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Cruise Raises $12.5M for Self-Driving Cars, Poaches Tesla’s Lead on Autopilot

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Re: Cruise Raises $12.5M for Self-Driving Cars, Poaches Tesla’s Lead on Autopilot

#11

Post by cmansley »

"Vogt couldn’t change lanes because of California state law around autonomous vehicles"

This statement is complete bullshit. The California DMV doesn't have any clear details defining operations of vehicles at this point in time. They only have rules about what is required to test on public roads. This includes 5 million dollar bond, applying for permit, etc...[1]

This statement alone (if correct from the reporter) makes me nervous about the amount of spin going on.

[1] : http://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/connect/d48f347b-8815-458e-...

Re: Cruise Raises $12.5M for Self-Driving Cars, Poaches Tesla’s Lead on Autopilot

#13

Post by kvogt »

cmansley wrote: post #11

"Vogt couldn’t change lanes because of California state law around autonomous vehicles" This statement is complete bullshit. The California DMV doesn't have any clear details defining operations of vehicles at this point in time. They only have rules about what is required to test on public roads. This includes 5 million dollar bond, applying for permit, etc...[1] This statement alone (if correct from the reporter) m…

To clarify, the California DMV carefully defines an "Autonomous vehicle" but has carve outs for collision avoidance systems [1]. While adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist are mentioned explicitly as collision avoidance systems, automatic lane changing is not. So we weren't comfortable adding that feature until the DMV published their regulations for the operation of Autonomous Vehicles (which still hasn't happened) and we met those requirements.

[1] : https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/vr/autonomous/bkgd

Re: Cruise Raises $12.5M for Self-Driving Cars, Poaches Tesla’s Lead on Autopilot

#14

Post by hippich »

ciumonk wrote: post #8

"I may be wrong, but I have a feeling that there is already a very large market of people who like to tinker with cars. Imagine a self-driving Delorean" Or my own version, a level 3-ish self-driving 1977 VW Rabbit :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCE35zbkciU

Tell us more, please!! =)

Re: Cruise Raises $12.5M for Self-Driving Cars, Poaches Tesla’s Lead on Autopilot

#15

Post by btian »

mmmBacon wrote: post #12

Exactly how have they taken the lead here? They bought a bunch of bolt-on stuff and slapped together some software that works in a very limited way. Am I missing something?

They're basically developing an after market adaptive cruise control + lane centering system.

Not revolutionary, but can be very useful nevertheless.

Re: Cruise Raises $12.5M for Self-Driving Cars, Poaches Tesla’s Lead on Autopilot

#16

Post by kvogt »

Animats wrote: post #6

All "Cruise" seems to be talking about is lane keeping plus radar cruise control. BMW, Buick, Cadillac, and Volvo had that years ago. Mercedes is shipping it now. The big problem is keeping drivers from relying too much on a dumb system that almost works[1]. Everyone with a clue in the industry realizes the problem. Semi-automatic driving, with the expectation that the driver is alert and ready to take over, is an ac…

We completely agree with your safety concerns (along with those of many others we've spoken to in the industry). That's one of the reasons we haven't released a product that works in the way currently advertised on our website.

While NHTSA has begun thinking about autonomous vehicle safety, there is still much to be done. We plan to release some of our thoughts about this in the next couple of months.

Re: Cruise Raises $12.5M for Self-Driving Cars, Poaches Tesla’s Lead on Autopilot

#17

Post by Clanan »

kvogt wrote: post #16
Animats wrote: post #6

All "Cruise" seems to be talking about is lane keeping plus radar cruise control. BMW, Buick, Cadillac, and Volvo had that years ago. Mercedes is shipping it now. The big problem is keeping drivers from relying too much on a dumb system that almost works[1]. Everyone with a clue in the industry realizes the problem. Semi-automatic driving, with the expectation that the driver is alert and ready to take over, is an ac…

We completely agree with your safety concerns (along with those of many others we've spoken to in the industry). That's one of the reasons we haven't released a product that works in the way currently advertised on our website. While NHTSA has begun thinking about autonomous vehicle safety, there is still much to be done. We plan to release some of our thoughts about this in the next couple of months.

> That's one of the reasons we haven't released a product that works in the way currently advertised on our website.

Wait, what? That sounds like (awkward) double-speak. So you're advertising a product you don't/won't have?

Re: Cruise Raises $12.5M for Self-Driving Cars, Poaches Tesla’s Lead on Autopilot

#18

Post by zaroth »

Animats wrote: post #6

All "Cruise" seems to be talking about is lane keeping plus radar cruise control. BMW, Buick, Cadillac, and Volvo had that years ago. Mercedes is shipping it now. The big problem is keeping drivers from relying too much on a dumb system that almost works[1]. Everyone with a clue in the industry realizes the problem. Semi-automatic driving, with the expectation that the driver is alert and ready to take over, is an ac…

Just like we learn how to use cruise control in certain driving situations, I would expect drivers can learn how to rely on "Supercruise" in appropriate situations.

Specifically I think the most beneficial use-case would be the mind numbing highway stop-and-go crawl which millions contend with daily. If my car could follow the car in front of me with lane-keeping, it seems like that would be extremely useful. IMO, it's not a system that needs to be able to accelerate past even 25 mph before reverting to a more typical / unassisted speed adaptive cruise control. But IMO it must have an extremely snappy almost aggressively close follow distance, since the computer should have better reflexes. In traffic, if it's leaving even a car length, it would drive me crazy.

I would assume these systems are challenged by a lack of intuition around traffic flow, and the [in]ability to steal glances down the line of cars (I guess depending on how high-mounted the top camera is). If the only real input is "mm to next bumper @ 60Hz" can you do better than a human driver?

I think another key trick is in really nailing the "My Car" transition cue. I guess it could be some sort of touch sensor on the wheel, or a flick of a paddle shift, but I think the best input might be a tap on the gas pedal.

Re: Cruise Raises $12.5M for Self-Driving Cars, Poaches Tesla’s Lead on Autopilot

#19

Post by nikhizzle »

zaroth wrote: post #18
Animats wrote: post #6

All "Cruise" seems to be talking about is lane keeping plus radar cruise control. BMW, Buick, Cadillac, and Volvo had that years ago. Mercedes is shipping it now. The big problem is keeping drivers from relying too much on a dumb system that almost works[1]. Everyone with a clue in the industry realizes the problem. Semi-automatic driving, with the expectation that the driver is alert and ready to take over, is an ac…

Just like we learn how to use cruise control in certain driving situations, I would expect drivers can learn how to rely on "Supercruise" in appropriate situations. Specifically I think the most beneficial use-case would be the mind numbing highway stop-and-go crawl which millions contend with daily. If my car could follow the car in front of me with lane-keeping, it seems like that would be extremely useful. IMO, it…

Volvo has this on their 2016 vehicles. It is called pilot assist and works under 30 mph.

Re: Cruise Raises $12.5M for Self-Driving Cars, Poaches Tesla’s Lead on Autopilot

#20

Post by zaroth »

nikhizzle wrote: post #19
zaroth wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just like we learn how to use cruise control in certain driving situations, I would expect drivers can learn how to rely on "Supercruise" in appropriate situations. Specifically I think the most beneficial use-case would be the mind numbing highway stop-and-go crawl which millions contend with daily. If my car could follow the car in front of me with lane-keeping, it seems like that would be extremely useful. IMO, it…

Volvo has this on their 2016 vehicles. It is called pilot assist and works under 30 mph.

Finally found a video of it in action [1]. During this 1:11 video the car dings an alert for "apply steering" no less than 3 times? The follow seems a bit sluggish but not as bad as I was expecting.

Found another example which shows the lame follow distance and sluggishness. [2] Hilariously, there's an accident at the end of the video in the next lane over due to the stop-and-go traffic. But in this form, I think these things are basically traffic creation devices.

[1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9RAn0DwAAU [2] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmdWBH-IvDg

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