Our self-driving future: Unanticipated consequences of vehicle automation, robots, and "semi-autonomy"

[1pt21Gigawatts]

Is it really that bad?

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[ChasingCoral]

That’s one of the main reasons I’m buying the mustang, electrification is only a means to an end for autonomous driving, I like driving and this is the drivers electric car. It’s a very brief period of opportunity to not get a fully connected autonomous vehicle while also getting a fun electric.

There‘s a reason that Tesla doesn’t bother with nice driving dynamics, AV’s can’t take advantage of them because they drive like a bus driven by your grandma. It’s a lame public-transportatio-equivalent future coming with AV’s and I want no part of it. Talk about freedom, my mustang might not be able to drive more than 200mi on a charge without stopping for an hour but at least it’s a driver’s machine while it’s going

Here's something to think about in that last video: those pedestrians are highly vulnerable beta testers who did not give consent to be part of a study with life or death consequences. I see a potential for a lawsuit with major precedent.

 

[1pt21Gigawatts]

Here's something to think about in that last video: those pedestrians are highly vulnerable beta testers who did not give consent to be part of a study with life or death consequences. I see a potential for a lawsuit with major precedent.

https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/episode-76-the-modern-moloch/

One of my favorite podcast episodes, I see this becoming relevant again very soon

 

[DBC]

This is a little confusing because of the nomenclature. Cruise Automation is the GM subsidiary which is developing autonomous vehicles. Right now it is using Bolts but is expected to shift to six passenger Orions which are driverless shuttle buses. It has plans to start driverless service (meaning no safety driver) in San Francisco by the end of this year (Waymo may have already started driverless service with Chrysler Pacifica hybrids in Phoenix).

Supercruise, which is in several GM vehicles now and should be in all its future electric vehicles (including the Hummer), is a completely different set of driver assist features. It isn't related to the Crusie Automation effort, and, AFAIK the development efforts involve different people in different locations. Supercruise is essentially a hands free version of adaptive cruise control (with lane changes) which works only in specific geo fenced roads which GM has mapped. Its very similar to what Ford is promising for the Mach-E in that the vehicle will monitor the driver to ensure they are paying attention to the road.

The limitation is that it only works on limited access roads which have been digitally mapped. The upside is, as you say, the feature works great. The reviews have all been uniformly positive, and there have been no reported accidents. Seems like a great feature for personal vehicles: works perfectly when you would want it -- long trips or freeway commutes -- but not when you likely wouldn't want it -- short local driving.

This removes the problem with the Tesla system where the driver is supposed to be paying attention but isn't. IOW no more videos of people being incredibly stupid by letting the car drive while they sit in the back seat.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

"I didn't have to interact until the end of the process"

So, not full self driving - in fact, since it was a roundabout, which a lot of US drivers have problems with, it was a double fail. Yay!

 

[EVer]

Is it really that bad?

No, it isn't.

My lane keeping works. My blind spot warnings work. My adaptive cruise works. And I don't have the FSD package, but it looks pretty neat in the recent videos (navigating around town, avoiding objects and parked cars, respecting traffic signals, making turns, yielding to other vehicles at intersections, managing roundabouts, managing 2-way roads without lane markers, etc). It takes an opinionated position to conclude that something which can do all that is "low tech" compared to Co-Pilot 360. The latter is fine, but substantially less capable. That doesn't mean Ford can not or will not add features, but right now it's hardly even comparable.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

No, it isn't.

well, this has completely cleared this up for me.

 

[EVer]

well, this has completely cleared this up for me.

Sorry, look again.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

Sorry, look again.

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