191–200 of 322 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sure, Steer by wire is new. DBW generally refers to the connection between the accelerator pedal and the throttle. There, DBW has been the norm for many years.
Surely not the brake, though. Right? Right? Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake-by-wire
I mean, this is the news website for a startup accelerator. If you are on here, have some appreciation for new ways of doing things. To disrupt the status quo is the very goal. If you ask for perfection from day one, we will never get anywhere.
These cars have the potential to massively reduce traffic fatalities (one of the biggest remaining killers) and make cities useful again to the people that actually live in them.
Anyone else wonder why a self-driving car needs side-view mirrors?
It seems like a mistake to remove manual controls entirely, not necessarily because of safety concerns, but because there are a fair number of times when you need the car to go somewhere without having a route. I'm thinking of things like: Moving your car ten feet so somebody else can get out of the driveway; handling double parking during alternate side parking hours; moving the car because you were waiting to pick…
Not to mention snow/ice. The software might be able to handle the nasty Minnesota roads, but not for a while (and what if people don't trust the cars in those conditions?). As far as I know, they've only been tested in sunny California. That statement was probably a bit of a jump.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the driver on the bus has more functions than just being a driver. He's also an authority figure and can provide assistance.
There have been self-driving trains for some time now (Nuremberg, London Docklands). There are more people to be responsible for on a train and I do not see why a bus would be a special case.
Apparently not all the trains in Nuremberg are staffed, so perhaps it does work? I suppose the train driver is often segregated from the passengers in a way which makes them almost absent anyway.
It will be interesting to see if completely unstaffed buses are adopted anywhere, and if that proves succesful. I'd imagine that security wise a staff member isn't really necessary during busy day time routes (but then conversely that's probably when they'd be the most cost effective and provide the highest utility).
Earlier quoted context omitted.
>> "It seems like they would eventually have a four-seater version but the bench seats could face each other." I can think of two reasons against that. 1. People who get motion sickness get it 100x worse if they are facing the wrong way. There are also people I know who normally don't get motion sickness but get a bit queasy facing the wrong way. 2. If you are in an accident isn't it more dangerous for your neck if y…
To the person that down voted me: why? I believe I made two good points that add to the discussion. Down voting should be used on comments that do not add to the discussion, not just comments you disagree with. If you disagree with a comment ignore it and move on or reply. Side note: What has happened to edit buttons on HN? This is the second time I've had a comment I'd like add an update to and the edit button isn't…
I've upvoted your comment as you are right it wasn't downvote worthy. I may have downvoted your complaint about the voting but the side note is a real question).
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Trainstations are somewhat controlled, bus-stops are not, they can be just about anywhere.
Which is relevant to the difficulty of designing a self-driving bus, but says nothing about any driver responsibilities outside of driving.
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1. Public transport will still be cheaper, so it will still have its place. And I think we'll see small charging spaces that autonomous vehicles can use every block or so. Plus parking for these vehicles will be dense and save loads of space - it is obscene how much of our space is dedicated to parking. I think we'll also see something in between a typical commuting vehicle and a bus. If 10 people in a specific area…
A bus is possible, but if this was a viable business, it should exist already. The only difference is the cost of the driver, so the automated bus might save passengers $5/day. Is that $5/day extra cost keeping this business non-existent at the moment? I'm a little skeptical. Keep in mind your taxi service is cheap because it's on the road all the time. A taxi might make $250/day, and pay the driver half of that cost…
London isn't able to replace ticket sellers with machines yet, so you can imagine how long it will take to replace the drivers. Alternatively, they will see this a profit eating activity and resist until the people wouldn't take it anymore.
It seems like a mistake to remove manual controls entirely, not necessarily because of safety concerns, but because there are a fair number of times when you need the car to go somewhere without having a route. I'm thinking of things like: Moving your car ten feet so somebody else can get out of the driveway; handling double parking during alternate side parking hours; moving the car because you were waiting to pick…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
To the person that down voted me: why? I believe I made two good points that add to the discussion. Down voting should be used on comments that do not add to the discussion, not just comments you disagree with. If you disagree with a comment ignore it and move on or reply. Side note: What has happened to edit buttons on HN? This is the second time I've had a comment I'd like add an update to and the edit button isn't…
You have a limited time after you post in which you can edit (2 hours I think). I've upvoted your comment as you are right it wasn't downvote worthy. I may have downvoted your complaint about the voting but the side note is a real question).