Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Just press go: designing a self-driving vehicle

googleblog.blogspot.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

221–230 of 322 posts

Re: Just press go: designing a self-driving vehicle

#221

Post by prawn »

dunmalg wrote: post #79
eurleif wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the car's display shows a map of the surrounding area, and that map includes not just static objects like buildings, but also includes other cars, people, etc. (based on sensor information), is touching a spot on the map to make the car go there really a chore?

Touch-screen interfaces are inherently imprecise. Ever tried to select a destination on a GPS map?

Ever used the equivalent system built into a 2019 model car where the absence of a steering wheel and other driving instruments mean that the interface could be two feet wide and easily zoomed for precise navigation?

Current GPS devices are built to be cheap, compact and work with limited connectivity. I think we'll see amazing things in 5-10 years.

Re: Just press go: designing a self-driving vehicle

#222

Post by danielsamuels »

sown wrote: post #43

It seems like they would eventually have a four-seater version but the bench seats could face each other. What a simple thing but so different. Maybe like suicide-doors used to be common in the US but they're such a novelty now.

London cabs have (optional) rear facing seats already.

Re: Just press go: designing a self-driving vehicle

#223

Post by lars512 »

pc86 wrote: post #203
revelation wrote: post #192

The comments here are rather disappointing. It doesn't have manual controls? Well thats the point! I want to leave my crap in it and paint it some ugly color? Get with the times, young people already opt to not own cars. I can't double park in the city? Why are you imposing your steel box on people living in cities, many of which do not own cars and want walkable streets? I mean, this is the news website for a startu…

Is a car parked on a street really an imposition on you?

A whole lane for parked cars each side of a street often means no dedicated lanes for public transit like buses or trams. Letting them get stuck in traffic is a huge loss for the many people that commute on them.

Re: Just press go: designing a self-driving vehicle

#224

Post by Brakenshire »

dustinupdyke wrote: post #8

When the man with glasses gives his perspective, the enablement hits you. If you've any humanity, you feel the potential this technology brings to so many.

I think it's interesting, also, to think not only of the freedom this would bring to people with disabilities, but also just to children, and their parents. Kids could have a prepaid card/ticket which takes them only within 5 miles of home, or only to certain preset destinations. It would make it far easier to meet up with friends, go to youth clubs or social clubs, or come back from school, in places where the school buses are not up to scratch. And parents in turn don't have to spend hours joylessly ferrying kids around.

Re: Just press go: designing a self-driving vehicle

#226

Post by nahname »

m0nty wrote: post #205
revelation wrote: post #192

The comments here are rather disappointing. It doesn't have manual controls? Well thats the point! I want to leave my crap in it and paint it some ugly color? Get with the times, young people already opt to not own cars. I can't double park in the city? Why are you imposing your steel box on people living in cities, many of which do not own cars and want walkable streets? I mean, this is the news website for a startu…

> The comments here are rather disappointing. Most of them remind me of Clifford Stoll's famous rant: http://www.newsweek.com/clifford-stoll-why-web-wont-be-nirva... "This new thing isn't like the old thing, so it could never work."

>The truth in no online database will replace your daily newspaper, no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher and no computer network will change the way government works.

Sure called that wrong.

Re: Just press go: designing a self-driving vehicle

#227

Post by jpadkins »

voicereasonish wrote: post #185
FireBeyond wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think, too, that there's a logical disconnect between "we focused on learning, not luxury", and "we want to hear about what you want in a vehicle where you sit back and enjoy the ride" (probably, to most, -not- a dearth of comforts).

Lets be clear here. The aim here is to let you sit back, browse the web, and click on Google ads.

this meme of everything google has to relate back to ads is wrong and needs to be retired. They already have non-ad revenues above $1B/year. They are clearly investing in non-ad businesses across the board.

Re: Just press go: designing a self-driving vehicle

#228

Post by jpadkins »

bitL wrote: post #216

One of the few pleasures of modern world is now slowly being removed! :-D I guess I will treasure my memories of driving Lamborghini Murcielago over 200mph forever and will tell my grandchildren there was a time when you actually could drive a car yourself! And to those that argue young people don't want to own the car - it's mostly about not wanting to spend your life commuting, hunting parking spots or in traffic j…

in the self driving future, there will be a place for off road trucks and fast cars on race tracks. We probably won't let those type of vehicles on the main roads.

Re: Just press go: designing a self-driving vehicle

#229

Post by lars512 »

User9812 wrote: post #65
Mister_Snuggles wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the eventual goal will be that most cars will be self-driving and that will negate most of those problems. I imagine that the vision of the future is a giant car-sharing program made up of self-driving cars all coordinated by Google. Think about it - you fire up an app to request a car, one appears at your door within a couple of minutes, takes you to work, then disappears. After work, a different car picks y…

I can't see that working. You'll require a ton of cars taking individuals or small groups to and from work in a big city. That's not very efficient, and the reason we have a metro system in the first place. 1. That's a lot of pollution. 2. You have twice as much traffic, since these cars need to come to your house every morning, and drive back to their charging station in the evening. They can take those trips off-pe…

You're right, public transport isn't going anywhere and still has huge efficiency benefits. But these cars can make it better, by solving the first/last mile problem.

I imagine them ferrying people frantically to and from mass transit hubs, especially between low-density suburban housing and trains.

Re: Just press go: designing a self-driving vehicle

#230

Post by Brakenshire »

jpatokal wrote: post #4

Given that they're capped at 25 mph, these are legally "low-speed vehicles", not cars, which means they're way less regulated. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-speed_vehicle

I wonder whether this might be a category with long-term viability in certain city environments - light, small, padded cars that travel at 15-25 mph would be able to mix in a much more natural way with pedestrians and bikes than traditional road vehicles.

I'm reminded of those Dutch-style shared space schemes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_space https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exhibition_Road

Post reply on HN