16 replies to this topic

[BlueMound]

Nextbigfuture article on Taxibots

http://nextbigfuture...rovide.html?m=1

[BlueMound]

Driverless Bus
http://www.gizmag.co...less-bus/39891/

[BlueMound]

Dutch driverless shuttle first to hit public roads
http://www.gizmag.co...herlands/41578/

[johnfwd]

Letting these automatic driverless pods loose on the road with no tracks to guide them (?)  Hmm. I hope this works out.

[BlueMound]

Driverless shuttles for college campuses

http://www.citylab.c...le-race/474687/

[BlueMound]

Driverless, on-demand mini bus - replacement for streetcars ?
http://www.gizmag.co...less-bus/43901/
'Users will be able to hail Olli at designated pickup spots or summon it using a smartphone app, through which they can pay for their ride as well.'

[BlueMound]

Mercedes shows off the sleek, self-driving bus of tomorrow
http://www.gizmag.co...itypilot/44398/

[johnfwd]

I'm no Luddite when it comes to labor-saving technology, but I'd still feel safer with a driver behind the wheel.  Particularly so in light of the safety concerns regarding the Tesla self-driving vehicles.   With a top speed of 45 mph, around the Metroplex this bus's journeys would be fairly restricted to suburban neighborhoods.

[BlueMound]

Self driving bus goes toe-to-toe with traffic in Helsinki
http://newatlas.com/...ving-bus/44972/

[Doohickie]

Nextbigfuture article on Taxibots

http://nextbigfuture...rovide.html?m=1

 

The claims made in that article are ridiculously optimistic and not credible.

 

I think when self-driving cars come on the scene in numbers, there are going to be several issues to contend with:  For instance, when two driverless cars approach an impasse situation, how will they resolve the situation?  I'm sure someone will say the answer is "the car with the right of way," but I think there are enough situations where the right of way has some ambiguity that standoffs will occur.  That will probably be worked out, but my bet is that there will be times where the cars won't be able to resolve it.

 

The other thing that pops into my mind is the level of aggressiveness programmed into the cars.  I assume it will be low, and they will typically defer to a more aggressive driver.  Will this encourage people to drive more aggressively when the identify car-bots, knowing that their programming makes them timid?

 

I think traffic patterns will change significantly, and not always for the better, and there will be a rapid evolution of driving styles, laws, etiquette and the unwritten rules of the road.  It will not always be pretty.

[johnfwd]

All good points, Doohickie.  My continuing thoughts about the driverless car phenomenon is that it is woefully premature for today's chaotic, uncontrolled, traffic systems. 

[Doohickie]

I think self-driving tech will make inroads, probably in the cars driven by people though.  You already see it- the cars that won't let you rear-end someone else, that parallel park themselves, that warn of lane departures and even self-correct.  They will add more an more features like that, then suddenly they'll say, "You know what?  You can sleep while you drive; we'll wake you up if something needs your attention."  I see it happening piecemeal like that- a feature at a time- rather than jumping right to driverless cars.

[Electricron]

How do you tell a taxibot where to go? 

For example, McDonalds on Main Street. 

It replies, there's two, which one?

You reply the closest one on Main Street. 

It replies which Main Street, north or south?

 

Golly, by the time you tell it where to go, you could have already driven there yourself....

[Austin55]

Ideally you would be able to get your McDonald's without ever leaving your location. 

[Doohickie]

Actually you probably tell it your destination via smartphone app, perhaps before it even gets to your house.

[Electricron]

Do a search for mcDonalds in Fort Worth, guess how many come up?
My iPhone had 49 of them pop up in the list on my iPhone.

[Doohickie]

Read my post above. 

 

It's pretty easy to come up with a RobotTaxi™ app that would include a module that would employ something like Google Maps to locate yourself to arrange pickup, and locate your desired destination (i.e., search for all McD's, then select the specific one you want).  Then the robotic cab could optimize the route between the two locations.  But the point is, you'd have an opportunity to enter in your destination via app, before the robotic cab ever got to you.