Quote:
Originally Posted by doogee
It's going to happen. Not for a very long time, but this is where things are headed.
Autonomous cars are the solution to accidents and traffic jams. At some point there will be no place for "manually operated vehicles".
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Explain to me how an autonomous vehicle with no manual override would (I'm brainstorming here):
1). Be drive-able to be serviced if something needed repair: i.e., a body panel, a tire losing air, a knocked-off mirror, a noncritical software glitch, etc.
2). Be drive-able in countries without the infrastructure to support the system: i.e. [insert Second- and/or Third-World country here]
3). Be drive-able in remote areas where conventional GPS signals cannot or do not reach (i.e. parts of Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Texas, Colorado, Oregon, etc.)
4). Be drive-able below ground (i.e. tunnels, parking garages, etc.) where conventional GPS signals cannot or do not reach
5). Be drive-able on a route not prescribed by the autonomous system (necessary due to everything from traffic issues to fulfilling, say, a distance-based restraining order)
6). Be drive-able for purposes other than simply going from Point A to Point B: i.e., hauling cargo with/without a trailer, going off-road, recreational use, etc. Not everyone has a use for an autonomous Chevy Bolt or somesuch ...
7). Be drive-able during legitimate emergencies where reliance on the system is impractical, too slow, or life-threatening (example: a woman giving birth)
And most of all:
8). Be drive-able because the system itself fails
I've said this in other threads: The autonomous operation of complex vehicles that endanger lives is a pipe dream that does not exist yet and will not exist for several generations.
Even in instances where the technology has been in use for many years -- from aircraft autopilot systems to military applications such as guided armaments (cruise missiles, etc.) -- manual override is still either possible or required. Example: pilots must still execute the takeoffs and landings of commercial aircraft.
Don't believe the hype. Blanket autonomous personal vehicles will not happen for a very, very long time -- particularly in the U.S., where such a system goes against the most fundamental right our country was founded on: personal liberty. That cannot be completely sacrificed in the name of saving lives.