VW releases car with "temporary autopilot"

[jayh]

Watch a squirrel jump from branch to branch. You have a spectacular problem of 3 dimensional spacial location and acceleration (both linear and rotational). Yet they do it effortlessly, with few failures (as evidenced by the number of live squirrels). With all the work on robotics in academia, there is nothing that comes close to this.

 

[Darat]

Actually landing planes is relatively simple. There are no other vehicles in the area, the runways are VERY well identified and all you need to do is manage the speed and altitude (something computers are good at). Getting through a NYC intersection is a much more difficult process.

I present, for your amusement...

http://jalopnik.com/5828101/this-is-googles-first-self+driving-car-crash

I suppose you are right - just switch off the engines and the plane will land...

 

[Dr.Sid]

I don't see why would I want to let hold of steering wheel. Automatic breaks fine, adaptive steer control fine, automatic parking fine. But this ? I don't get it.

 

[EHocking]

I don't see why would I want to let hold of steering wheel. Automatic breaks fine, adaptive steer control fine, automatic parking fine. But this ? I don't get it.

That's so you can go to the galley in your RV and make a cup of coffee while still driving along the highway. UL would have it that it has happened in the past.

 

[Mark6]

Watch a squirrel jump from branch to branch. You have a spectacular problem of 3 dimensional spacial location and acceleration (both linear and rotational). Yet they do it effortlessly, with few failures (as evidenced by the number of live squirrels).

Actually they have MANY failures, and you do not need to watch squirrels for very long before witnessing one. Fortunately for an animal the size of a squirrel and with bushy tail acting like parachute, terminal velocity is so low they land without breaking anything.

With all the work on robotics in academia, there is nothing that comes close to this.

But your point is still valid.

 

[Mark6]

I don't see why would I want to let hold of steering wheel. Automatic breaks fine, adaptive steer control fine, automatic parking fine. But this ? I don't get it.

You enjoy sitting still for hours at a time? I do not.

 

[Dr.Sid]

You enjoy sitting still for hours at a time? I do not.

Well maybe if I drove bus I could stand up and do few paces .. but I would have to still watch the road. But I don't even drive a bus. I could hardly move my hands around. If I sit still for hours, I just stop.

 

[catsmate]

A decent satnav certainly has this level of detail available.
I presume the same sort of technology is involved.

Until the speed limit is changed or the road layout is modified, how many people will keep the car updated?

 

[Darat]

Until the speed limit is changed or the road layout is modified, how many people will keep the car updated?

Have the satnav auto-update every day as mine already does. Plus again even if it took a few days before everyone was updated is that any worse than what happens now with humans? Given the outrage around here when they altered where a 30 mph zone started at the bottom of a hill by about 200 metres and the number of people I know who got speeding tickets for not obeying the new speed limit a few weeks after it had been in place it appears that we need to find a way to auto-update people!

 

[Trakar]

Have the satnav auto-update every day as mine already does. Plus again even if it took a few days before everyone was updated is that any worse than what happens now with humans? Given the outrage around here when they altered where a 30 mph zone started at the bottom of a hill by about 200 metres and the number of people I know who got speeding tickets for not obeying the new speed limit a few weeks after it had been in place it appears that we need to find a way to auto-update people!

I'm sure the system could be made to adequately warn and then turn itself off if entering a zone not covered by its programming/sensors (rural roadways, new subdivisions, etc.). Then you'd just have to drive yourself through that stretch of your journey,...but it would still be a convenience for the the other legs of the trip.