Driverless Cars..?

[Grok]

What a dirty bertie smalls! Appalling cowardice grassing the chap up behind his back. Could have cost him his job, and knock on effects to his dependents etc. Shameful.

malumbu Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> Good thing there are no women here today said the

> chap organising the event.

>

> During the day he also made comments about the

> French and gay men.

>

> I kicked myself when I got home for not actually

> saying anythign at the time (my God you moron,

> what age are you from) and did actually report him

> for his xenophobia and casual homophobia and

> sexism.

[malumbu]

Ah so it was you Grok - my apologies for being such a middle class namby pamby and not saying anything at the time, but interesting to hear what it was like going to the labour exchange. "So Mr/Ms Grok, why were you sacked". "Because I am a misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobe."

Mind you there may be some work for you in the US. Keep us posted.

Interesting that I wasn't aware of the derivation of namby pamby (thought it was homophobic, but wrong)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_Philips

[HonaloochieB]

Driverles bloody cars??

I don't know.

What the blistering Tintin next, eh!!?

F@ckerless shags I shun't be surprised!

I've said it before (above), but I'll say it again, I DON'T KNOW.

I really don't.

[TheArtfulDogger]

Will there be enough people who want to give up feeling in control of their car to actually want to own / use a driverless car ?

I like driving and enjoy feeling in control of the vehicle, making decisions including things like what gear to select to get the right performance out of the car (not always the best performance fuel / economy wise I hasten to add)

Having visited places like India, driverless card won't work there for a very long time due to the quality of the roads post monsoon where sections are damaged by the rains. Equally with the sheer number of vehicles on the road there if they change over gradually then the driverless car would not handle the Indian style of driving where road rules aren't observed , the shortest route is not necessarily the correct one and how will the driverless car alert non driverless vehicles to their presence as Indian drivers overtake warning the drivers around them of the act with their horn ?

Would be interesting to see but as I said do people really want to use them as technology is heading that way but no one has actually asked if people want it !

[malumbu]

East Dulwich covers it's ears and says "la la la la, I am not listening"

Well it's going to happen. It's going to happen. Happen all the time. (with thanks to Fergal)

Cars already talk to Satelites. That helps you get around. Many have cameras. Proximity sensors. Self parking.

"la la la la, I am not listening". And anything remotely new will be recording what you do so manufactures can download all the important stuff on maintenance, profile you and other nefarious stuff.

How many of you have a smart phone? Who uses a landline nowadays??

Full autonomy is going to take some time. But meanwhile more and more stuff's going to happen. And when your insurance drops as your vehicle is safer maybe you'll take notice.

I'd personally crack on with the car asking "you are driving like a wonka" "Would you like me to take over?".

Artful - it sounds like you could do with an advanced (safe and efficient) driving lesson. In fact most of you could (professional women 30 - 50 tend to be the exception). Trust me until you've had this you wont appreciate how many bad habits you have

Here's a local one:

https://www.yell.com/biz/aa-driving-school-901146178/

[BrandNewGuy]

Won't happen ? far too expensive to put all the infrastructure in place. Who is going to pay? Everyone whizzing around in driverless cars is no less a fantasy than jetpacks and holidays in space.

[rendelharris]

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

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> Won't happen ? far too expensive to put all the

> infrastructure in place. Who is going to pay?

> Everyone whizzing around in driverless cars is no

> less a fantasy than jetpacks and holidays in

> space.

I daresay in 1880 the idea that there would be 250,000 miles of paved road in the UK and that virtually every household would own a motor car seemed ridiculously farfetched, or the idea that enormous flying machines would enable people to travel anywhere in the world...it'll happen slowly, but eventually it'll happen. Manufacturers will start releasing cars with more and more self driving features (which we have already to an extent with cruise control, automatic emergency braking automatic parking etc). Eventually fully self-driving cars will become commonplace, but they'll most likely be autonomous, i.e. running off sensors inside the car, as the prototypes now are. Then cars will start being sold with "network ready" capabilities, a few control networks will be built in large towns, these will start to link up...it'll be just like any other major network, I'm sure people ridiculed the idea of electricity being carried all over the country, or gas. I can remember in my lifetime people saying that mobile phones would only ever be useful in major cities as there's no way anyone was going to build up a network right across the country. It will take time, but it'll happen.

[pop9770]

I can't wait for electric driver less cars

I'll be able to go out get drunk and be driven home without having to deal with some driver who wants to talk about football the weather or tell me his family are living in Sweeden because the UK is too dangerous for Muslims.

CAN'T WAIT .

[BrandNewGuy]

But rendelharris, your argument could just as well have applied to jetpacks or colonies on Mars... or anywhere else in the galaxy. And nowhere have you mentioned cost. Our roads, canals and railways ? which were nearly all built by speculation via public subscription - a model for which profit is the driver. Interestingly, many if not most schemes went bust but we still ended up with the infrastructure... as we did most recently with the Channel Tunnel. With driverless cars, is it a breakthrough technology in economic terms? I'd suggest not, so no-one's going to want to pony up for it.

[Jeremy]

BNG - I'm not sure what infrastructure is necessary. OK, in order to reach their full potential we'll need some sort of vehicle-to-vehicle comms, smart signalling, etc, but it's not essential. GPS, traffic info, etc are already here.

[rendelharris]

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> But rendelharris, your argument could just as well

> have applied to jetpacks or colonies on Mars... or

> anywhere else in the galaxy. And nowhere have you

> mentioned cost. Our roads, canals and railways ?

> which were nearly all built by speculation via

> public subscription - a model for which profit is

> the driver. Interestingly, many if not most

> schemes went bust but we still ended up with the

> infrastructure... as we did most recently with the

> Channel Tunnel. With driverless cars, is it a

> breakthrough technology in economic terms? I'd

> suggest not, so no-one's going to want to pony up

> for it.

But we don't have the technology for viable mass rollout of jetbacks or colonies on Mars, whereas driverless cars are already here! I think Jeremy's suggestion above is probably how it'll develop, a multiapproach system of cars sensing what's around them with autonomous sensors, working with other cars through car-to-car communication, other control via GPS etc. Driverless cars are already being trialled on the roads...

You mention the investment needed for canals, railways etc: I think the investment for driverless car control systems would be a fraction of that, more akin to the investment required to establish mobile networks. We'll see.

[BrandNewGuy]

We do have jetpacks but as you say, it's the 'viable mass rollout' that's the problem. Every case study I've seen suggests there's a huge amount of infrastructure requiremdin addition to what the cars themselves carry ? 'smart' traffic signals, junction sensors, relay systems in GPS and mobile signal 'blackspots' and more. And if your car itself costs more than a conventional one, people won't buy it ? unless there's a significant system of subsidies.

[rendelharris]

Yes, I meant more we don't have jetpacks which would be any good for practical transportation, whereas driverless cars are already out working on the roads (without any of the infrastructure you mention above). I really don't know, but I can remember twenty years ago people saying hybrids and electric cars would never become widespread due to the extra cost and lack of infrastructure, now one can stroll into any showroom and pick one up.

[malumbu]

Jetpacks?

Flying cars??

Nah it aint going to happen

[numbers]

rendelharris Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> BrandNewGuy Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Won't happen ? far too expensive to put all the

> > infrastructure in place. Who is going to pay?

> > Everyone whizzing around in driverless cars is

> no

> > less a fantasy than jetpacks and holidays in

> > space.

>

> I daresay in 1880 the idea that there would be

> 250,000 miles of paved road in the UK and that

> virtually every household would own a motor car

> seemed ridiculously farfetched, or the idea that

> enormous flying machines would enable people to

> travel anywhere in the world...it'll happen

> slowly, but eventually it'll happen.

> Manufacturers will start releasing cars with more

> and more self driving features (which we have

> already to an extent with cruise control,

> automatic emergency braking automatic parking

> etc). Eventually fully self-driving cars will

> become commonplace, but they'll most likely be

> autonomous, i.e. running off sensors inside the

> car, as the prototypes now are. Then cars will

> start being sold with "network ready"

> capabilities, a few control networks will be built

> in large towns, these will start to link

> up...it'll be just like any other major network,

> I'm sure people ridiculed the idea of electricity

> being carried all over the country, or gas. I can

> remember in my lifetime people saying that mobile

> phones would only ever be useful in major cities

> as there's no way anyone was going to build up a

> network right across the country. It will take

> time, but it'll happen.

totally agree with you RH - it is already happening, spoke with an old friend last week who has bought a new car same as one he had before so he didn't read the manual (who does?). He was driving it and wondering what the buttons on dash were and then could 'feel' the car steering itself. I think there are cameras with sensors on it for steering?

so yeah totally gonna happen. threads like this make me feel really old, like I am talking about a future that I can imagine but won't experience.

[TheArtfulDogger]

Whilst manufacturers are building the technology in the simple question still remains in my mind

"Do people actually want driverless cars? "

[jaywalker]

Yes, in exactly the same way as I want driverless trains and driverless planes: they are a lot safer (even with current technology).

I do NOT want driverless nukes (I fear both the US and Russia have these), doctors (although their fallible memories and lack of up to date reading should be compensated for by expert systems), or politicians (I do need to blame something other than an abstract machine). I particularly do not want driverless teachers: the poverty of MOOCS. Nor do I want driverless police (Robocop).

[numbers]

well yeah artful I reckon they do - isn't most technology driven by what people want/think they need rather than simply blue skies research?

[Lowlander]

TheArtfulDogger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Whilst manufacturers are building the technology

> in the simple question still remains in my mind

>

> "Do people actually want driverless cars? "

Yes yes yes. I hate driving.

[malumbu]

Tecnological advancement combined with competition. Defence technology will also play its part, and competition (eg Formula 1).

It's going to improve our lives, but there will always be unintended consequences (eg the wonders of the sharing economy then the fall from grace of AirBnB - incidentally Uber will be at the forefront of adopting new technology).

But to break my rules and digress, I may not be an early adopter but appreciate technology and innovation. But what improvement to my quality of life have self service tills brought at the supermarket? I certainly didn't ask for them.

[malumbu]

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has issued draft guidance on measures to improve air quality . This includes improving driving standards (few people know how to drive well in traffic calmed areas). Autonomous vehicles - bring it on!

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/dec/01/nice-proposes-smooth-driving-measures-to-cut-pollution-and-save-lives

[malumbu]

And here is some earlier advice http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,1638971,1639003#msg-1639003

[dirac]

Fully up for driver-less cars. It's already happening anyway:

Self parking cars

Cruise control

Reversing sensor aids for drivers

Self steering in some models

Cameras

In-car navigation telling you where to turn etc.

It's all progress that would have been scoffed at even 20 years ago and it's getting more tech in a car which will eventually be all tied together as one unit.

[jaywalker]

And don't forget the little internet of things IFTTT box that will be patrolling streets like Melbourne Grove and making all the ridiculous expenditure on particulate-producing bumps suddenly appear the complete waste of money it is. In any case, new cars will be automatically law-abiding.

But we need to demarcate what is and what is not good to be so.

[Angelina]

might actually be an improvement on some of the idiots 'in control' of cars at the moment....