… are NOT perfect together…
We’ll see how it plays out. I suspect that self driving cars are about ten years from general deployment. Even in Phoenix and the Bay Area, is still experimental.
Great! If they can’t handle Boston, they will never be able to handle Buffalo. I had hoped they would be ready for the fast approaching day when I can’t drive.
You’re lucky though. Boston has Uber, taxis, buses, and even tour buses. No problem getting around.
Read the first sentence - "As things stand today"
As I’ve stated many times…this technology won’t be ready for prime-time for probably a decade. The technology is changing extremely fast. Millions and Millions of R&D money is being pumped into this technology every year. I’ll wait a few years to pass judgment. Way too early yet.
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Multiple optical cameras, LIDAR, FLIR, 5G-enabled GPS, ultra-accurate mapping, embedded sensors on roadways, radar and now ground-penetrating radar. Yeah, that will make financial sense. Three years ago Ford started winter testing of autonomous vehicles. Lotsa luck.
We better elect people that are willing to deal with the cost in addition to the safety aspects of whatever roadway changes are needed for self driving cars. Right now, it seems the insurance industry gets whatever they want in the name of safety. Some of it is good, like back up cameras, but I wonder about many of the other safety items that are becoming standard on our cars.
It just so happens that I have a video with four of the world’s top autonomous vehicle experts and the guy from Boston’s mayor’s office that controls the program underway now. Want to hear what the autonomous experts think these things will cost? Time stamp 1:05. Want to hear the technology makers ask the city of Boston to simply paint the curbs and cut brush back from the traffic signs and get a “no” answer? 1:38. The video was filmed at MIT this May. The bottom line is the cost is astounding and the cities clamoring for this technology plan to use zero existing taxpayer funds to support it.
I also wonder about driver assist technology and bad weather, there are some times in ice or snow when the last thing I want if for the car to apply the brakes.
I also don’t want to be fighting lane assist steering technology when I am following the plow tracks rather than the road lanes, or passing the plow using most of the left shoulder when neither on of us can see exactly where we are on the road.
When traveling on the NY Thruway I try very hard to get out of a pack of cars and ride in between packs, I don’t need to be in anyone elses accident.
Based on the technical knowledge of most of our elected officials, I’m extremely glad they defer most to the insurance industry. The insurance does have their own interest when lobbying congress. But that doesn’t mean it’s not beneficial to everyone else. Air-bags and seatbelts were lobbied hard for years by he insurance industry.
As for driverless cars, the insurance industry is not he main body that defining the standards here. IEEE has been working on standards for years. The new Fed guidelines (FMVSS) rules were adopted from IEEE.
Then there’s the rest of the world and their standards. So far politics haven’t had much of a hand into this. But I’m sure they will.
The stuff that bothers me is adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and automatic braking. I’m not sure features like those are ready for prime time just yet.