The Self-Driving Vehicles Thread

[Mr. Dazzle]

In fairness, long distance rail IS very big in countries with huge overland distances. The US, Australia and China being obvious examples. AFAIK the US actually has the most rail movements of any country, despite being hugely down and behind the curve on passenger numbers. They still consider 100mph to be 'high speed rail'.

At the moment it's pretty marginal as to which is the cheapest way of getting something from China to the US east coast, i.e. do you ship to the west coat and put it on on a train, ship it 'the other way' around Africa, or go through the Panama canal? Long distance trucking gets thrown in too.

[Horse]

At the moment it's pretty marginal as to which is the cheapest way of getting something from China to the US east coast

If you're not in a hurry, give it to Ewan and Charlie, they'll be heading that way eventually

[Horse]

Does anyone have a professional interest in automated vehicles, particularly off-road?

This was on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/trl_off- ... 61952-pwxT

[Horse]

[wheelnut]

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/ ... ds-by-2021

[Horse]

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/ ... ds-by-2021

I think I posted this at the time it was published.

www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/13911 ... botica/amp

Graeme Smith, consortium leader for Project Endeavour and senior vice-president at Oxbotica said there are some areas where autonomous technology can not operate.

Speaking to Fleet News, he said: “When most people think about autonomy they think about passenger cars and, in reality, that’s many years away, maybe 10 or 15, maybe never.

“We are a long, long way away from any vehicle that’s able to be autonomous anywhere in the world at any time.

"Just because a vehicle can drive on the public road doesn’t mean it can drive on a construction site or a mine or under the sea.

Everything is restricted to a domain, so the answer to the question about when will we start to see this technology is not black and white.”

Oxbotica has previously warned autonomous vehicles could face signal black-outs in cities which could have safety implications for users.

They have wanted even a three-storey building is enough to create some signal duration at street level.

A new study from the revealed driverless vehicles may only prevent a third of all crashes and will not stop “the bulk if all crashes”.

However, worth noting that there are places where autonomous vehicles are trundling around, working, and have been for years.

[wheelnut]

I think I posted this at the time it was published.

www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/13911 ... botica/amp

Graeme Smith, consortium leader for Project Endeavour and senior vice-president at Oxbotica said there are some areas where autonomous technology can not operate.

Speaking to Fleet News, he said: “When most people think about autonomy they think about passenger cars and, in reality, that’s many years away, maybe 10 or 15, maybe never.

“We are a long, long way away from any vehicle that’s able to be autonomous anywhere in the world at any time.

"Just because a vehicle can drive on the public road doesn’t mean it can drive on a construction site or a mine or under the sea.

Everything is restricted to a domain, so the answer to the question about when will we start to see this technology is not black and white.”

Oxbotica has previously warned autonomous vehicles could face signal black-outs in cities which could have safety implications for users.

They have wanted even a three-storey building is enough to create some signal duration at street level.

A new study from the revealed driverless vehicles may only prevent a third of all crashes and will not stop “the bulk if all crashes”.

However, worth noting that there are places where autonomous vehicles are trundling around, working, and have been for years.

That's been my whole point all along: autonomous vehicles can work reasonably well in limited situations and environments. It will be a long time (if ever) that I can walk in to a car dealership and buy a car for normal use that doesn't have a steering wheel.

[Horse]

I think that, several times, I've said that the implementation most likely is first/last mile shuttle bus services.

But there are plenty of places where the technology is working.

What is also happening is the essential support systems are being developed. For example, in an L3 or L4 system where the vehicle might want to hand back control, there will need to be monitoring to ensure that the driver is capable of taking control. 'Putting on lipstick' would fail that.

[The Spin Doctor]

That's been my whole point all along: autonomous vehicles can work reasonably well in limited situations and environments. It will be a long time (if ever) that I can walk in to a car dealership and buy a car for normal use that doesn't have a steering wheel.

Ditto.

[Cousin Jack]

The real problem is that in some countries you can buy a "self driving vehicle" and then just ignore all the caveats about where and when it is capable of self-driving. Once they become common in the UK the same will happen here.

[Horse]

Knowing a bit about how the safety cases for these things are done, what has happened in the US is a bit different to the way things are reviewed here.

[Cousin Jack]

I am sure the safety angle is being looked at closely. It doesn't stop idiots from behaving like idiots, if a car is sold as being capable of doing the driving within certain parameters, some people will try to use it outside those parameters.

[Horse]

I am sure the safety angle is being looked at closely. It doesn't stop idiots from behaving like idiots, if a car is sold as being capable of doing the driving within certain parameters, some people will try to use it outside those parameters.

The aspect of drivers acting like idiots isn't new, though, is it? Improvements to vehicles are often (usually?) used for the 'wrong' purposes, such as better brakes and handling.

That said, there are plenty of drivers of old hatchbacks and Caterhams, etc., who don't need technology.

And as for those dratted motorbicyclists, they'd never do anything daft, oh no

[wheelnut]

I am sure the safety angle is being looked at closely. It doesn't stop idiots from behaving like idiots, if a car is sold as being capable of doing the driving within certain parameters, some people will try to use it outside those parameters.

The problem is (and this is a point that has been raised before) that while humans are pretty good at driving, they are less good at ‘monitoring’ and having to step in.

If a car needs to be able hand control back to the driver if it gets out of its depth then the whole thing is a waste of time.

[Horse]

The problem is (and this is a point that has been raised before) that while humans are pretty good at driving, they are less good at ‘monitoring’ and having to step in.

You say that like no-one in the industry has done anything about it.

As I said earlier:

What is also happening is the essential support systems are being developed. For example, in an L3 or L4 system where the vehicle might want to hand back control, there will need to be monitoring to ensure that the driver is capable of taking control. 'Putting on lipstick' would fail that.

[wheelnut]

...which makes the whole principle nonsensical.

If i’ve got a self driving car then I want to be able to sit comfortably and work, or I want it to deliver me safely home from the pub. If I have to monitor the thing ready to step in, or have it bleating at me cos i’m drifting off to sleep then I might as well just drive.

For me, a self driving car is binary, it either does it or it doesn’t. Anything in between is just dangerous.

[Horse]

Where does your in between start and end? There are plenty of cars that have lane keep system, radar assisted cruise control, self parking. There are plenty of gizmos in cars; whether or not they're necessary or even helpful is debatable.

If you want a Level 5 car, to sit completely out of driving, then you'll have a wait Even a Level 4 could be many years off.

But, that said, there's an opportunity for you to find out whether you actually could work in one, book a trip here:

https://www.techcrunch.com/2021/04/12/c ... dubai/amp/

I can't read in cars without getting travel sick. And, you probably won't be surprised to hear, there are already teams working to try and reduce or eliminate the likelihood of occupants getting travel sick.

[Mussels]

Work? I want one with blacked out windows.

[The Spin Doctor]

The problem is (and this is a point that has been raised before) that while humans are pretty good at driving, they are less good at ‘monitoring’ and having to step in.

You say that like no-one in the industry has done anything about it.

As I said earlier:

What is also happening is the essential support systems are being developed. For example, in an L3 or L4 system where the vehicle might want to hand back control, there will need to be monitoring to ensure that the driver is capable of taking control. 'Putting on lipstick' would fail that.

So what will it do when it wants to hand back control mid-emergency whilst the driver's having a snooze?

[Horse]

The problem is (and this is a point that has been raised before) that while humans are pretty good at driving, they are less good at ‘monitoring’ and having to step in.

You say that like no-one in the industry has done anything about it.

As I said earlier:

What is also happening is the essential support systems are being developed. For example, in an L3 or L4 system where the vehicle might want to hand back control, there will need to be monitoring to ensure that the driver is capable of taking control. 'Putting on lipstick' would fail that.

So what will it do when it wants to hand back control mid-emergency whilst the driver's having a snooze?

See earlier in the thread. Forthcoming vehicle regs (if the uk decide to parallel the EU) will monitor the driver and won't allow the vehicle to self-drive if the driver isn't able to take back control.