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Laying a trap for self-driving cars

techcrunch.com

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Re: Laying a trap for self-driving cars

#31

Post by Eridrus »

sand500 wrote: post #22
parenthephobia wrote: post #5

> Of course, it’s just a regular car he drives into it for demonstration purposes. Because a self-driving car wouldn't have any reason to drive into the circle, so it wouldn't get "caught". The actual reason a regular car is used is because this is an "art installation" and not a serious critique of self-driving algorithms. A more effective trap would be a "no entry" sign on a one-way street (or one side of a dual ca…

could just surround a car with 4 people. What is it going to do, run someone over?

This applies equally well to people driven cars.

Re: Laying a trap for self-driving cars

#32

Post by Eridrus »

This definitely seems like an idea created and propagated by people with no idea about how these systems work. The Cruise Automation/GM videos show the cars crossing lane markings when a truck is blocking traffic in their lane, so these systems are being built to realise that while traffic laws may say one thing, practice requires something different.

Certainly entertaining though.

Re: Laying a trap for self-driving cars

#33

Post by SomeStupidPoint »

Eridrus wrote: post #31
sand500 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

could just surround a car with 4 people. What is it going to do, run someone over?

This applies equally well to people driven cars.

People are willing to hit people with their vehicle to escape an attack.

It's doubtful we'll let self-driving cars make that choice (and in fact, would likely be illegal under current laws which prohibit weapons from being automated).

Re: Laying a trap for self-driving cars

#34

Post by dnautics »

gruez wrote: post #14
parenthephobia wrote: post #5

> Of course, it’s just a regular car he drives into it for demonstration purposes. Because a self-driving car wouldn't have any reason to drive into the circle, so it wouldn't get "caught". The actual reason a regular car is used is because this is an "art installation" and not a serious critique of self-driving algorithms. A more effective trap would be a "no entry" sign on a one-way street (or one side of a dual ca…

>A more effective trap would be a "no entry" sign on a one-way street (or one side of a dual carriageway), positioned so the car can't see it before entering the street. reminds me of rollercoaster tycoon where you could trap guests indefinitely by using that technique.

you could make a "do not enter" sign with undertext saying "except non-self-driving cars".

Re: Laying a trap for self-driving cars

#35

Post by gniv »

Eridrus wrote: post #32

This definitely seems like an idea created and propagated by people with no idea about how these systems work. The Cruise Automation/GM videos show the cars crossing lane markings when a truck is blocking traffic in their lane, so these systems are being built to realise that while traffic laws may say one thing, practice requires something different. Certainly entertaining though.

"They are more like guidelines, anyway"

Re: Laying a trap for self-driving cars

#36

Post by wglass »

tyingq wrote: post #9
parenthephobia wrote: post #5

> Of course, it’s just a regular car he drives into it for demonstration purposes. Because a self-driving car wouldn't have any reason to drive into the circle, so it wouldn't get "caught". The actual reason a regular car is used is because this is an "art installation" and not a serious critique of self-driving algorithms. A more effective trap would be a "no entry" sign on a one-way street (or one side of a dual ca…

Or just 2 to 3 people at a red light with the bags of salt.

While I agree this simplistic example probably wouldn't work, it's conceptual. Yes, if a road designer wanted to build a road that would trap cars, they could do so. Automated or not automated.

See the XKCD "Highway Engineer Pranks" for examples!

Re: Laying a trap for self-driving cars

#37

Post by edwhitesell »

coldcode wrote: post #8

I still want to see a self-driving car in Minnesota in winter. Road markings, what road markings? For that matter where is the road?

There are plows today that do their routes via GPS, so it's not too much of a strech for the plows and cars to do the same.

Re: Laying a trap for self-driving cars

#38

Post by ChuckMcM »

Eridrus wrote: post #32

This definitely seems like an idea created and propagated by people with no idea about how these systems work. The Cruise Automation/GM videos show the cars crossing lane markings when a truck is blocking traffic in their lane, so these systems are being built to realise that while traffic laws may say one thing, practice requires something different. Certainly entertaining though.

I agree, it was entertaining. You can imagine the next James Bond car has a gadget with two paint dispensers that shoots out on a rail to one side of the car, starts firing paint and then moves out to the right drawing a double yellow line that forces the bad guys in their self driving car off on to the shoulder :-). And no, I don't think any self driving car worth it's salt would fall for this. Fun to simulate though.

I enjoyed that 'smart car' joke that went "I was standing in the garage because I had forgotten where I had parked my self driving car, then it hit me."

Re: Laying a trap for self-driving cars

#39

Post by ucaetano »

aqme28 wrote: post #12
fdej wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The road markings will be clearly visible, of course, since there will be self-driving snowplows around 24/7.

How are the road markings visible to the first snowplow?

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/snow-canyon-japan

"Sometime in early March, a bulldozer specially equipped with both a GPS and a mobile satellite phone is sent up the mountain and over the Snow Canyon. The GPS and sat phone work in tandem to provide the driver a detailed video screen image of the dozer’s location in relation to the center of the snow-buried highway. This driver’s job is not to clear snow, but simply to lay out an accurate track of the road itself."

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