Uber's uberPOOL to launch in Atlanta (safe, cars, areas)

[Domitian]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Sure. The few times a year you need to go down that private dirt road you will probably need a human driver.

And yes, plenty of people will still drive for pleasure. Those classic cars will remain and never be automated. Just like people still like to go ride horses.

you're vastly underestimating the time spent by americans outside of cities.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by Domitian

you're vastly underestimating the time spent by americans outside of cities.

Not really, I just think autonomous vehicles will work just as well (if not better) on rural / exurban roads.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by Domitian

you're vastly underestimating the time spent by americans outside of cities.

I sometimes think that some of these people spend their entire life commuting back and forth between their home and office, maybe stopping at Publix along the way.

"The few times a year you go down that dirt road"? Many people live down dirt roads. Many people have weekend homes down dirt roads. Many people have homes that aren't even on roads. Many businesses aren't surrounded by marked pavement leading to a marked parking lot. There are so many variables to daily driving. To this day, Google Street view has scanned only one road within 3 miles of our lake house, and only about 5% of the area within a ten mile radius of it. And it's not like it's a remote cabin in the woods. It's next to a freakin' country club. Sure, they could send a car out to do it all, but think of the people of Colorado, Wyoming...hell, most of the midwest. Vast areas which are used daily by people, but which are not easily definable roads.

Odd that he's just now saying "no one will be forced into autonomous vehicles" when previously, he was suggesting that entire areas would need to be shut down just to let a human driver pass by.

Originally Posted by jsvh

Not really, I just think autonomous vehicles will work just as well (if not better) on rural / exurban roads.

I'm starting to think you work for a company related to autonomous vehicles. I cannot otherwise imagine such unwavering support.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

I sometimes think that some of these people spend their entire life commuting back and forth between their home and office, maybe stopping at Publix along the way.

"The few times a year you go down that dirt road"? Many people live down dirt roads. Many people have weekend homes down dirt roads. Many people have homes that aren't even on roads. Many businesses aren't surrounded by marked pavement leading to a marked parking lot. There are so many variables to daily driving. To this day, Google Street view has scanned only one road within 3 miles of our lake house, and only about 5% of the area within a ten mile radius of it. And it's not like it's a remote cabin in the woods. It's next to a freakin' country club. Sure, they could send a car out to do it all, but think of the people of Colorado, Wyoming...hell, most of the midwest. Vast areas which are used daily by people, but which are not easily definable roads.

Then yes those people will still need a car / someone to drive them a decade from now. But even if the equivalent of the entire state of Wyoming lives on inaccessible dirt roads, that is only half a million people, less than two tenths of 1% of the US population.

Originally Posted by samiwas1

Odd that he's just now saying "no one will be forced into autonomous vehicles" when previously, he was suggesting that entire areas would need to be shut down just to let a human driver pass by.

No, I don't think roads will be shut down just to let human drivers pass by, I think roads will be entirely closed off to human drivers altogether because human drivers are too dangerous.

Originally Posted by samiwas1

I'm starting to think you work for a company related to autonomous vehicles. I cannot otherwise imagine such unwavering support.

Yes, you are on to "our" diabolical plan. Force everyone into autonomous vehicles by ... posting on random internet forums.

I don't work on them, I am just a huge proponent of them. I prefer not to own a car and this will make my life much easier and cheaper. Plus I know far too many people that have been hurt or killed by cars.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by jsvh

No, I don't think roads will be shut down just to let human drivers pass by, I think roads will be entirely closed off to human drivers altogether because human drivers are too dangerous.

I guess I misunderstood this post:

Originally Posted by jsvh

But you will probably have to go through special permitting, maybe even closing the street to allow the human driver to handle those rare future cases that self-driving-cars can't.

I don't work on them, I am just a huge proponent of them. I prefer not to own a car and this will make my life much easier and cheaper.

Cool. Your life will be easier. Stop assuming you know what the rest of us do and that our trips fit into your box.

[cqholt]

How would autonomous vehicles deal with temporary street closures?

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by cqholt

How would autonomous vehicles deal with temporary street closures?

The same way you and I deal with them today. Go around.

In fact they will probably be better at avoiding them than any of us. Google Maps already has most street closures on them.

Originally Posted by samiwas1

I guess I misunderstood this post:

Sorry for the confusion, yes, I am expecting many city streets will be entirely closed to human drivers in a few decades. If there is something that requires a human driver, such as a specialty delivery or construction equipment then I think they will have to get a special permit to use those streets closed off to human drivers.

Originally Posted by samiwas1

Cool. Your life will be easier. Stop assuming you know what the rest of us do and that our trips fit into your box.

I will just put it out there then: I am assuming exactly that. I think most people want autonomous taxis and will use them most of the time. It will change the way (and where) they will live and many will go car free. Not because it is some deep philosophical change within them but because it is an easier, cheaper, and safer. They just don't know it yet.

Just like the smartphone or Television. Few knew they wanted it, but within a couple decades of their existence most use one everyday.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by jsvh

The same way you and I deal with them today. Go around.

In fact they will probably be better at avoiding them than any of us. Google Maps already has most street closures on them.



Sorry for the confusion, yes, I am expecting many city streets will be entirely closed to human drivers in a few decades. If there is something that requires a human driver, such as a specialty delivery or construction equipment then I think they will have to get a special permit to use those streets closed off to human drivers.



I will just put it out there then: I am assuming exactly that. I think most people want autonomous taxis and will use them most of the time. It will change the way (and where) they will live and many will go car free. Not because it is some deep philosophical change within them but because it is an easier, cheaper, and safer. They just don't know it yet.

Just like the smartphone or Television. Few knew they wanted it, but within a couple decades of their existence most use one everyday.

Google has street closures, etc. because of data collected by drivers using Waze (owned by Google), but if the driver is not needing to be involved, then how will this data be relayed to Waze/Google?

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Google has street closures, etc. because of data collected by drivers using Waze (owned by Google), but if the driver is not needing to be involved, then how will this data be relayed to Waze/Google?

A week or so ago you posted a map of street projects in Cobb County, right? Well, that sort of data could be pushed or it may be pulled by crawlers. Before any long trip I check for planned construction along routes. A few interns could easily knock out the task of setting software to check for these planned closings (should be easy if the DOTs put out info via RSS, CSV, etc.). For unplanned closings or very minor streets that might be published on some city website or not at all, it'll detect like we do. There's an obstacle so the car slows/stops; there appears to be a typical sign like a barrier horse or ROAD CLOSED sign, etc that the CPU can detect and the program will reroute. There probably will be some sort of wikimap set up that will allow for human confirmation "N cars detected an obstacle and rerouted, is this road closed?". I could see something like this working.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by jsvh

I will just put it out there then: I am assuming exactly that. I think most people want autonomous taxis and will use them most of the time. It will change the way (and where) they will live and many will go car free. Not because it is some deep philosophical change within them but because it is an easier, cheaper, and safer. They just don't know it yet.

I don't disagree that many people will use them. I disagree that everyone must use them and that they can do everything just as easily.

Just like the smartphone or Television. Few knew they wanted it, but within a couple decades of their existence most use one everyday.

That's not even close to a comparison. A more apt comparison would be "We know you like doing all those things a smartphone can do, but because of the possible bad things it could do, we are going to make the iPhone have only Apple's apps, like the original iPhone, and you will no longer be able to download your own apps. That way, it will be more safe and secure. And as for your TV, you will no longer be able to choose what you watch when you want to. You can only change the channel at predetermined breaks."