone can afford (or is legally forced to "afford") to keep up on that maintenance.

 

[ULTRAVIOLENZZ]

@Wolfe I also would not trust my life to a computer software or sensors. Unless its the only option. The idea of me, riding in a car, autonomously driving for me with a system that hasn't matured yet gives me the creeps already.

 

[Wolfe]

@ULTRAVIOLENZZ -- If I'm honest, I don't think I'll ever fully trust an autonomous car either. If I'm more honest, I simply covet the control and entertainment value of a manual transmission car with minimum digital interference.

 

[Robin]

@Wolfe I also would not trust my life to a computer software or sensors. Unless its the only option. The idea of me, riding in a car, autonomously driving for me with a system that hasn't matured yet gives me the creeps already.

We already entrust our life to computers in planes but yeah the stage at which autonomous driving is at isn't exactly confidence filling.

 

[TVR27]

Cars that drive themselves have been invented years ago - they’re called taxis.

 

[Joey D]

@Wolfe I also would not trust my life to a computer software or sensors. Unless its the only option. The idea of me, riding in a car, autonomously driving for me with a system that hasn't matured yet gives me the creeps already.

But yet you entrust your life to other human beings on the road? Most of the public has no interest in driving and at least half of all motorist don't pay enough attention when they drive (think a bell curve). Playing the statistics game, with autonomous cars you'll be less likely to be in an accident. This is not to say it won't happen, but rather it will happen less. I'd rather have someone like my grandma, who isn't the world's best driver, be able to be shuttled around by an autonomous car. It would be safer for her and for those who share the road with her. It would also allow her to have the freedom to go somewhere.

And I don't think in our lifetime we will see laws passed that forces anyone to have an autonomous car but rather it will be a feature on just about all new cars. I know I would buy and use an autonomous feature on a vehicle nearly every day on my commute to work or if I was planning on going on a road trip somewhere.

 

[Wolfe]

Other human drivers are all the more reason I wouldn't want to ride in an autonomous car. Otherwise, I agree that it could be great to get people who shouldn't or don't want to drive to stop making trouble for the rest of us.

 

[Joey D]

Other human drivers are all the more reason I wouldn't want to ride in an autonomous car.

I'm curious as to why? With an autonomous car, it will be able to react to situations faster than you'd be able to and a computer program doesn't panic. Statistically speaking, you would be safer.

 

[Wolfe]

I'm curious as to why? With an autonomous car, it will be able to react to situations faster than you'd be able to and a computer program doesn't panic. Statistically speaking, you would be safer.

I have an intuitive understanding of things sensors cannot perceive, such as other drivers' blind spots and visibility in any number of circumstances and environments that would be difficult if not impossible to calculate and quantify digitally, or familiarity with how locals abuse a particular intersection. I can identify potential trouble long before a sensor would detect a threat.

I'm also beyond positive that autonomous cars will be bullied by other drivers by virtue of erring on the side of safety. I'll take my chances with my own abilities and judgment and let other people submit to the mercy of other drivers and the peculiar fallibility of digital sensors and code.

 

[TVR27]

Driverless cars are coming as we know. And somebody pointed out…that they will have to make from time to time, ethical decisions.

‘You’re heading towards an accident; it’s going to be fatal. The only solution is to swerve onto the pavement. But there are two pedestrians there. What does the car do?

‘Basically you will have bought a car that must be programmed in certain situations to kill you. And you’ll just have to sit there…and there’s nothing you can do.

‘These driverless cars, everybody goes ‘oh aren’t they clever they can stop at red lights’. They are going to have to face all sorts of things like who do I kill now.[Humans] are programmed to look after ourselves and these driverless cars are going to be programmed to do the maths, and say, lots of people over there, I’m going to kill you.

 

[05XR8]

With taxi licences $500,000AUD, we may see these sooner than we think

 

[homeforsummer]

Digging up a slightly old thread here but I thought this would be the best place to put a video of an experiment of the old "trolley problem" - the issue often referred to with autonomous cars as to what they might do in a life-or-death scenario if there were no best options for saving lives. Michael from Vsauce has conducted the experiment (the original, train-based one) with real participants.

I'll add a warning here as it's fairly intense. Nobody gets hurt, but it's psychologically quite a lot to take in.

​

Absolutely fascinating how different people react.

To bring it back to autonomous cars, I still think the real-world version of the trolley problem is actually a highly unlikely, if not effectively impossible situation, on the basis both that an AV is unlikely to put itself into a scenario where such a decision is necessary, and that I don't think the software would think in terms of casualties so much as reducing the risk of any sort of impact in the first place.