Thoughts on Self Driving Vehicles.

DEFTLEFTHAND

This is going to become a reality at some point in the near future. I enjoy driving and love cars, I wouldn't see myself wanting an automated vehicle.

I also think of the impact it will have on the commercial driving industry if it gets to the stage where no human will have to be present, for instance will there be a need for truckers, bus drivers, taximen etc in 20+ years time?

Billy86

Having worked in car insurance before, I cannot wait to see how the crooked bastards try to screw the consumer over on this one. They'll need to jump through more logical holes than they did for the gender equality ruling a few years back (where they basically upped young womens insurance to the price mens was before).

Massimo Cassagrande

With the massive reliability of electronics, I'd say these will be a sure-fire winner. Sure no computer ever freezes, nor phones lock up, nor does a lifetime-guaranteed LED ever break. I for one can't wait to see them everywhere, ploughing through walls, going haywire and slamming into each other and generally being all sci-fi and wonderful.

SEPT 23 1989

never gonna happen

KKkitty

Massimo Cassagrande wrote: »

With the massive reliability of electronics, I'd say these will be a sure-fire winner. Sure no computer ever freezes, nor phones lock up, nor does a lifetime-guaranteed LED ever break. I for one can't wait to see them everywhere, ploughing through walls, going haywire and slamming into each other and generally being all sci-fi and wonderful.

This is the reason I'd be sceptical of this ever happening.

mad muffin

I for one, welcome our self driving overlords.

paulheu

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

never gonna happen

It already is..

And maybe, when this gets introduced the roads around Dublin will get safer for cyclists. With the amount of idiots who must be driving without a license here, or just bought one, it'll sure be an improvement.

anncoates

I'd just hate relinquishing control which is dumb as I know the devices are presumably statistically far more reliable than humans and that we also rely on any number of devices to perform critical tasks for us every day, but still...

Polly Sonic

It's a long way from working safely IMO. GPS navigation can't handle simple roadworks and re-routes as it is.
That's before you get into pedestrians, cyclists, road traffic accidents and everything else that a motorist has to deal with.

Frito

It would be great for my sister - she has cerebral palsy and can't drive because she has retained her startle reflex. I think they might work well for a lot of disabled people who can't drive due to spasms, epilepsy etc.

PizzamanIRL

Stupid. Why does everything have to be so "simplified" these days? I learned to drive so I could drive. I will continue to drive.

fleet_admiral

Johnny cab wont be happy

fly_agaric

I suppose when people think of publicity around Google's impressive research program into this we might think of it happening as a "big bang" but I'd say it will be gradual.
The systems will come in piece-by-piece over the years until the driver is left as a spectator in the end. When we get to the point where the loose nut behind the wheel is causing as many or more accidents than the computers, it is a short jump to autonomous vehicles.
There's already a lot of computer assistance to the driver in current cars (computers governing the engine and other parts, break assistance, parking etc).

The Backwards Man

In controlled urban and motorway environments there will be some semblance of autonomous vehicles in maybe twenty or thirty years time. Francie Micky Johnny sending the Trooper to look at the ewes at 8am on a snowy February morning and telling it to take in any that look ready to lamb, then head over to Paddy Noel's Corny to give him a hand, if you see a light on the slatted house? Never going to happen.

nervous_twitch

I have put off learning to drive because it's an obsolete skill. Drive me, Google.

Zillah

Massimo Cassagrande wrote: »

With the massive reliability of electronics, I'd say these will be a sure-fire winner. Sure no computer ever freezes, nor phones lock up, nor does a lifetime-guaranteed LED ever break. I for one can't wait to see them everywhere, ploughing through walls, going haywire and slamming into each other and generally being all sci-fi and wonderful.

While these sorts of concerns sound like they make sense, the facts don't play out like that. These self driving cars have shown themselves to be drastically superior to human drivers from a safety point of view.

Little CuChulainn

The vast majority of Irish drivers are bad at driving, inconsiderate to other road users or do not pay enough attention to their driving and their surrounding. It really is shocking what you see people doing when you drive regularly. And it's people from all walks of life. Self driving cars will be an amazing introduction to this country.

Polly Sonic

Zillah wrote: »

While these sorts of concerns sound like they make sense, the facts don't play out like that. These self driving cars have shown themselves to be drastically superior to human drivers from a safety point of view.

In controlled tests maybe. When it encounters something new that it hasn't been programmed to deal with is when the problem will arise.

Mr_Muffin

What we need is flying cars serious.

Phoebas

Polly Sonic wrote: »

In controlled tests maybe. When it encounters something new that it hasn't been programmed to deal with is when the problem will arise.

Self driving cars have been in operation on public roads for ages now.

Polly Sonic

Phoebas wrote: »

Self driving cars have been in operation on public roads for ages now.

It's still controlled testing though. They aren't commercially available and require a driver to be ready to take control if needed.

Seachmall

Polly Sonic wrote: »

It's still controlled testing though. They aren't commercially available and require a driver to be ready to take control if needed.

I think the law requiring a licensed driver behind the wheel will be in effect for many years after they become commercially available and common place.

Which will really only exist to settle the minds of technophobes.

When Google Self-Driving Cars Are in Accidents, Humans Are to Blame

Menas

I am fcking dead set against them. My great grand father died at the hands of one of those 'self driving vehicles'.

He was blind drunk in the back of the cart attached to his trusty donkey who was taking him home from a market, back in 1938, and he fell out the back of it and cracked his skull.

Let history not repeat itself.

Phoebas

Polly Sonic wrote: »

It's still controlled testing though. They aren't commercially available and require a driver to be ready to take control if needed.

True that. But the testing has been very successful so far, and the technology looks like it could dramatically reduce road deaths if it takes off.

In the U.S. for example, there are something like 33,000 people killed on the roads each year. Driverless cars could be the greatest life saving technology in a generation.

kneemos

Might work in sunny California,throw in some snow and ice which is all about feel they'll be pretty useless.Not to mention fog.

Polly Sonic

Phoebas wrote: »

In the U.S. for example, there are something like 33,000 people killed on the roads each year. Driverless cars could be the greatest life saving technology in a generation.

I'm not so sure. The mix of impatient humans and ultra careful autonomous cars is yet to be experienced in significant numbers.

Common sense in the face of adversity and unpredictability is something you can't teach a computer...... and yes, a lot of humans too

The Backwards Man

kneemos wrote: »

Might work in sunny California,throw in some snow and ice which is all about feel they'll be pretty useless.Not to mention fog.

Will they flash the lights at one other when the customs are down the road and their owner hasn't the money to clear them until next month and they put a wee drop a green in the tank cause they were only sending it to the shop for cough mixture for the wain?

Will they fcuk.

With self drive vehicle, we'll have a railway (block working management) mentality introduced into driving, it may increase average speeds but will annoy the shít out of people ("drivers") while waiting for the signals to change.

For a truly automated vehicle system to function properly, it really needs all other traffic to have "auto aware" systems installed.

Phoebas

Deleted User wrote: »

For a truly automated vehicle system to function properly, it really needs all other traffic to have "auto aware" systems installed.

Many newer cars already have some of these features e.g. cruise control systems that adapt to the speed of other vehicles and lane detection systems that buzz the driver when they lane drift.
I expect that most manned cars will end up with many of the same systems as their driverless counterparts.

kneemos

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Will they flash the lights at one other when the customs are down the road and their owner hasn't the money to clear them until next month and they put a wee drop a green in the tank cause they were only sending it to the shop for cough mixture for the wain?

Will they fcuk.

Will it spot a tractor through a hedge on a country road three hundred meters ahead and pull in before both of them collide on the blind corner.

I don't diddlyeye think so.

jimgoose

From my cold, dead hand.

pjproby

humans should not be allowed drive cars.

Phoebas

jimgoose wrote: »

From my cold, dead hand.

That's exactly the problem self driving cars solve.

jimgoose

Phoebas wrote: »

That's exactly the problem self driving cars solve.

Do you drive? I would ask the same question of yer maun above who asserts that humans shouldn't be allowed to drive.

Phoebas

jimgoose wrote: »

Do you drive? I would ask the same question of yer maun above who asserts that humans shouldn't be allowed to drive.

I do.
(self driving cars aren't going to be mandatory)

jimgoose

Phoebas wrote: »

I do.
(self driving cars isn't going to be mandatory)

You have greater faith in machines and software than I do. I salute.

pjproby

i do drive and have a pain in my butt with other drivers-tail gating-speeding-using phones while driving.

Tragamin2k2

anyone who thinks itll never happen might aswell pack their suitcase n f*ck off to roscommon now before reality gets too real for them.and for anyone who thinks glitches in the technology will cause automated chaos, get a grip. planes are 90% flown by computers.your autocars computer isnt gonna be the same caliber as the one in your pocket that resets itself when you try use facebook and snapchat at the same time

jimgoose

pjproby wrote: »

i do drive and have a pain in my butt with other drivers-tail gating-speeding-using phones while driving.

I see. I take it you're not human, so??

Phoebas

jimgoose wrote: »

You have greater faith in machines and software than I do. I salute.

Not faith.
The evidence so far shows them to be significantly safer than human drivers, who we know have been responsible for millions of deaths and injuries on the roads.

kneemos

Tragamin2k2 wrote: »

anyone who thinks itll never happen might aswell pack their suitcase n f*ck off to roscommon now before reality gets too real for them.and for anyone who thinks glitches in the technology will cause automated chaos, get a grip. planes are 90% flown by computers

Planes have nothing to get in the way.Plus they regularly give false readings on instruments and have pilots to interpret right from wrong.

jimgoose

Phoebas wrote: »

Not faith.
The evidence so far shows them to be significantly safer than human drivers, who we know have been responsible for millions of deaths and injuries on the roads.

Every one of those deaths involved a mechanical device! A device!! Think about it!!

Not a NSA agent

Massimo Cassagrande wrote: »

With the massive reliability of electronics, I'd say these will be a sure-fire winner. Sure no computer ever freezes, nor phones lock up, nor does a lifetime-guaranteed LED ever break. I for one can't wait to see them everywhere, ploughing through walls, going haywire and slamming into each other and generally being all sci-fi and wonderful.

You ever fly on a plane? When lives are at stake they build it to take into account failure so it works 99.99% of the time (number pulled out of my ass but its close to that). There will be back up systems and the car would probably look for a safe place to pull over if it has problems.

fly_agaric wrote: »

I suppose when people think of publicity around Google's impressive research program into this we might think of it happening as a "big bang" but I'd say it will be gradual.
The systems will come in piece-by-piece over the years until the driver is left as a spectator in the end. When we get to the point where the loose nut behind the wheel is causing as many or more accidents than the computers, it is a short jump to autonomous vehicles.
There's already a lot of computer assistance to the driver in current cars (computers governing the engine and other parts, break assistance, parking etc).

Piece by piece its already being done. Some cars will park themselves for example.

Polly Sonic wrote: »

In controlled tests maybe. When it encounters something new that it hasn't been programmed to deal with is when the problem will arise.

With machine learning it will know what to do in the vast majority of cases. Otherwise it will pass control over to the human.

Capt'n Midnight

Massimo Cassagrande wrote: »

With the massive reliability of electronics, I'd say these will be a sure-fire winner. Sure no computer ever freezes, nor phones lock up, nor does a lifetime-guaranteed LED ever break. I for one can't wait to see them everywhere, ploughing through walls, going haywire and slamming into each other and generally being all sci-fi and wonderful.

Airliners don't run on window.

And they use multiple computers to check each other.


Problems aren't technical. Insurance and liability is what's held back self guiding, collision avoiding vehicles since the 1960's. Back in those days radar was used for speed matching and braking , and guiding was done by following electrical cables embedded in highways, no GPS or consumer image recognition back then.


*Awaits Johnny Cab app*

AllGunsBlazing

At this rate everyone should be out of a job by the middle of the century. Your new self driving car can chauffeur you to the fully computer automated dole office.

Iwasfrozen

Massimo Cassagrande wrote: »

With the massive reliability of electronics, I'd say these will be a sure-fire winner. Sure no computer ever freezes, nor phones lock up, nor does a lifetime-guaranteed LED ever break. I for one can't wait to see them everywhere, ploughing through walls, going haywire and slamming into each other and generally being all sci-fi and wonderful.

Self driving cars don't need to be perfect. They just need to be better than human drivers. Which tbh isn't hard.

Phoebas

jimgoose wrote: »

Every one of those deaths involved a mechanical device! A device!! Think about it!!

Quick folks - back to the caves. Its safe there.

Iwasfrozen

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

Self driving cars don't need to be perfect. They just need to be better than human drivers. Which tbh isn't hard.

They just need the be able to avoid crashing into human drivers!
Which can be a challenge in itself!

Graham

Deleted User wrote: »

They just need the be able to avoid crashing into human drivers!
Which can be a challenge in itself!

The biggest challenge is going to be stopping the human drivers crashing into the self-driving cars.

dubscottie

If the use the same google GPS as my phone does then they will be 100 ft away from where they are supposed to be..

Flying cars now.. Thats the future..

JONJO THE MISER

The Backwards Man wrote: »

In controlled urban and motorway environments there will be some semblance of autonomous vehicles in maybe twenty or thirty years time. Francie Micky Johnny sending the Trooper to look at the ewes at 8am on a snowy February morning and telling it to take in any that look ready to lamb, then head over to Paddy Noel's Corny to give him a hand, if you see a light on the slatted house? Never going to happen.

It is the future and in about 10 years time this and electric cars will be in use by the majority.
These soundbites about country people not adopting to tech is a old and tired sterotype, if anything country people and farmers are adopting more to tech than urban areas as it makes farming more efficient and profitable.