velvet donkey posted:

Make sure it's not a Tesla.

 Too darn right!

 Evening Velvet

I don't like the idea of 'Tests/Trials' on the streets.....

Typical, i work hard for nearly 2 yrs to get my licence and soon people wont need them! 

Jen-Star posted:

Typical, i work hard for nearly 2 yrs to get my licence and soon people wont need them! 

I shouldn't worry about it Jen. By the time they perfect it, you will to old to drive 

That doesn't look quite right but you get my drift

What could possibly go wrong?

Nothing, computers are in control, aren't they? 

I am quite enthusiastic about the idea. Still a long way to go in terms of the technology but encouraging.

I think that at the moment the idea is that the car takes some functions over but the driver still needs to be aware and manual control can be swiftly taken back.

Enthusiastic Contrafibularities posted:

I am quite enthusiastic about the idea. Still a long way to go in terms of the technology but encouraging.

 

I think that at the moment the idea is that the car takes some functions over but the driver still needs to be aware and manual control can be swiftly taken back.

I've very mixed views, both in terms of the technology and the desirability in the first place.

Technology: My views are coloured heavily by the problems in developing driverless trains - something you'd think would be a lot easier, because their movement is a lot simpler, and you’ve still got humans sat in control rooms monitoring everything. Some aspects are very difficult though: one in particular is level crossings, where the railway has to deal with road traffic (cars and pedestrians). Detecting whether the level crossing is clear (and therefore safe for a train to pass by) has proved extremely difficult, and to be honest most people in the railway industry would just like to get rid of level crossings all together - unfortunately though, that’s not always practical. Now, if the rail industry has problems detecting cars and people, how well can individual cars cope in a busy city centre?

Having said that: when technology companies throw a lot of time, effort and money at a problem (and there’s a lot of that at the moment), then things happen – often in very unexpected ways. So; who knows?

Desirability: The thing is that driverless cars are going to work better is some areas than others. This is one of the reasons why there’s so much research in the States: there’s a big difference between driving on quiet US and Australian country roads, and driving in a British city. Even city driving between these countries isn’t strictly comparable. Putting the car on autopilot while driving down an Interstate Highway is one thing, but I wouldn’t fancy it on the school run.

I think that – at least in the short term – you’re right about the car taking over some functions. To some extent we’ve already got that, with things like automatic parking becoming more common. But full automatic driving? I dunno…

There are always the 'idiots' that let their 'Sat Nav' drive them over a cliff....

I don't fancy the idea of driverless cars either ....although if they hurry up with it I might actually be able to learn to drive  

Jen-Star posted:

Typical, i work hard for nearly 2 yrs to get my licence and soon people wont need them! 

  I was thinking of you as I read the title (hello darling, how's you?) 

Cosmopolitan posted:

Jen-Star posted:

Typical, i work hard for nearly 2 yrs to get my licence and soon people wont need them! 

  I was thinking of you as I read the title (hello darling, how's you?) 

 

Hiya Cosi  I'm good thanx, busy  and knackered half the time now adays... Driving mean i have to do the shopping etc lol I've been wondering where you were hiding, how are you doing? xx