The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
General Category => Totally Off-Topic Discussions, Rants, Tire & Oil Threads, Etc. => Topic started by: Bob_Roller on September 05, 2017, 06:13:16 PM
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In the part of the Phoenix area where I live, three various companies have been testing self driving cars for about two years .
On my way home from work today, I was behind one from WAYMO, the division of Google .
The vehicle now used, is a Fiat / Chrysler Pacifica, large van .
Most of the exterior sensors are hidden behind fairings, so it doesn't stick out in traffic as much as the Lexus RX350's did with all their sensors exposed .
I was on a low speed, 30 mph street going through residential neighborhoods .
There was construction on this street, replacing concrete curbs that had buckled due to the heat here .
This street is one lane both directions with a center turn lane .
When you came up one a construction area on your side of the street, there were cones and signs directing traffic into the center turn lane .
This self driving car did not know what to do when it came up on this, it turned left, then right, then came to a stop, had the look that it was confused .
Driver was doing something in the vehicle with the controls .
Finally after 30 seconds the vehicle started moving this happened at each lane change with the cones and signs .
Got onto a major surface street, speed limit 45 mph .
A pick up truck about 150 yards/ meters pulled out from a side street and merged into the opposite direction traffic .
This self driving vehicle braked heavily and slowed to around 20 mph, even though the truck was travelling quickly no where near a threat of a collision .
Looks like there is still a lot of work to go before this will become mainstream .
I have seen three different company vehicles in my neighborhood, WAYMO, Intel and Uber .
Next time I'm next to one, I'm going to mess with it and see what it does !!! ::)
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As of 28 August 2014, according to Computer World Google's self-driving cars were in fact unable to use about 99% of US roads.[57] As of the same date, the latest prototype had not been tested in heavy rain or snow due to safety concerns.[58] Because the cars rely primarily on pre-programmed route data, they do not obey temporary traffic lights and, in some situations, revert to a slower "extra cautious" mode in complex unmapped intersections. The vehicle has difficulty identifying when objects, such as trash and light debris, are harmless, causing the vehicle to veer unnecessarily. Additionally, the lidar technology cannot spot some potholes or discern when humans, such as a police officer, are signaling the car to stop.[59] Google projects plan on having these issues fixed by 2020
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I'm really luke-warm to this whole autonomous vehicle thing. It would be nice on a controlled access system but on city streets? No thanks... It would, however, be nice to get on the interstate, punch in where you want to go and be there by the time your movie is finished!
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I agree with you Justin. I'm no Luddite but there seem to be way too many variables on our crowded streets and highways for this to work too well. So many things can happen in a split second that I don't know how they could react in time.
I'd be happy with a more extensive train system around here.
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My view is while they can probably be made safe, it will be very slow and tedious for the rest of us. Imagine when there are lots of them on the road. It will be like they herded together every nervous, brake happy driver they could find.
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It will be like they herded together every nervous, brake happy driver they could find.
It's going to be frustrating, especially when you think that you can honk your horn( you know, that long blast that say's FU) or flip them off........... and you realize it's not a language they understand! ;D
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Would an autonomous vehicle pass a driving test ?
I think they would struggle.
One criteria in the UK driving test is that the vehicle must be driven at an adequate speed. Driving perfectly safely but too slow will not pass the test due to "failing to make adequate progress"
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Not doubt if they get the software anywhere near usable there will be Hackers queuing up to screw with it.
Lou
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Well, it was my lucky week. doing some errands today after work, I got behind another WAYMO vehicle .
The brakelights on the vhicle came on 38 times in a little oveer 2 miles .
This was in heavy traffic on a major surface street, 45 mph speed limit, 3 lanes in each direction .
The vehicle attempted a lane change, more than enough distance between vehicles to accomplish this maneuver, but the vehicle went half way into the lane, then returned into the lane it was in originally .
My confidence in this technology, at least now is not very high .
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OK, now I'm getting quite concerned about driver less vehicles .
http://www.abc15.com/news/region-southeast-valley/chandler/waymo-self-driving-vans-to-test-in-chandler
If the link goes bad or is removed, Waymo, a division of Google, is now starting to test their vehicles with no one in the drivers seat, the vehicle will be completely autonomous, in Chandler, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix .
On average, I'm seeing 20-30 Waymo vehicles a day within 4 miles, 7km of my home .
Other than my commute to work, about 80% of my errands, are in the area where the driver less vehicles will be operating, I live .5 miles about 1 km from the Tempe / Chandler city boundaries .
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I see Waymo problems in the future...............
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The article that the link takes you to, has been updated .
There's an advertisement that takes about a minute to load and play, before the video on the cars begins .
Completely autonomous vehicles have been on the streets here since Oct. 19 .
They plan on having autonomous vehicles operating in the entire Phoenix area within a few years .
This is going to get interesting and not in a good way I fear !!!!
I feel so honored that Google chose the Phoenix area to test this new technology out !!!!! :o ::) :-/ :D
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I assume these are all electric vehicles that can return to base and charge themselves? I'm sorry, I want to hear my motor burn those dinosaurs, whatever I'm riding/driving.
So, some guy is going to be riding in the back seat :o
Gives new meaning to the term"crash dummy" . ::)
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No, these are regular vehicles, not electric or hybrid types .
Fiat / Chrysler Pacifica mini vans .
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They do make hybrid pacific minivans.
https://www.chrysler.com/pacifica/hybrid.html
Which is weird that it took Chrysler/anyone this long to develop one. (We've had hybrid cars since...like 2001?)
-John
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1956?
https://youtu.be/Rx6keHpeYak?t=31s
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The test track that the turbine car was filmed on, is about 14 miles east of where I live .
GM stopped doing any testing here about 12 years ago .
The YouTube video, is a dual purpose bike rider riding through the overgrown facility .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlM_lTV0W5I
The current hot weather testing site for GM, is in Yuma, AZ., on the Aridzona / California border, they moved due to encroaching suburbia and they couldn't keep much of a secret anymore .
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Sad news from Arizona with the death of a lady... no details on how it happened though ? could be the end of the autonomous dream... hopefully
Lou
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A little bit of info, bicyclist crossing in the middle of a street ( not in a cross walk ) with poor lighting conditions .
The Uber vehicle was in full autonomous mode with a human driver in the vehicle in the drivers seat .
Kinda surprised this made international news .
This was in the area of Arizona State University, student population of about 73,000 , with a lot of pedestrian and bicycle traffic seven days a week .
It was only a matter of time before something like this happened .
http://www.azfamily.com/story/37757233/tempe-pd-uber-self-driving-vehicle-hits-kills-pedestrian
I see these self driving vehicles on the residential street I live on quite frequently every day .
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I just saw the video of the collision, my view, is that if a person was in command of the vehicle at the time, I think the outcome would have been the same .