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Cruise Shows Off Level 4 Skills in SF, Passing Uber and Maybe Waymo

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Re: Cruise Shows Off Level 4 Skills in SF, Passing Uber and Maybe Waymo

#131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As we get to 100% autonomy, traffic will probably look like this but 100x faster and safer.

Something you often see in simulation. But I wounded if these simulations ever use different decision engines and criteria for different vehicles. The different manufacturers are going to produce their own software (some at least) and not treat an encounter the same way. Are we going to have race conditions or "database" lock-like situations (not sure what to call it), as cars try to interpret each others behaviour?

This example, and most simulations, seem to use an algorithm which is very close to "if there is space for me to drive, drive".

In the medium term, I expect self driving cars will instead start to communicate with each other to find a better approximation of optional traffic flow (by finding the solution that is best for the negotiating vehicles). This has several competitive advantages over the simple algorithm: it enhances safety for participating vehicles by removing prediction errors, and if you can negotiate with the other car instead of guessing what it will do you can do much tighter manoeuvers with smaller seaters margins. And of course better traffic flow makes driving more pleasant, which is good for car sales. Given all those market forces I think it's very likely to happen.

Re: Cruise Shows Off Level 4 Skills in SF, Passing Uber and Maybe Waymo

#132
post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's also the issue of technical problems with for example traffic lights. I remember an occasion in Berlin where the traffic lights broke down on a major intersection with long queues. The right of way ended up being solved in a contest between the status quo competed with the impatience of those who were waiting. The only way as a pedestrian to get across was to step out into the street so cars would stop, which…

In California if the traffic light breaks down then you're supposed to stop as if there was a stop sign; all the same rules apply.

In Germany a completely black traffic light has no meaning, rules are as if it wasn't there. Most traffic lights have the usual signs for priority roads for this situation.

But a broken traffic light is a situation that is unfamiliar to drivers, and at peak hours the crossing is guaranteed to be either difficult to navigate or to have suboptimal traffic patterns (otherwise there would be no traffic light in the first place). And of course pedestrians have to improvise (and Germany has a lot of pedestrians compared to the US)

Re: Cruise Shows Off Level 4 Skills in SF, Passing Uber and Maybe Waymo

#133
post #17

Nice. It's annoying that they provide only 10x sped up video. Watching this slowed down is helpful. Notes: * There are frequent steering twitches to the left. This may be associated with passing parked cars. There are similar twitches to the right when in the left lane of a one-way street. * Crosswalk behavior when turning needs some work. The vehicle enters the intersection, then stops in the intersection before the…

Ha, I interpreted the yellow line crossing as a timed fallback.

Re: Cruise Shows Off Level 4 Skills in SF, Passing Uber and Maybe Waymo

#134
post #57

At the risk of sounding pedantic this is not a Level 4 demo. It is a Level 2 demo where the driver didn't have to intervene during the demonstrated route. What's the difference? Apart from the legal requirement to have a diver ready to take over in test vehicles (which necessarily makes it Level 2), the fundamental difference is that you'd have to show a lot more than one demo to establish that you've achieved Level…

I agree completely. And the video although not new is quite impressive. But if the claim of the author that San Francisco is a tough city in which to drive is true, than I fear that some parts of Italy (and probably A LOT of cities in the world) won't have self driving cars for a very long time. When I saw the video the first time I was very impressed, but I would have never imagined that for someone that was a VERY…

Naples is a bit extreme. Driving there is insane, but even other more normal European cities like London and Paris are a lot harder than any American cities.

I still haven't seen a driverless car handle a single-lane road (e.g. with parked cars on the side). Something like this:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4606316,-2.5562767,3a,75y,...

Re: Cruise Shows Off Level 4 Skills in SF, Passing Uber and Maybe Waymo

#135
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you’re saying until we reach Level 5, autonomous cars will be entirely useless almost everywhere except a handful of US cities?

No.... They would work perfect on a highway WAY before we have cities figured out. If autonomous cars and trucks work on highways, then millions of jobs go poof.

Fully agree with you until the last phrase.

Highway autonomy will be a nice feature but you still need a competent human driver to be present for end to end transportation. So I still need to order a car with a driver to get to the airport.

I assume that you're referring to trucking. It's possible that trucking companies will set up depots right off the highway and will reduce drivers as a result. But a lot of long distance container transport is already done by trains so it's not immediately obvious that eliminating drivers for only the highway portion of trucking is necessarily a big enough win to make it happen. (Especially if autonomous driving systems allow for the driver to sleep in his cab while underway.)

Re: Cruise Shows Off Level 4 Skills in SF, Passing Uber and Maybe Waymo

#136
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you’re saying until we reach Level 5, autonomous cars will be entirely useless almost everywhere except a handful of US cities?

No.... They would work perfect on a highway WAY before we have cities figured out. If autonomous cars and trucks work on highways, then millions of jobs go poof.

[deleted]

Re: Cruise Shows Off Level 4 Skills in SF, Passing Uber and Maybe Waymo

#138
It's interesting how the autonomous car evolution is to a very large extent a result from the private sector. Companies could have been asking the federal government to install sensors in all stop signs, and under the street to support this evolution. Rather, they look at the cities as they are and build something that works with it. Sometimes I wonder if government should take a more active role and ease the adoption by adapting cities to autonomus vehicle (rather than the other way around as it is today).

Re: Cruise Shows Off Level 4 Skills in SF, Passing Uber and Maybe Waymo

#139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Airplane autopilot isn't designed to be used in the way you described. Should aviation rename that as well?

Can't you go theoretically go to the toilet on autopilot? It won't land for you, but while turned on it will keep the plane aloft until fuel runs out, no?

I don't know the answer to this, but it's my guess that at least the pilot or copilot must be at the controls at all times.

Re: Cruise Shows Off Level 4 Skills in SF, Passing Uber and Maybe Waymo

#140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't you go theoretically go to the toilet on autopilot? It won't land for you, but while turned on it will keep the plane aloft until fuel runs out, no?

I don't know the answer to this, but it's my guess that at least the pilot or copilot must be at the controls at all times.

should be, but doesn't actually have to I guess. (still relatively empty up there, so not so much traffic to avoid)
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