Automated Cars - the future ?

winkyincanada posted:

Why will the death toll rise? Automated cars will do a far better job of not crashing than we do.

I agree. As holes in the automation are sewn up, the systems will only get safer.

I'd feel much safer in a crosswalk knowing all cars had a pedestrian outlook system. It's not unusual to see drivers ready to go right on red looking left for on coming traffic while neglecting pedestrians entering the crossing to their right.

joerand posted:

winkyincanada posted:

Why will the death toll rise? Automated cars will do a far better job of not crashing than we do.

I agree. As holes in the automation are sewn up, the systems will only get safer.

I'd feel much safer in a crosswalk knowing all cars had a pedestrian outlook system. It's not unusual to see drivers ready to go right on red looking left for on coming traffic while neglecting pedestrians entering the crossing to their right.

What we need is automated shoes that know not to cross when it isn't safe to do so.

Bananahead posted:

joerand posted:

winkyincanada posted:

Why will the death toll rise? Automated cars will do a far better job of not crashing than we do.

I agree. As holes in the automation are sewn up, the systems will only get safer.

I'd feel much safer in a crosswalk knowing all cars had a pedestrian outlook system. It's not unusual to see drivers ready to go right on red looking left for on coming traffic while neglecting pedestrians entering the crossing to their right.

What we need is automated shoes that know not to cross when it isn't safe to do so.

And throw you under a bus if you are standing in such a way that you present a danger to other road users, for the good of the public

Automated vehicles on a highway be it a motorway, dual carriageway, autobahn etc  would be very productive - they could electronically connect "trains" of cars or lorries  that would be speed controlled and kept at a safe distance from each other. There would be no overtaking and traffic throughput would increase. Overtaking would be minimised.   Not a thrill filled subject for top gear but an efficient way of getting traffic along the main trunk routes.

An automated vehicle that operates according to a certain protocol could work, but only if everything around it operated according to the same protocol.  Automated vehicles surrounded by vehicles driven by human beings are ill equipped to deal with the scenarios that are likely to occur.  There's quite a way to go before we could all safely catch up on our emails en route to work safely.

SongStream posted:

An automated vehicle that operates according to a certain protocol could work, but only if everything around itoperated according to the same protocol.  Automated vehicles surrounded by vehicles driven by human beings are ill equipped to deal with the scenarios that are likely to occur.  There's quite a way to go before we could all safely catch up on our emails en route to work safely.

Yes. Like trying to get the auto industry to agree on Betamax rather than VHS

 I also concur with the rest of your post.

SongStream posted:

An automated vehicle that operates according to a certain protocol could work, but only if everything around it operated according to the same protocol.  Automated vehicles surrounded by vehicles driven by human beings are ill equipped to deal with the scenarios that are likely to occur.  There's quite a way to go before we could all safely catch up on our emails en route to work safely.

There is (in theory) already a common protocol. Right of way is defined by the rules (laws) of the road. Of course, motorists only obey those rules to extent that they feel is required to not crash. They regularly get that judgement wrong. I don't really see how a a car programmed to follow the law creates a hazard, other than to perhaps surprise motorists who generally expect vehicles to flout the law.

winkyincanada posted:

SongStream posted:

An automated vehicle that operates according to a certain protocol could work, but only if everything around it operated according to the same protocol.  Automated vehicles surrounded by vehicles driven by human beings are ill equipped to deal with the scenarios that are likely to occur.  There's quite a way to go before we could all safely catch up on our emails en route to work safely.

There is (in theory) already a common protocol. Right of way is defined by the rules (laws) of the road. Of course, motorists only obey those rules to extent that they feel is required to not crash. They regularly get that judgement wrong. I don't really see how a a car programmed to follow the law creates a hazard, other than to perhaps surprise motorists who generally expect vehicles to flout the law.

Agreed, there is a common protocol adhered to at varying levels by human controlled vehicles.  My point really is that there is more to safe driving than simply following those rules, and even being able to react to the unexpected.  While human controlled and automated vehicles coexist on the same road I see this as an issue.  Not because I think the automated vehicle is likely to create a dangerous situation itself, more it's ability to react, and more importantly predict a dangerous situation.  I find myself quite regularly able to predict a hazardous situation before it actually occurs.  Just like when you see someone walking down the street you may subconsciously make a judgement about that person based on appearance and body language.  I find that cars convey a form of body language, than can often indicate the level of competence behind the wheel, and also suggest well ahead of someone actually doing something stupid, that they are probably going to.  I find myself, wisely as it has turned out on a number of occasions, reacting to these signs, slowing down, giving things an extra wide birth etc.  I can just see the madness coming.  I think that ability will be lacking in any present automated vehicles, which means that I would certainly not catch up on my emails while riding in one, instead I'd be poised ready to grab control when the inevitable need occurs.

winkyincanada posted:

 

Why will the death toll rise? Automated cars will do a far better job of not crashing than we do.

It's just a hunch I have. One more death equals rise in deathtoll. With each death will come a huge compensation payout.

I wonder how many accident law firms have offered to represent the family of the dead driver.

I'd like to see what would happen if four automated cars where each stopped at the entrance to a four way mini roundabout.

fatcat posted:

I'd like to see what would happen if four automated cars where each stopped at the entrance to a four way mini roundabout.

I would have thought that was obvious. The most expensive model will automatically have priority. This would depend on the relative importance of the driver of course.

tonym posted:

fatcat posted:

I'd like to see what would happen if four automated cars where each stopped at the entrance to a four way mini roundabout.

I would have thought that was obvious. The most expensive model will automatically have priority. This would depend on the relative importance of the driver of course.

Replace one automated vehicle with one controlled by me and the priority would be mine; my right foot is extremely heavy.

SongStream posted:

tonym posted:

fatcat posted:

I'd like to see what would happen if four automated cars where each stopped at the entrance to a four way mini roundabout.

I would have thought that was obvious. The most expensive model will automatically have priority. This would depend on the relative importance of the driver of course.

Replace one automated vehicle with one controlled by me and the priority would be mine; my right foot is extremely heavy.

LOL

I'm starting to warm to the idea of automated cars.

You could cut up a Tesla in the safe knowledge it would slow down and back off to a safe distance, and of course there’d be plenty of opportunities to do so, after all it would be leaving a nice safe/large distance to the vehicle in front of it.

AUTO-UTOPIA

fatcat posted:

I'd like to see what would happen if four automated cars where each stopped at the entrance to a four way mini roundabout.

Same as human drivers do now. Sit there for ages, completely baffled. Then start edging forward in little nervous jumps.

given that is in very unlikely that two or more cars will arrive at the junction/roundabout at the same time  then the car that arrived first would have precedence, no doubt time signals from satellites will keep all the vehicle clocks synchronised.

Derek Wright posted:

Automated vehicles on a highway be it a motorway, dual carriageway, autobahn etc  would be very productive - they could electronically connect "trains" of cars or lorries  that would be speed controlled and kept at a safe distance from each other. There would be no overtaking and traffic throughput would increase. Overtaking would be minimised.   Not a thrill filled subject for top gear but an efficient way of getting traffic along the main trunk routes.

 What could possibly go wrong with that idea. 

My car has a setting where you set the distance from the car in front and the speed you want to go, and we just pootle along behind. If the car in front slows down, we slow down, and vice versa. It's very clever. We do need to hold the wheel though. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

My car has a setting where you set the distance from the car in front and the speed you want to go, and we just pootle along behind. If the car in front slows down, we slow down, and vice versa. It's very clever. We do need to hold the wheel though. 

I've had this "Adaptive" cruise control on my last two cars and I think it's great, in fact I wouldn't contemplate buying a car without it now. I'm sure your version's like mine Mr Halibut - it's got collision avoidance built in, so it'll apply emergency braking, should you approach an obstacle in front too fast. The system's particularly handy when going through roadworks. The only slight problemette; when I use SWMBO's car with standard cruise control, I'm sometimes be waiting for the car to slow itself down...

Hungryhalibut posted:

My car has a setting where you set the distance from the car in front and the speed you want to go, and we just pootle along behind. If the car in front slows down, we slow down, and vice versa. It's very clever. We do need to hold the wheel though. 

Ahah, so that explains all the brain dead ****wits who think it is perfectly reasonable to travel within 2 nanometres of my car. Heaven help us when this filters down to repmobiles and willywagons.

Well, as we set a huge gap and have neither a willywagon or repmobile (it's a Golf Sportsvan) I'm ok then!

Even on its closest setting, our adaptive cruise keeps at least 2.5 seconds behind the car in front. I checked it. Rather better than most human drivers manage.

Nick from Suffolk posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

My car has a setting where you set the distance from the car in front and the speed you want to go, and we just pootle along behind. If the car in front slows down, we slow down, and vice versa. It's very clever. We do need to hold the wheel though. 

Ahah, so that explains all the brain dead ****wits who think it is perfectly reasonable to travel within 2 nanometres of my car. Heaven help us when this filters down to repmobiles and willywagons.

Why would you let them do that?

Blind and partially sighted people should be able and allowed to drive automated cars.

At least, that's a question being asked on some part of the BBC website today.

Frightening, or enlightening ?

Don Atkinson posted:

Blind and partially sighted people should be able and allowed to drive automated cars.

At least, that's a question being asked on some part of the BBC website today.

Frightening, or enlightening ?

They already do drive, don't they? Well it's one explanation for the behaviour I see every day.

winkyincanada posted:

Don Atkinson posted:

Blind and partially sighted people should be able and allowed to drive automated cars.

At least, that's a question being asked on some part of the BBC website today.

Frightening, or enlightening ?

They already do drive, don't they? Well it's one explanation for the behaviour I see every day.