Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

Rear-gunner OP t1_ixgvkr9 wrote

One point that few talk about is that about 10% of our economy is in transportation, it is one of the few sectors where education is not required. Once the robots take over, where are these people going to go?

−6

miner_sd t1_ixgxirp wrote

Please just build a train

I'm so tired of this bs "uhh, AI will somehow fix it" silicon valley techbro attitude

51

miner_sd t1_ixgyqga wrote

Replying to jargo3 (#630,016)

True, if only there was an affordable, efficient, short distance method of transport everyone could use to get to larger stations that could benefit more from economy of scale

11

miner_sd t1_ixgzcw3 wrote

Replying to lionrom098 (#630,091)

Yes but we may also need an even smaller mode of transit to get to those... hmm, something that doesn't require gas or batteries and is compact and light enough to be carried everywhere while still facilitating travel of sufficient distance would be best I think. Can't think of anything that can do that though

5

CMDRStodgy t1_ixh0o18 wrote

Replying to miner_sd (#629,967)

I love trains and bikes and walking and most forms of public transport and I agree with almost everything //notjustbikes says. Cars don't belong in our cities, not as personal transport, but they do have their uses. In some mostly rural areas and for some types of journey cars do make sense.

Also, if planned correctly autonomous cars may even increase train use. Having a cheap and convenient way to get from your doorstep to the train station in somewhere like American suburban sprawl will make train travel more attractive.

17

jargo3 t1_ixh0yim wrote

Replying to miner_sd (#630,051)

There is, but it still isn't train. My point is, while trains are great, suggesting them for alternative for robotaxis doesn't make much sense.

Generally public transportation does require high enough population density and unfortunately USA is build such a way that it isn't high enough in many places. This can be fixed over time, but rebuilding half of America in short timeframe isn't realistic and therefore shared robotaxis are better transportation method than privately owner gas powered cars in many places.

1

Ok_Kale_2509 t1_ixh16ok wrote

Replying to miner_sd (#629,967)

"Tell me you live in a super urban area without telling me you live in a super urban area."

The issue is trains only work in dense areas. Even in a city like Indianapolis it wouldn't work very well. Downtown Indianapolis only takes about 10 minutes. The places that the busses go can be 10 miles apart. They have dozens of lines and each has dozens of stops. Even with this there are still tons of complaints that it doesn't cover enough. Making a train system for public transport here is just not possible.

I 100% agree we should use trains in cities that it will work. The issue is it won't work in thousands of others.

−4

jargo3 t1_ixh28kk wrote

Replying to miner_sd (#630,111)

Bikes are great, but transporting them in busses generally isn't possible. There is usually space for one or two, but if you wan't to transport more you'll need to start reducing the number of people carried. They can be used with busses if there is a bike park near a bustop where you can leave your bike though.

1

JonnyGraphite t1_ixh45pd wrote

Yeah no thanks. I’ll wait for the bus

5

RedditeName t1_ixh6jgv wrote

Maybe we can just stop releasing articles like this and wait until something actually happens?

3

Test19s t1_ixh876r wrote

Replying to miner_sd (#629,967)

Autonomous vehicle tech also scales down to delivery robots and drones and up to semi trucks. It’s neat to see some cutting edge technology that’s still progressing as opposed to barely keeping up with setbacks (eg medicine in the COVID age).

1

blankblond t1_ixhjrrl wrote

It killed 2 folks on the way here but it’s here.

6

drewyourpic t1_ixhm5su wrote

Legitimately the last drivers we should be replacing.

Good taxi drivers are also tour guides of sorts. Robots can’t replace that part of the taxi driver skill set.

4

demalo t1_ixhvc0g wrote

Replying to radelix (#632,993)

Ding ding ding ding…. This is the winning answer. If it doesn’t make money in a capitalist society than it doesn’t get done by a private company. If people want trains they need to legislate for it. Get support. Find one city or community that is pro mass transit and make it a model for other cities to follow. Boston spent $$$$$ on the big dig, imagine if implementing a train or other mass transit solution at a fraction of the cost. It would turn heads pretty quickly.

3

phriot t1_ixi0bj9 wrote

Replying to jargo3 (#630,252)

This. My town has a train station on a line into the closest major city. The town does not have the density, or probably the tax base, to run a bus system. A few electric robotaxis would seem to at least be more efficient than having ~100 cars parked at that train station all day.

2

miner_sd t1_ixifzy5 wrote

Replying to CMDRStodgy (#630,217)

Cars are great for places that have basically no infrastructure, like for getting to a weather station in the middle of a forest, or for getting around on the moon. There's a reason the Apollo astronauts used a rover and not a train

3

miner_sd t1_ixign69 wrote

Replying to Ok_Kale_2509 (#630,273)

The US used to have such a large system of trolleys and interurbans that you could get from the east coast to the midwest using those alone, and you could find trolleys in cities as small as 30,000 people

We don't have any of that anymore

It's gone because car companies bought up all the infrastructure and ripped it up. Good public transit is possible, people just aren't trying

2

miner_sd t1_ixihe28 wrote

Replying to defcon_penguin (#630,615)

> families with small kids

My parents had an enclosed bike trailer with a seat to move me around on bike when I was a baby, it also worked for groceries

> old people

If you think designing cities around cars only is better for old people you are gravely mistaken

> disabilities

Wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs use pedestrian and bike infrastructure. Driving is also notably quite impossible for the vision impaired

> large packages

Cargo bike or trailer

> not everyone can ride a bike every time

Thankfully, I'm not advocating for that, there are other modes of transit that are quite effective, such as walking, busses, light, heavy, and high speed rail, planes even. And for that one day every few years that you really need a van or truck, we may just in fact have the capabilities to allow you to rent one

2

Icy-Record-7773 t1_ixiind8 wrote

hasn't this "almost been here" for the past 10 years?

3

MpVpRb t1_ixivfzp wrote

>But developers admit the challenge has proven much more difficult — and expensive — than anticipated.

Engineers in the field anticipated the difficulties. Pundits, futurists and other assorted hucksters created the myth that it was easy

Source: I'm an engineer who worked on the tech

2

rixtil41 t1_ixl57m7 wrote

Why are people so against this ? Years ago people wanted this now this comment section is " automated cars or anything automated is dumb just put out static rails and make every use it 🙄.

1