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Ford disguised a man as a car seat to research self-driving

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Re: Ford disguised a man as a car seat to research self-driving

#91
post #81
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do like in Canada: all cars must have their headlights on when driving (the lights automatically turn on). edit: also, I feel like if we add new light signals for acceleration, for example, it would be nice to add that to all cars.

Those are daytime running lights. I wish headlights were mandatory, that would eliminate people driving in rainy twilight without lights on.

It does the opposite.

An always lit in vehicle display and DRLs that are just always on headlights makes people forget to turn their lights on when it's dark. This isn't a problem for them since they have their headlights on but drivers behind them don't see them from a distance at night because their tail lights are not lit up. This is particularly dangerous in traffic where everyone else has their lights on.

Making DRLs mandatory is tripping over a quarter to pick up a penny because it enables this behavior.

Re: Ford disguised a man as a car seat to research self-driving

#92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

do pedestrians and other drivers really make "eye contact" with drivers to gauge their intention? They do, and it's even advised by some. But I'm here to tell you that the eyes lie. I've had people look me directly in the eye and still pull out in front of me. Look at the wheels. The wheels will always tell you what the vehicle is going to do.

When I'm jogging in the local park I'll often avoid making eye contact, as I think that this often works better to get people to stop (they aren't convinced you see them). Of course I'm prepared to stop if the vehicle doesn't. I'm sort of intentionally being abrasive there though, as I think people drive too aggressively given the surroundings.

>I'm sort of intentionally being abrasive there though, as I think people drive too aggressively given the surroundings.

This kind of passive aggressive behavior creates more problems than it solves.

Re: Ford disguised a man as a car seat to research self-driving

#93
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those are daytime running lights. I wish headlights were mandatory, that would eliminate people driving in rainy twilight without lights on.

It does the opposite. An always lit in vehicle display and DRLs that are just always on headlights makes people forget to turn their lights on when it's dark. This isn't a problem for them since they have their headlights on but drivers behind them don't see them from a distance at night because their tail lights are not lit up. This is particularly dangerous in traffic where everyone else has their lights on. Making…

I just always turn my headlights on when I start my car. It doesn't matter if it's day or night, or it'll get dark while I'm driving, or if it starts raining or I go through a tunnel. The lights are just always on.

If everyone's car just did this automatically, the world would be a safer place. Why would you ever want the lights off?

Re: Ford disguised a man as a car seat to research self-driving

#94

It sounds goofy, but this strikes me as really clever. Compared to almost anything else with self driving cars adding a few indicators to outwardly show what it's going to do next (for pedestrians and other drivers) is a huge win. There is a fair amount of waving for someone else to go first at a turn, seeing if a driver is distracted (on their phone) at a stop, making eye contact while using a cross walk etc that ge…

It sounds goofy, but this strikes me as really clever. Didn't the Top Gear / Grand Tour guys jokingly propose to do this?

Black Mirror had an episode where this went horribly wrong.

Re: Ford disguised a man as a car seat to research self-driving

#95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

do pedestrians and other drivers really make "eye contact" with drivers to gauge their intention? They do, and it's even advised by some. But I'm here to tell you that the eyes lie. I've had people look me directly in the eye and still pull out in front of me. Look at the wheels. The wheels will always tell you what the vehicle is going to do.

When I'm jogging in the local park I'll often avoid making eye contact, as I think that this often works better to get people to stop (they aren't convinced you see them). Of course I'm prepared to stop if the vehicle doesn't. I'm sort of intentionally being abrasive there though, as I think people drive too aggressively given the surroundings.

The real problem here is that cars are permitted in a park.

Re: Ford disguised a man as a car seat to research self-driving

#96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I'm jogging in the local park I'll often avoid making eye contact, as I think that this often works better to get people to stop (they aren't convinced you see them). Of course I'm prepared to stop if the vehicle doesn't. I'm sort of intentionally being abrasive there though, as I think people drive too aggressively given the surroundings.

>I'm sort of intentionally being abrasive there though, as I think people drive too aggressively given the surroundings. This kind of passive aggressive behavior creates more problems than it solves.

I'm not dead yet.

Re: Ford disguised a man as a car seat to research self-driving

#97
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I'm jogging in the local park I'll often avoid making eye contact, as I think that this often works better to get people to stop (they aren't convinced you see them). Of course I'm prepared to stop if the vehicle doesn't. I'm sort of intentionally being abrasive there though, as I think people drive too aggressively given the surroundings.

The real problem here is that cars are permitted in a park .

Maybe. It's a big park, 120 acres, and there is a hill on the non-lake perimeter that would make it difficult to construct adequate parking there.

Re: Ford disguised a man as a car seat to research self-driving

#98
post #17

It sounds goofy, but this strikes me as really clever. Compared to almost anything else with self driving cars adding a few indicators to outwardly show what it's going to do next (for pedestrians and other drivers) is a huge win. There is a fair amount of waving for someone else to go first at a turn, seeing if a driver is distracted (on their phone) at a stop, making eye contact while using a cross walk etc that ge…

Or this drive thru prank a year earlier: https://youtu.be/xVrJ8DxECbg I'm sure it had probably been done before that too. :) Even better when you "put a robot in the driver's seat": https://youtu.be/CdggQr05LAA

these are gold. thank you for the laughs.

Re: Ford disguised a man as a car seat to research self-driving

#99
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An electric car with an empty driver seat sitting at an intersection would be especially bad; when cross the street I would interpret that as a parked car, especially if it was by the curb (for either left or a right on a one-way street). Hopefully the car would be smart enough not to hit me but I don't want to have to start staring deeply at every parked car, trying to intuit if it is a robot about to pull away.

Do like in Canada: all cars must have their headlights on when driving (the lights automatically turn on). edit: also, I feel like if we add new light signals for acceleration, for example, it would be nice to add that to all cars.

I've always wanted front brake lights for cars, that way as a pedestrian (or other driver) you can tell if a car is actively stopping as it's approaching you.
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