Nevada approves regulations for self-driving cars • Hacker News Board

Re: Nevada approves regulations for self-driving cars

#21

Post by dantheman » Thu, Feb 16, 2012, 9:30 PM UTC

SoftwareMaven wrote: post #13

vasco wrote: post #4

This opens lots of cool possibilities such as eliminating the need for two cars in the family for example. You go to work, the car then comes back and drives the wife and then later in the afternoon when both parents are working it goes to school and picks up the kids!

The downside is that cars could be driving a lot more. Now, instead of a roundtrips each for me and my wife, it is two for me and two for my wife (assuming worst case). Individually, the costs go down (one car, woot!). Societally, (assuming anthromorphic global warming ;) the cost is much higher. Of course, with one car, I can afford a far more green car, so maybe it balances out again.

Or your car could drive to a high voltage charging station downtown to recharge. When you need to do more than daily commuting you just rent a normal car.

Re: Nevada approves regulations for self-driving cars

#22

Post by huherto » Thu, Feb 16, 2012, 9:38 PM UTC

vasco wrote: post #4

This opens lots of cool possibilities such as eliminating the need for two cars in the family for example. You go to work, the car then comes back and drives the wife and then later in the afternoon when both parents are working it goes to school and picks up the kids!

My guess is that we will have a very efficient Taxi system. Using a Smart Phone you will be able to request a Taxi where ever you are; it will already know your favorite locations; your favorite music; it will automatically charge you; we will not need so much parking space.

Re: Nevada approves regulations for self-driving cars

#23

Post by joering2 » Thu, Feb 16, 2012, 9:38 PM UTC

xp84 wrote: post #15

Having just read Robopocalypse, I'm very concerned with this development. These automated cars did a lot of damage in that book.

just the legal question; if I drive with a family and autocar will smash into me, killing my children and wounding me so I cannot walk or work, who is going to be liable? car manufacturer, producer of the tires, software engineers house, or GPS system? Could see 20 years of litigation between all parties involved before I get a dime for recovery, or probably die first.

Re: Nevada approves regulations for self-driving cars

#24

Post by ChuckMcM » Thu, Feb 16, 2012, 9:40 PM UTC

draggnar wrote: post #5

wtvanhest wrote: post #2

Is it possible that this will turn cities in to less desirable places to live? Imagine if you could take your car in to the city for drinks, have it drive around for a while and pick you up when your done. That is just one possibility, I'm sure there are so many applications I can't even think of them.

maybe the opposite is true. i can get around the city very fast without having to worry about parking.

I think this is more likely. Living in cities is desirable because you have a vibrant and 'close' community, it is undesirable because its hard to drive and if you do own a car its under utilized.

One of the interesting effects on this might be 'non-bus' cars. Which is to say public transit as a fleet of say 'four person' self driving cars where you walk to a bus top and touch your transit car and one shows up and picks you up. You tell it where you want to go and it takes you there.

It of course destroys the taxi business quite completely. But combines all manner of public transit into a single service which gets economies of scale. Dynamic electric cars would be fine (where they have an electric 'boom' like trains in Europe do).

Re: Nevada approves regulations for self-driving cars

#25

Post by unexpected » Thu, Feb 16, 2012, 9:42 PM UTC

This is a beautiful example of a state, in desperate need of revenue, supporting legislation that encourages businesses to start up without increasing/decreasing taxes.

Now if only the US could do the same thing with stem cells.

Re: Nevada approves regulations for self-driving cars

#26

Post by wallawe » Thu, Feb 16, 2012, 9:43 PM UTC

huherto wrote: post #22

vasco wrote: post #4

This opens lots of cool possibilities such as eliminating the need for two cars in the family for example. You go to work, the car then comes back and drives the wife and then later in the afternoon when both parents are working it goes to school and picks up the kids!

My guess is that we will have a very efficient Taxi system. Using a Smart Phone you will be able to request a Taxi where ever you are; it will already know your favorite locations; your favorite music; it will automatically charge you; we will not need so much parking space.

Sounds like a YC company in the making! In all seriousness, there will be some great business opportunities here. It will open up an entirely new market.

Re: Nevada approves regulations for self-driving cars

#27

Post by cryptoz » Thu, Feb 16, 2012, 9:45 PM UTC

SoftwareMaven wrote: post #13

vasco wrote: post #4

This opens lots of cool possibilities such as eliminating the need for two cars in the family for example. You go to work, the car then comes back and drives the wife and then later in the afternoon when both parents are working it goes to school and picks up the kids!

The downside is that cars could be driving a lot more. Now, instead of a roundtrips each for me and my wife, it is two for me and two for my wife (assuming worst case). Individually, the costs go down (one car, woot!). Societally, (assuming anthromorphic global warming ;) the cost is much higher. Of course, with one car, I can afford a far more green car, so maybe it balances out again.

First, I assume by the time that self-driving cars are mass produced we will also have affordable fully-electric cars. Second, I think you mean anthropogenic not anthromorphic ;)...probably.

Re: Nevada approves regulations for self-driving cars

#28

Post by pdx » Thu, Feb 16, 2012, 9:47 PM UTC

unexpected wrote: post #25

This is a beautiful example of a state, in desperate need of revenue, supporting legislation that encourages businesses to start up without increasing/decreasing taxes. Now if only the US could do the same thing with stem cells.

Is the Nevads government subsidizing research into self driving cars with tax money? If not, than I see no parallel to stem cells.

For the last 10 years or more, you're welcome to do anything you want with stem cells. Go crazy. You just haven't been able to get tax money to fund it, if the stem cells happened to be embryonic.

Re: Nevada approves regulations for self-driving cars

#29

Post by nitrogen » Thu, Feb 16, 2012, 9:49 PM UTC

joering2 wrote: post #23

xp84 wrote: post #15

Having just read Robopocalypse, I'm very concerned with this development. These automated cars did a lot of damage in that book.

just the legal question; if I drive with a family and autocar will smash into me, killing my children and wounding me so I cannot walk or work, who is going to be liable? car manufacturer, producer of the tires, software engineers house, or GPS system? Could see 20 years of litigation between all parties involved before I get a dime for recovery, or probably die first.

I've yet to read Nevada's regulations, but having it be the same as for regular cars would make the most sense. In an isolated accident, the operator's insurance company is liable. If there's a fundamental flaw with the cars, the manufacturer issues a recall. It's far more likely that an inattentive human driver will smash into a driverless car than the reverse, though.

Re: Nevada approves regulations for self-driving cars

#30

Post by karamazov » Thu, Feb 16, 2012, 9:50 PM UTC

joering2 wrote: post #23

xp84 wrote: post #15

Having just read Robopocalypse, I'm very concerned with this development. These automated cars did a lot of damage in that book.

just the legal question; if I drive with a family and autocar will smash into me, killing my children and wounding me so I cannot walk or work, who is going to be liable? car manufacturer, producer of the tires, software engineers house, or GPS system? Could see 20 years of litigation between all parties involved before I get a dime for recovery, or probably die first.

one possibility is today's system - whoever owns the car (whether it's a private individual, a cab company, or the city) will pay for insurance, and that insurance will pay out to cover any damages.

Now, what happens if there's a bug in the software, causing a lot of damage at once? Can the insurance sue the programmers to recover losses? Probably; but at the least, the victims should be paid promptly by the insurance contract, without the need to wait for a court settlement.