Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

LetsGoHawks t1_iudjfxd wrote

Automakers realize what AI specialists have been saying for 10 years: The way AI works at this time, it's never going to be good enough for fully self driving cars. And even if it were, the computer to run it, and the generator to power that computer, would require a shipping container.

38

ocktick t1_iudnayl wrote

In all likelihood it just requires changing the infrastructure to support AV. Right now it’s like we’re trying to make a general purpose AI that can act like a human rather than change the roads to be AV compatible.

24

StrudelStrike t1_iue91lz wrote

My favorite semi-autonomous vehicle infrastructure is trains. What’s that? The technology has existed for over a century?

37

DevCatOTA t1_iuf6vev wrote

Start by creating an elevated tram system that services 80%+ of the population. Envision something like the rail-based individual PeopleMover cars at Disneyland. For those unfamiliar with the PeopleMover, picture a small train car able to hold six people at most. If these were independent of one another, they could be called up using an app on your phone and take you to major shopping or event locations.

This reduces road congestion and frees up real estate. It also reduces the amount of data an FSD system has to deal with. You can now concentrate on using fully autonomous cars that travel the roads servicing the remaining 20% as well as transporting people to and from PeopleMover stations.

4

ocktick t1_iueh1yz wrote

Sure, if a train could take you everywhere that a car can then it would be amazing. I don’t think AVs are trying to solve the same problem as trains though.

−2

fizzlefist t1_iueo3ra wrote

Well it’s hard to overcome a century of terrible car-centric city planning.

15

StrudelStrike t1_iuf0m7b wrote

If we’re going to completely rebuild the infrastructure to support AVs on roads, it would be dramatically more effective and ecologically friendly to replace them with trains, bus rapid transit, standard busses, bike paths, etc.

7

ocktick t1_iuf16my wrote

Bike paths don’t work in climates unsuitable for biking for large parts of the year. And a train will never achieve the granularity of a vehicle. There are too many use cases where a vehicle needs to access an individual address for the solution to be “just do trains.” In terms of environment, AVs would be drastically more efficient since they could be shared. Again comparing it to rail is silly since a train will never deliver your sofa to your doorstep or wait for you to take your Costco haul of groceries inside.

5

TokenMenses t1_iuehpec wrote

Changing the infrastructure to fit autonomous vehicles is incredibly expensive and becomes a way to shift liability off of the autonomous vehicle manufacturers and on to pedestrians and drivers and cyclists. AVs need to drive on the road just like any other car or stay off of it.

14

[deleted] t1_iuf5vot wrote

Where are the fucking flying cars I was promised 30 years ago? Seems like those would be easier to automate. And they're flying cars.

−2

FruitbatNT t1_iufbywj wrote

30? More like 70 years ago. Post war was where all the “city of tomorrow” nonsense came from.

1

jrockwar t1_iueqgie wrote

The problem is that changing the roads to make things easy for AI includes removing drivers from them. If it were feasible to remove all manually driven cars, the problem would be a lot easier... But we can't will drivers out of existence.

1

D4RTHV3DA t1_iudol0s wrote

Ah yes, the ol "nobody could make a computer like that" excuse. I'll see you in 10-20 years.

13

KSRandom195 t1_iudk1z0 wrote

We’ll just all drive semis. No big deal right?

8

NormalHorse t1_iudoy1m wrote

If all cities were pedestrian-centric, the only vehicles we'd need to really worry about being automated would be shipping trucks. So, kinda.

2

Badfickle t1_iuj7fbg wrote

That's nonsense. Have you seen FSD 10.69? Go watch some recent videos on youtube.

1

DeafHeretic t1_iue5q3w wrote

  1. Never say never

  2. It isn't the hardware, it is the software. The hardware will continue to improve exponentially, but it is the algorithms that will take time.

0

TheOtherWhiteCastle t1_iuev2pw wrote

Not too mention there are far too many people that are opposed to the idea of self driving vehicles. Much like with electric cars, it will take decades to get the general public on board with the idea even if the tech is there.

0

Unicycldev t1_iuexaya wrote

It’s not that it will never work, it’s just that it’s several hardware generations from being production ready. I suspect there is no profitable business case yet. And is you either continue to fund the research, or you wait for someone to do it for you.

0

hewhowalk t1_iudro3z wrote

Well thats not true. We are very close to actually having self driving cars. Just not for every single situation (SAE Level 5). There are plenty of applications within reach for self driving vehicles like trucking, busses and shuttles. (SAE Level 4).

−2

Legitimate_Plum9 t1_iuee2kh wrote

Self driving has been used in trucking for two decades now. There is no comparison between what’s needed to drive on a highway vs an area with pedestrians.

−4

hewhowalk t1_iueeoao wrote

No, it has not been used "for decades in trucking". It has used in mines and other super confined areas for decades. That is not comparable with the wave of trucking applications we are about to see in the coming years.

5

Legitimate_Plum9 t1_iueh2qj wrote

Yes, it has I don’t know why you’re arguing with me. They still require a driver for safety but many routes are more than 90% autonomous and have been for years in some form.

0

hewhowalk t1_iuf3r6z wrote

ADAS is not autonomous. Not sure what else you are refering to

3

hicow t1_iugesn6 wrote

This is not even close to true. Feel free to cite whatever you have to support what you're saying, though.

2

LetsGoHawks t1_iufq2j1 wrote

Please post a link to this amazing tech that has been self driving trucks on highways for decades.

Tesla announced the first commercially available self driving tech in October 2014, 8 years ago.

2

Badfickle t1_iuj7v65 wrote

Self driving that deals with pedestrians is here now.

1