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CL-MotoTech t1_j9q38y7 wrote

Reply to comment by Aggravating_Foot_528 in Pittsburgh driverless truck startup Locomation to close by 69FunnyNumberGuy420

I went to a conference in Michigan and the goals have obviously changed from "autonomous vehicle goes anywhere" to "autonomous vehicle goes known locations on known routes during well understood travel periods."

And I think that makes sense. It seems way more achievable.

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Emancipation_of_meme t1_j9ron19 wrote

"autonomous vehicle goes known locations on known routes during well understood travel periods."

Isn’t that … almost essentially the same as a bus or subway system? Or am I just not getting the autonomous vehicles hype?

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desolation-of-frog t1_j9rs6f3 wrote

Yeah don’t drink the kool-aid. There’s a long and cherished history of Silicon Valley reinventing the bus. Bus, trolleys, light rail, and trains are a much better solution for society: those solutions just don’t allow vulture capitalists to profit obscenely from building out public infrastructure. (Look at Uber squeezing us all for an example of their game plan.)

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realtabeag t1_j9td4xh wrote

>almost essentially the same as a bus or subway system

Both of those things have drivers though and a subway needs an enormous amount of specialist infrastructure.

I think autonomous vehicles in everyday situations are a terrible idea but for long distance routes on major highways they seem perfect, basically a small step up from current cruise control. I never understood why companies focused on the most difficult driving scenarios first, I guess it's potentially more lucrative.

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Emancipation_of_meme t1_j9tw475 wrote

But aren’t roads and highways “specialist infrastructure” as well that require expensive construction and maintenance? And what about parking garages, lots etc. that take up tons of space? Not trying to be contentious, just genuinely curious about the difference you mentioned.

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realtabeag t1_j9u6lnn wrote

I agree but those things all already exist. The rail network is not extensive enough to be an alternative and suggesting this is the same as a bus is missing the point that it's autonomous, it's like saying "how is this different from regular trucks?"

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Aggravating_Foot_528 t1_j9rts9g wrote

Much more doable and safer if everyone can agree on a standard and we can build that standard into interstates and companies can autonomously haul from point A to B on the interstates and then have humans drive pre A and post B.

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