Thread: Autonomous Vehicles

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Self-driving cars could change your life within six years Transport as a service: Self-driving cars could change your life within six years - RN - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) - via @abcnews

Did you actually read the article?

Autonomous systems still struggle with irregular interactions — such as cyclists — and Professor Waller suggests they're likely to be deployed in a more limited capacity, at least at first.

The cyclists are going to be happy about that.

"They're looking more at campus environments, or airports," Professor Waller says.
Well-mapped environments, in other words, with relatively low traffic loads.

Yep. Plonk them where there are lots of cyclists. Good move.

But he thinks on thing we're likely to start seeing autonomous-only lanes soon, so that drivers are introduced to the concept.

I know, let's put them in the cycle lanes.

Probably the place where we'll see autonomous take off first is long haul freight," he says.

I've not seen much long haul freight within a university campus or airport.

"They're looking more at ........... Well-mapped environments, in other words, with relatively low traffic loads.

That excludes anywhere outside the CBD of any town or city.

Real pie in the sky stuff. They're decades, centuries off.
I want my level 5 autonomous vehicle now!

Even Audi - who have level 3 autonomous vehicles ready to go and are working on level 4 and 5 vehicles now say that level 5 vehicles are 20 to 30 years away.

The introduction will be gradual and take decades. I do hope I'm around to see it though - would love to see it come to fruition. The only thing I want to ensure is that we are still allowed to drive non autonomous vehicle whenever and where ever we like but as a day to day car, I'd love one even though I do enjoy drivng, there's times when I'd love to kick back and let my car do it for me.

Then there's the countries that have and will ban them outright...

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Did you actually read the article?

The cyclists are going to be happy about that.


Yep. Plonk them where there are lots of cyclists. Good move.


I know, let's put them in the cycle lanes.


I've not seen much long haul freight within a university campus or airport.

That excludes anywhere outside the CBD of any town or city.

Real pie in the sky stuff. They're decades, centuries off.
I want my level 5 autonomous vehicle now!

Yep I read it, that's why I posted it.
I expect controlled environments will be where they are first used. An example could be Brisbane's busway network, but the government would first have to improve the connections with normal roads by blocking cars from bus-only lanes.
Some motorways might be suitable for autonomous or remote controlled trucks.
Trains are another obvious option.

This came up in the newsfeed section:
Automakers struggle with the future in Los Angeles | Reuters

From the article:

For now, self-driving cars are not ready for consumers, and sales of the battery-powered vehicles demanded by California regulators remain marginal and money-losing. Profits are generated by gasoline-fueled sport utility vehicles and trucks.

The consumers have spoken. They don't want battery vehicles.
How long can these carmakers survive selling them at a loss?

I like driving my Land Rover. Above all I like the freedom to choose, wander, alter my route without notice...to Rove.

Autonomous vehicles will remove this aspect of 'driving'. Approved route plans and route monitoring will destroy the freedom of driving a car.

I like doing things myself.

Safety? If you were going to lose your licence for life for having an accident caused by phone use I reckon no one would touch their phones while driving.

Would any of us fly without pilots in the plane? Auto pilot is a tool, not a replacement for human responsibility.

Without faith in other humans to do the right thing this would be a world of anarchy based on apathy. Our litigious society here in Australia is already preventing much freedom of expression and causing people to defer all responsibility.

Autonomous vehicles will cause as many problems as they solve. I'm not in favour.

I don't want a battery/hybrid vehicle. What I want is a big slow revving diesel V8 with a nice sound. Not a little tiny lawnmower engine that has to be turbo/supercharged to the max just pull more than a balloon on a string...

QUOTE=Mick_Marsh;2745518]This came up in the newsfeed section:
Automakers struggle with the future in Los Angeles | Reuters

From the article:


The consumers have spoken. They don't want battery vehicles.
How long can these carmakers survive selling them at a loss?[/QUOTE]

I don't really understand the argument that not having to drive the car means people will no longer want to own it. Vehicles you don't have to drive yourself and will pick you up from a place of your choosing before dropping you off at your destination have existed before cars themselves. They're called cabs.

A combination of public transport and taxis would probably suit most people and be cheaper than owning a car once you factor in purchase, running costs, fuel, taxes and depreciation. So what if you can hail a self-driving car with an app? You can walk outside and flag down a taxi and you don't have to drive that either. You own a car because you can keep all your junk in it. I don't have kids but I imagine that level of convenience is indispensable once you have a family.

There may be a reduction in second car ownership but that's all.

Originally Posted by LRT

I don't want a battery/hybrid vehicle. What I want is a big slow revving diesel V8 with a nice sound. Not a little tiny lawnmower engine that has to be turbo/supercharged to the max just pull more than a balloon on a string...

QUOTE=Mick_Marsh;2745518]This came up in the newsfeed section:
Automakers struggle with the future in Los Angeles | Reuters

From the article:


The consumers have spoken. They don't want battery vehicles.
How long can these carmakers survive selling them at a loss?

When that’s all you can buy, I suppose we’ll have to. Most manufacturers have said they’ll stop making conventional vehicles at some stage - no idea how that will pan out for them to be honest. As long as someone keeps making parts for old Land Rovers I’ll be right. If work buys me an electric or autonomous vehicle for work, that’s fine -when the battery goes flat I’ll just sit there waiting for the RACV to come out and charge it up. Not sure how I’d do the long Country drives like I do now - maybe we’ll have to go back to taking days to get from point a to point b rather than hours. Work would love that if I had to make a trip to Swan Hill or similar from Melbourne an overnighter. 😂