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Uber wants to turn its drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

techcrunch.com

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Re: Uber wants to turn its drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

#141

Post by krupan »

cyanydeez wrote: post #112
ra7 wrote: post #32

> The insight driving the program, Naga said, is that the limiting factor for AV development is no longer the underlying technology. “The bottleneck is data,” he said. “[Companies like Waymo] need to go around and collect the data, collect different scenarios. You may be able to say: in San Francisco, ‘At this school intersection, I want some data at this time of day so I can train my models.’ The problem for all the…

Yes, the way to make these things safer is to make up data and simulate on that. Do you hear yourself?

Do you know anything about engineering?

Re: Uber wants to turn its drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

#142

Post by estimator7292 »

dangus wrote: post #140
Animats wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good question. We know that Waymo has about one remote operator/customer service rep per 40 vehicles. Waymo also operates vehicle garages for charging, cleaning, and maintenance. Those probably all add up to roughly what it costs a rental car company to operate a car. Maybe more, because there's more complex maintenance, maybe less, because they park themselves. There's also a huge sunk R&D cost and an ongoing R&D co…

Here’s the other thing: taxi/rideshare driving can essentially function as a jobs program. It’s a basic job anyone can do without significant training. From a government planning perspective, you can’t just assume that all your displaced labor force can skill up. What I noticed about China is that they employ a lot of people to stand around in nice looking government (non-police) uniforms and do various menial work o…

Taxis would be a terrible jobs program because cars are the worst possible means of transportation for everyone except the person in the car.

Run a jobs program building public transit instead. We built an entire nation on unskilled workers laying rail, we can do it again and it will benefit everyone, not just car manufacturers.

Re: Uber wants to turn its drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

#143

Post by svnt »

Animats wrote: post #125

> “The bottleneck is data.” This seems to be wishful thinking on the part of Uber, and also Tesla. Google StreetView data is probably sufficient. Waymo's expansion into new cities does not seem to be delayed much by the need for more data. Most of the reported problems with self-driving come from transient situations. More mapping data will not help with those. China has the Beijing High-level Autonomous Driving Demo…

> Google StreetView data is probably sufficient.

This is an extraordinary claim. Self driving cars just need 15 ft grid panoramic images that are months or years stale? What experience are you basing this claim on?

Re: Uber wants to turn its drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

#144

Post by 0xfaded »

estimator7292 wrote: post #142
dangus wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here’s the other thing: taxi/rideshare driving can essentially function as a jobs program. It’s a basic job anyone can do without significant training. From a government planning perspective, you can’t just assume that all your displaced labor force can skill up. What I noticed about China is that they employ a lot of people to stand around in nice looking government (non-police) uniforms and do various menial work o…

Taxis would be a terrible jobs program because cars are the worst possible means of transportation for everyone except the person in the car. Run a jobs program building public transit instead. We built an entire nation on unskilled workers laying rail, we can do it again and it will benefit everyone , not just car manufacturers.

I work in self driving and strongly agree with this. I may have had some of the coolaid, but I genuinely believe that self driving cars are the only thing that can pry Americans from their cars. Once ownership falls, people will stop voting against better options.

Re: Uber wants to turn its drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

#145

Post by haritha-j »

dangus wrote: post #140
Animats wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good question. We know that Waymo has about one remote operator/customer service rep per 40 vehicles. Waymo also operates vehicle garages for charging, cleaning, and maintenance. Those probably all add up to roughly what it costs a rental car company to operate a car. Maybe more, because there's more complex maintenance, maybe less, because they park themselves. There's also a huge sunk R&D cost and an ongoing R&D co…

Here’s the other thing: taxi/rideshare driving can essentially function as a jobs program. It’s a basic job anyone can do without significant training. From a government planning perspective, you can’t just assume that all your displaced labor force can skill up. What I noticed about China is that they employ a lot of people to stand around in nice looking government (non-police) uniforms and do various menial work o…

The reason that math works out just fine is because the self driving company makes revenue of $50, pockets $10, its the government that's going to have to figure out how to find $20 to pay UBI. IN other words its not their problem, the math works out just fine for them.

Re: Uber wants to turn its drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

#146

Post by dosisking »

bitwize wrote: post #135
ieiee wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Context is super important. Unlike web services that giants like google provide (e.g search), waymo and other AVs essentially cannot fail. Like at all. It is suspectible to ‘randomness’ of nature that can be the difference between life and death. A lot of so called ‘smart’ people are going to find themselves getting humbled by the real world. Humans are able to make sense of the world around them through things like…

(in Homer Simpson voice) Machines do not possess this characteristic SO FAR.

(in Comic Book Guy voice) The Amiga had Intuition way back in 1985.

Re: Uber wants to turn its drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

#147

Post by cyanydeez »

ra7 wrote: post #116
cyanydeez wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Mapping out every intersection, sign, and signal Before our Waymo Driver begins operating in a new area, we first map the territory with incredible detail, from lane markers to stop signs to curbs and crosswalks. Then, instead of relying solely on external data such as GPS which can lose signal strength, the Waymo Driver uses these highly detailed custom maps, matched with real-time sensor data and artificial intell…

Mapping and simulation have very different purposes. Doesn’t look like you’re familiar with the basics of AV technology. Explains a lot why you’re confused about how real world and simulated data is used.

the word synthetic says it doesn't exist in reality.

Re: Uber wants to turn its drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

#148

Post by dangus »

estimator7292 wrote: post #142
dangus wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here’s the other thing: taxi/rideshare driving can essentially function as a jobs program. It’s a basic job anyone can do without significant training. From a government planning perspective, you can’t just assume that all your displaced labor force can skill up. What I noticed about China is that they employ a lot of people to stand around in nice looking government (non-police) uniforms and do various menial work o…

Taxis would be a terrible jobs program because cars are the worst possible means of transportation for everyone except the person in the car. Run a jobs program building public transit instead. We built an entire nation on unskilled workers laying rail, we can do it again and it will benefit everyone , not just car manufacturers.

I totally agree with you here but I decided not to get into this issue as well.

Re: Uber wants to turn its drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

#149

Post by giannicmptr1000 »

Uber really did a lot of damage to the NYC's energy and personality, i won't miss them when they're gone. Both the delivery app and terrible ride share. The chinatown car services are still close to half the price of uber for those that don't know.

Re: Uber wants to turn its drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

#150

Post by bitwize »

dosisking wrote: post #146
bitwize wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(in Homer Simpson voice) Machines do not possess this characteristic SO FAR.

(in Comic Book Guy voice) The Amiga had Intuition way back in 1985.

Epic comeback.
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