Driverless cars... how far off are they now?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Driverless cars... how far off are they now?

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happyfunball

287 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1991939 9-Apr-2018 12:22

gzt:
happyfunball: But in other countries, such as the US, its very close to reality.

It is a daily reality for selected Google Waymo family trial participants in Arizona. Waymo are a long long way ahead..

Waymo has a driver behind the wheel ready to take control if there is a problem, and the driver is supposed to remain vigilant. This is really just fancy cruise control.

The 'driverless' cars that are sparking the popular imagination now are about not having to drive and pay attention to the road so you can do something else. Freedom from driving. The car shows are displaying mock-ups with retractable steering columns etc. We are still a ways from that on public roads, even in Arizona.

It still would be great to have the car steer itself mind you, but the real prize is freedom from vigilance. We are a ways from that still.

tdgeek

29746 posts

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#1991952 9-Apr-2018 12:53

djtOtago:

It would be interesting to see a self driving car meet an oncoming stock truck on Danseys Pass road. One of them will need to back up to a wider part so they can pass. And it wont be the stock truck.:)

I can see the technology working in cities one day, but out on NZ rural roads and high ways, there are just too many oddities.
Stock being mustered down the road.
The slow moving quad bike, tractor, other machinery that is half on, half off the road.
One lane bridges, Road works, Road works with stop / go flag person. The road that is only 1.5 lanes wide with no road markings. The corner you know you need to give extra room to the oncoming logging truck.
Shingle / Gravel roads in general. (There are still stability / traction control systems today that don't work on gravel correctly)
A Ford.(The water type) The shaded corner you know is likely to have ice. To name a few.

There are a lot of hazards that a lot of NZ people experience in every day driving life, but are vary rear in other countries, And it is people in these countries that write the software.

Sensors, which is old tech. Obstacle avoidance, not hard. Ubers test car didn't have them all on, thats bad. The driver who was looking at her phone thought she was driving a self drive car, but she was driving a car that was half set up

FireEngine

1223 posts

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#1991958 9-Apr-2018 13:03

tdgeek:Obstacle avoidance, not hard.

Avoidance isn't hard. Obstacle identification will probably be the hard one, especially humans doing odd things - a child knocked to all fours and misidentified as a dog (and thus sacrificed), a drunk curled up on the roadway, road signs damaged etc etc.

Currently human vigilance is expected to deal with all these - and I can't see a manufacturer signing off on testing that has a 90% success rate "because humans are 80%"...

Regards FireEngine

tdgeek

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#1991960 9-Apr-2018 13:08

FireEngine:

tdgeek:Obstacle avoidance, not hard.

Avoidance isn't hard. Obstacle identification will probably be the hard one, especially humans doing odd things - a child knocked to all fours and misidentified as a dog (and thus sacrificed), a drunk curled up on the roadway, road signs damaged etc etc.

Currently human vigilance is expected to deal with all these - and I can't see a manufacturer signing off on testing that has a 90% success rate "because humans are 80%"...

IR will see all human/animal items. The child on all fours is a good example though. Id say they would capture that under the greater good term. IMO its all there, yet we have cars running around not nearly as well equipped as they need to be. They are treated as self drive, yet they are just fancy cruise control

gzt

17124 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#1992294 9-Apr-2018 19:36

happyfunball:
gzt:
happyfunball: But in other countries, such as the US, its very close to reality.

It is a daily reality for selected Google Waymo family trial participants in Arizona. Waymo are a long long way ahead..

Waymo has a driver behind the wheel ready to take control if there is a problem, and the driver is supposed to remain vigilant. This is really just fancy cruise control.

The 'driverless' cars that are sparking the popular imagination now are about not having to drive and pay attention to the road so you can do something else. Freedom from driving. The car shows are displaying mock-ups with retractable steering columns etc. We are still a ways from that on public roads, even in Arizona.

It still would be great to have the car steer itself mind you, but the real prize is freedom from vigilance. We are a ways from that still.

Google/Waymo was recently approved for fully driverless operation on public roads in Arizona.

There is video available. California has announced regs for fully driverless vehicles recently.

Google / Waymo now has arizona state approval to operate a driverless ride hail service and has ordered around 20,000 vehicles for the purpose.

happyfunball

287 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1992333 9-Apr-2018 20:08

gzt:
Google/Waymo was recently approved for fully driverless operation on public roads in Arizona.

There is video available. California has announced regs for fully driverless vehicles recently.

Google / Waymo now has arizona state approval to operate a driverless ride hail service and has ordered around 20,000 vehicles for the purpose.

I looked this up and you are right! I had no idea it was here already, that is impressive! Nobody behind the wheel of Waymo cars in Arizona, passengers falling asleep, and people thanking the car when they climb out instead of thanking a driver!

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