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Aggravating_Foot_528 t1_j9pryvd wrote

Reply to comment by Confident_End_3848 in Pittsburgh driverless truck startup Locomation to close by 69FunnyNumberGuy420

Possibly not for only highway traffic. That would be more easily doable.

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CL-MotoTech t1_j9q38y7 wrote

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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Significant-Nail-987 t1_j9spmg9 wrote

I agree. I think this concept works in a hybrid form. Most travel routes are well maintained, clearly pained and signed. I've been toying with the idea of having automated trucks to do the long distance hauls between checkpoints outside of cities where a driver will pick up the auto truck and take it into the city. Eliminate man hours, and the isolation of cross country truck driving. Drivers can actually have lives. But yeah I've no money or contacts to even start that. My point is, I think the concept is completely viable in a more hybrid model.

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