Driverless Cars

[3930dave]

Same scenario as the Mountain View fatality.

Dashcam video shows Tesla steering toward lane divider—again | Ars Technica

Rgds, D.

 

[Reg]

Point ?

In my day we would have probably hung the "regression bug" label on that one and resolved to do more extensive parametric testing on the next fix, next SERIES of fixes.

The GOOD news is that millions of cars learn to "not do that" vs the one driver who doesn't survive to pass along a lesson learned.

Background; I have "followed lane dividers" with almost disastrous results, at the time I was working long hours AND driving about 1,000 miles a week - CRAZY !

 

[3930dave]

Point ?

1) As always..... Don't blindly trust technology.

Most consumers will just continue to do what they're supposed to do.... consume technology. Thoughtful reflection might cause a few to consider "If Boeing can manage to eff up the Max 8, in what is allegedly a highly regulated industry, what is coming down the road with driverless cars ?".

Can this point ^ be repeated too often ? Given that the guy killed in Mountainview was a bit-jockey himself, probably not.....

2) Watch for persistent patterns, even at a low occurrence rate.

Tesla Model 3 unofficial road trip ends in crash, driver blames Autopilot - Electrek

^ Not a new problem.

3) The ars article makes some good points, and not just about specific weakness in the T offering.....

Ever go to use a feature on your cell phone that you've used before, but not recently, to find the controls have changed position/behaviour/availability ? One of the "joys" of virtualization combined with adhering to needed security updates.....

That last point ^... Don't assume that once A Problem Goes Away, it Stays Away......

Rgds, D.

 

[denchen]

Someone will be tasked with programing the computer that can think far faster than the human brain. The first command I guess, will be to avoid accidents and protect the occupants. Other commands will tell the vehicle what to do in complex situations. So we have the app that when we are going down the road and meet a lorry coming straight towards us, and we cannot stop within time of the impact. BUT to our left is a granny in the path, to the right is a group of school children. I wonder what consideration are taken by the person doing the programme.

 

[Jstpssng]

Someone will be tasked with programing the computer that can think far faster than the human brain. The first command I guess, will be to avoid accidents and protect the occupants. Other commands will tell the vehicle what to do in complex situations. So we have the app that when we are going down the road and meet a lorry coming straight towards us, and we cannot stop within time of the impact. BUT to our left is a granny in the path, to the right is a group of school children. I wonder what consideration are taken by the person doing the programme.

If you are faced with that situation in your current car, what are you going to do? Or more likely, would you swerve into the path of an oncoming truck because a bicyclist ran a stop sign into your path? Those are choices we all hope that we never have to make.

 

[Redneck in training]

While driving home from the airport late night few days ago I hit a deer. I clearly remember when I actually deployed the braked the deer was already hit. I believe the computer would braked way faster then me. I was doing about 50 mph= 24.5 yards/sec. The deer stepped in front of the car about 15 - 20 yards away. That leaves less than a second to apply the brakes. So called "thinking distance" at 50 mph is about 17 yards and total stopping distance is about 60 yards. (Just googled it) so the accident was inevitable but the damage could be somewhat less if brakes applied faster. Also the computer could see the deer moving toward the road when I could see it only after it stepped in the lights. When I went to a body shop to get an estimate they had parking full of cars with crumpled front. All deer hits. BTW every road going vehicle we owned in past 30 years, including kids cars had a collision with a deer and countless close calls. Our son hit a deer on a motorcycle in the middle of the town.

 

[vvanders]

Yup, human reaction time to a discrete event is in the area of 250-350ms before you can even recognize something. Add in travel time for a reaction and it's a good half second at least.

 

[Professor Marvel]

Driverless cars are nothin. I am putting all my money into transporters.

 

[cqaigy2]

Driverless cars are nothin. I am putting all my money into transporters.

You say that now, but what will you say if you get transported to a parallel dimension where the good guy are evil.

 

[JasperFrank]

Would it be trollish of me to point out that one of the first autonomous programs, built-in to certain german made cars, was designed to circumvent emissions standards. Just say'en.