New Florida law lets autonomous vehicles drive without humans

[Dutch_12078]

Probably safer than the little blue haired lady that can't see over the steering wheel...

https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2019/06/13/new-florida-law-lets-autonomous-vehicles-drive-without-humans/

[packnrat]

who here wants that 80,000 pound rig going 65 mph down the hwy with NO human at the controls? even the impact of a 1 ton car is devastating.

 

sure computers can add faster than a human can. but so far (as of june 2019) NO computer can control a car safely in traffic, driving down a freeway. etc. as the computer only knows what some human had programed it to know. not what is really out there on the rd.

the company's that want to make money off this trash, refuse to let the public know about all the crashes, and "other fails".

sure they work great on the test track. under very controlled slow speed testing.

[Fulltimer51]

I just do not understand the infatuation with the idea in the first place.

 

[chirakawa]

I think it's an interesting concept, perhaps doable sometime in the future.  I don't see how they will overcome the lack of distinct and clear highway markings and the multitude of construction areas to be encountered.  I know in my present area, there is much construction going on and it's very difficult to distinguish and stay in one's lane in good daytime weather.  I'm surprised that most humans manage to do so when it's dark and/or raining hard.

I doubt that I'll see widespread use of this in my lifetime.  However, I am impressed with some of the newer vehicles which have lane assist, emergency braking, and so forth.  Perhaps that's the evolution route of autonomous vehicles, keep adding little driver assist features.  Gonna get expensive, though. 

[chirakawa]

32 minutes ago, Fulltimer51 said:

I just do not understand the infatuation with the idea in the first place.

 

Perhaps the immediate goal is to make money.  The more noble notion would be to reduce highway accidents.  In my State alone, 4,000 people die yearly in auto accidents.  That's not to mention the tens of thousands of injuries and millions of dollars worth of property damage.  Although we refer to them as accidents, driver error is probably to blame in most of them.

I'm very thankful that I was able to live through the age of automobile modernization, from the monsters of the 50's to the muscle car era and up to today's advanced technology.  I don't think that model of personal mobility can sustain itself as populations grow and traffic density increases.  Driver-less personal vehicles is just the first step in a transition toward group mobility.

[Dutch_12078]

The "infatuation" is safety, and of course money... Dedicated autonomous AI computer driven vehicles make decisions and react much faster than humans, and are not distracted by unrelated events like texting, tuning the radio, talking to a passenger, etc. Autonomous vehicles have logged millions of public highway miles in multiple countries with a far lower accident rate than human operated vehicles. And as the self learning programs improve over time, those statistics will only get better.

There are Level 4 autonomous vehicles, including tractor-trailers, currently operating daily in various states and countries, most by far without incident. The rare few incidents we hear about are the exceptions that go into making the others even safer. Did you know startup Embark has been operating Level 4 autonomous tractor-trailers on I-10 hauling refrigerators between TX and CA since 2017?

Level 5 vehicles that can operate on any road and in any road conditions a human driver could negotiate are a ways off yet, but Waymo for instance, is currently using a fleet of 600 Chrysler Pacifica hybrids to further development towards that goal.

[Kirk W]

There are already privately owned cars that have lane following and automatic braking. I saw on the news yesterday that a company is putting in driverless commuter vehicles on some major universities. 

[Dutch_12078]

1 hour ago, Kirk W said:

There are already privately owned cars that have lane following and automatic braking. I saw on the news yesterday that a company is putting in driverless commuter vehicles on some major universities. 

Yes, those are Level 1 & 2 vehicles. Level 3 automates more safety-critical functions, but still requires driver control under some conditions. The big jump is to Level 4, a fully autonomous vehicle designed to perform all safety-critical driving functions and monitor roadway conditions for an entire trip. That's likely what the campus commuter vehicles are. Level 4 vehicles are limited to the "operational design domain" of the vehicle—meaning it does not cover every possible driving scenario. Level 5 vehicles will be fully automated and capable of navigating all road conditions that a human would likely encounter. That's a goal that has quite a ways to go yet...

Edited June 25, 2019 by Dutch_12078

[sandsys]

Technomadia is known for the believability of their April 1st posts. This year they talked about how their toad was able to drive itself from one marina to another in Florida so they could use it when not on their boat.

For those who would enjoy reading it go here: https://www.technomadia.com/2019/04/faq-how-do-we-move-the-car-between-ports/

Linda

[noteven]

I’ve got a sign in for guvvermint approval:

”Autonomous Truck Stay 1 Mile Away”

[Darryl&Rita]

First of many more to come. 

[noteven]

From Daryl’s linked article:

”...

The American Trucking Associations has said that the US has a shortage of 50,000 truck drivers and that the industry will need to recruit and train 898,000 new truckers by 2026. Trucking companies ranked the driver shortage as their top industry issue in 2017 and 2018.

Meanwhile, salaries for truck drivers are falling. A Business Insider analysis found that median wages had decreased by 21% on average since 1980, while in some areas they have fallen by as much as 50%.

 

... so, like, is a solution....

na, never mind....

[Dutch_12078]

As more autonomous vehicles hit the road, I wonder who will be first out with a country song about a cowboy's truck leaving him...

[Ray,IN]

2 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:

As more autonomous vehicles hit the road, I wonder who will be first out with a country song about a cowboy's truck leaving him...

🤣 I can hear it now, my semi left me at the  plaza while i was showering, the computer said it was time to go_so it did.

[Dutch_12078]

9 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

🤣 I can hear it now, my semi left me at the  plaza while i was showering, the computer said it was time to go_so it did.

[packnrat]

the company i drive for has this very unsafe auto breaking thing.

a fool gets on the fwy cutting you off, or doing 30 under the speed of traffic and your trucks brakes auto apply. now the truck is doing 20 mph and gets rear ended cause the car behind you could not stop in time. and the fool just drives away at full speed unknowing they just caused a pileup on the freeway.

or just a glitch causes the brakes to auto apply.

then theirs the lane drift buzzer (a distraction) keeps going off cause of a bend in the rd.

or your distracted cause you have to spend time watching out for the penalty cam flashing at you. cause the truck just hit a pot hole you did not see cause you are watching out for the penalty cam flashing at you..etc.

 

so all this high tech stuff is mostly trash. the trucks are in the shop more for computer fixes then breakdowns.

the driver "problem is there is not enough QUALIFIED drivers. there are plenty of un skilled fools trying to drive.

and yes we are bringing in far less than 20 years back. used to bring in $1500.usd a week. now can not even get $1000.usd a week.and this is for the same number of hrs. and crazy but my rate of pay now is much larger than 20 years back. just after taxes i have problems paying the bills. (couple weeks back i did the math and over 37% of my gross pay went to taxes).

[Carlos]

Self-driving vehicles are already safer than humans.  Humans cause 30,000 deaths a year in this country alone due to mistakes while driving, and computers are already safer.  In ten years, self driving cars will be much the norm, and deaths will go down.  We'll also regain a huge amount of productivity and reduce stress.  Imagine doing something useful on the way to work, and arriving without the stress of the idiots on the road.  My next vehicle will be the 2020 Jeep Gladiator diesel, with the full-stop adaptive cruise system.  Not self driving, but will take out one of the biggest causes of stress and problems; unpredictable speed/braking from other drivers.

I laugh every time I hear people talk about humans driving better than a computer.  It sounds exactly like the anti-automobile hysteria a century ago.  When you have ten cameras, infrared sensors, RADAR, and LIDAR installed in your head, let me know.

 

[sandsys]

1 hour ago, Carlos said:

I laugh every time I hear people talk about humans driving better than a computer.  It sounds exactly like the anti-automobile hysteria a century ago.  

You mean when you could drop the reins confident your horse knew the way home? Now it's the car that knows the way?

Linda

[Carlos]

Exactly.  It's funny that anyone who's been on a horse would think that only humans can "drive."

 

[Carlos]

Oh, and I drive around self-driving cars all the time.  Our area is where Google/Alphabet/Uber are testing most of their cars.  I've watched them, it's an impressive ballet of perfect driving when there are a bunch of them.  And I'll admit that I've messed with them, when they are not carrying passengers, just to see how they'd react.  Very well.

 

[RV_]

Yep guys, my new Subaru AWD Forester is a basic model  with the level 2 options, but all have Subaru "EyeSight" lane keeping and collision avoidance, as well as backup cameras standard. It took some getting used to. But no full autonomous. Since we moved to Colorado, we decided we needed AWD vehicles and we love Subarus having had a '78 Brat when I taught there at the Air Force Academy '78-'81, a Subaru wagon in Germany in the 90s., and a 2004 Forester in Louisiana. I wanted to get a Tesla Model 3 but to get AWD would entail roughly three times what I paid for the Forester, as it would need the long range batteries and be the two engine Tesla. After we sell the Diesel Ram and the House in Louisiana then we might get a Tesla. My wife wanted the discontinued in 2006 Subaru Baja, so we reconditioned a 2006 Baja Sport Turbo for her and she loves it! However there are rumors of a new Subaru Baja by the end of this year!  I'll believe that, and buy one, when I see it. BTW, I love my Forester!

Edited July 10, 2019 by RV_

[Dutch_12078]

13 hours ago, rm.w/aview said:

At a media day showing...

executive: "This autonomous vehicle has the equivalent of a combined 85 years driving experience."

journalist: "That explains why the turn signal has been on for the past 17 miles."  

[packnrat]

On 7/8/2019 at 11:26 AM, Carlos said:

Self-driving vehicles are already safer than humans.  Humans cause 30,000 deaths a year in this country alone due to mistakes while driving, and computers are already safer.  In ten years, self driving cars will be much the norm, and deaths will go down.  We'll also regain a huge amount of productivity and reduce stress.  Imagine doing something useful on the way to work, and arriving without the stress of the idiots on the road.  My next vehicle will be the 2020 Jeep Gladiator diesel, with the full-stop adaptive cruise system.  Not self driving, but will take out one of the biggest causes of stress and problems; unpredictable speed/braking from other drivers.

I laugh every time I hear people talk about humans driving better than a computer.  It sounds exactly like the anti-automobile hysteria a century ago.  When you have ten cameras, infrared sensors, RADAR, and LIDAR installed in your head, let me know.

 

no I say to computers, as they can not do as good a job as humans, sure on a test track (even if it is a contained freeway) a computer can do great on a clear sunny day/star filled night, but so far NO computer has been able to control any car, truck, etc during all what really  goes on driving down the open rds. toss in a variable, as in a non programed issue and the computer fails. who here wants to be the fail?

[Carlos]

And yet, computers are still safer than meat bags.  Those things fall asleep, get confused, get tired, or simply don't see something.  They do great under good conditions, but toss in the hundred variables that affect them, and they fail.  Who here wants to be the fail?

TODAY, the self-driving cars are less reliable in terrible weather.  That's why AZ is a primary testing area.  They are still statistically safer than meat bag drivers.