Robocars, just like any car on California roads

[Hersbird]

I used to think self driving cars were a bad idea, now I am all for them. I have always been a car lover, and really like driving. Still the ability for the computer to take over and create bumper to bumper drafting road trains is wonderful. Why invest in a big rail system when we could do it with the highways we have now. Everybody gets to keep their individual car, that can go with your schedule on your route, but otherwise act just like a train. Move steady down the highway, saving a bunch of gas, with no attention needed at all times from the driver.
How cool would it be to get off work and leave for a 8 hour trip at 10pm and wake up in a weekend getaway only having spent $30 on gas, no hotel or rent a car needed, refreshed and ready to enjoy your Saturday?
I can see the buses, trains, airlines, oil companies, taxis, hotels, car rental places, body shops, pay to park places, and traffic enforcement businesses would be against it.

[P-hack]

who is responsible when there is a multi-car train wreck? The tailgaters?

It could easily go the opposite direction (since we are wildly speculating to no end here). The "safety at all costs" crew could get their wish, and the cars, realizing that there are situations they are not smart enough to anticipate at hiway speeds, default to max speed of 20mph, because, safety is the only consideration.

[nimblemotors]

Yep, this was my EV-TRAIN idea 10 years ago, but not with each car burning gasoline to move it, but a 'locomotive' pulling all of them, so they recharge their batteries while on the highway. Would work for a gas car too, but it would need the magnets to couple with the other cars.

A much different idea than a car that will drive to the store to pick up some milk, while you watch the latest sitcom on the TV.

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I used to think self driving cars were a bad idea, now I am all for them. I have always been a car lover, and really like driving. Still the ability for the computer to take over and create bumper to bumper drafting road trains is wonderful. Why invest in a big rail system when we could do it with the highways we have now. Everybody gets to keep their individual car, that can go with your schedule on your route, but otherwise act just like a train. Move steady down the highway, saving a bunch of gas, with no attention needed at all times from the driver.
How cool would it be to get off work and leave for a 8 hour trip at 10pm and wake up in a weekend getaway only having spent $30 on gas, no hotel or rent a car needed, refreshed and ready to enjoy your Saturday?
I can see the buses, trains, airlines, oil companies, taxis, hotels, car rental places, body shops, pay to park places, and traffic enforcement businesses would be against it.

[Hersbird]

If you are a foot off the bumper of the car in front and it slams on the brakes then the speed differential at impact isn't very much. If you are two seconds or 150 feet off the bumper and not paying attention the car can come to a complete stop in front of you and you hit it going 65 MPH.
The best way to do a road train would be to put an 18 wheeler in front, incapable of stopping faster then the cars behind and punching a big hole in the air. The cars behind can help improve the poor aerodynamics of the blunt end of the back of a semi trailer. Everybody benefits.
If there was a way to physically couple the cars that would be even better. Motors could take turns running at BSFC pulling or pushing and maintaining climate control of the individual cars and then engine off coast for share. Even small pods of 5 cars would work really well. 30 seconds on, and then 2 minutes off, all five cars share the same frontal area and overall improved cd along with automatic pulse and glide that doesn't actually gain or lose speed.
Far fetched? I would never have imagined 10 years ago powerful connected computers would be in everyone's pocket and this technology grows exponentially.
The Singularity Is Near - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Hersbird]

Although I do question people who would put a "my dog is smarter then your honor student" bumper sticker on their car. I have a very smart dog, and have seen some other very smart animals, but being subjective even a special needs 2 year old has way more intelligence. What is sad is how that intelligence is wasted later on in life.
My bumper sticker would read, "my dog may be dummer then your honor student but at least he doesn't spend his whole life in his parent's basement playing video games"

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by P-hack

...the cars, realizing that there are situations they are not smart enough to anticipate at hiway speeds, default to max speed of 20mph, because, safety is the only consideration.

The technology won't be accepted if it makes our lives worse. Quite the opposite is likely. Humans have to slow down because of the limitations of our sensory aparatus (sight, sound). Self driving cars can see through fog using radar and passive infrared, both of which humans are incapable of. Imagine maintaining 70 MPH in fog so dense you can't see 10 ft.

I can imagine no scenerio in which a human can outperform automatic systems when the technology has been sufficiently developed.

Back in the day, Senna was the king of F1 racing. When active suspension (computer controlled) was introduced, the differences in driving skill were made less apparent. No longer could Senna go off the track and then make an exciting comeback, making up the lost time by superior driving. In 1994 F1 banned the technology to emphasize driver skill instead of computer assistance.

There is still a ton of computer assistance in F1 racing. Accelleration off the line is computer controlled, with the driver simply mashing the throttle and the car deciding how much throttle to apply.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CoyKEttxNk

[Occasionally6]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

If you are a foot off the bumper of the car in front and it slams on the brakes then the speed differential at impact isn't very much. If you are two seconds or 150 feet off the bumper and not paying attention the car can come to a complete stop in front of you and you hit it going 65 MPH.

And if both (all) cars brake at the same time and same rate there's no speed difference. Automation eliminates the concept of differential in reaction time.

Some other thoughts on ubiquitous autonomous operation:

There's no need for traffic lights at intersections and the time spent waiting at idle. The speed of each stream of traffic can be adjusted to create the required gap for traffic to cross through.

It would mean the end of horsepower as a selling point when you can't even pretend to need it. Manufacturers of supercars will need to alter their business model, probably even more towards the trend to the use of their product on racetracks.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Occasionally6

It would mean the end of horsepower as a selling point when you can't even pretend to need it. Manufacturers of supercars will need to alter their business model, probably even more towards the trend to the use of their product on racetracks.

Sports cars on public roads are terrible anyhow. The fastest street-legal cars are laughably slow compared to purpose built racecars, and horribly uncomfortable on the street.

I say that even while enjoying my sporty TSX on public roads. It corners like a dream, but that comes at the expense of a firm suspension and noisy cabin. It's a compromise.

[P-hack]

I mean you talk about confirmation bias. According to google the humans caused all the accidents (which is up to 12 now). But they won't share any evidence to that effect, we just have their word.

So you work for google, and they ask if you were driving or the car, what do you think they want to hear?

So, yah uniformity is a thing, and "resistance is futile" is a thing, and global markets are a thing, and the safety bit is way overblown, mostly laziness. And the oft repeated insurance savings are a joke.

But I don't think anyone with a brain has to make up stuff or speculate wildly about it, that is the really sickening part. There are so many caveats that you have to minimize and ignore in the process.

Do you think it would be a good thing, once we have privatized central vehicle control, if only the richest folks could go over 25mph? I mean once you eliminate all the real drivers that is, which is clearly what you want us to think the "market" wants.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/0...n_7256958.html
"The person familiar with the accident reports said the cars were in self-driving mode in two of the four accidents, all of which involved speeds of less than 10 mph."

So, you know, believe the marketing BS, even endorse it to the point of irrationality, put your sycophanty on permanent record.

[Hersbird]

I doubt there is an incentive for the human drivers to take the blame for accidents. First this is a testing phase, they record with black boxes that monitor everything. They know what happened because everything is recorded both video and with many sensors. Doesn't matter what the human says, the truth will be known. The human also has a disincentive to say it was their fault, they will probably lose their job driving if they caused the accident. I drive for a living every day for the last 16 years and have never had even the most minor collision no matter the fault. More likely it was other drivers on the road, not the "drivers" of the automated cars. Also this is early testing, I wouldn't expect it to be perfect at this stage. The question is it better then a typical driver on the road yet and I would guess yes. Then again I wouldn't let a typical driver drive me around, so it needs to be better.
I also don't get how you think this somehow limits freedom. I agree it shouldn't be mandatory, but they could make provisions to enable it especially on the freeways with a dedicated lane just like they do now for carpools. To me it expands freedoms, the freedom to do something else with your 8 hours in a car on a trip, or maybe your 1 hour each way commute everyday. The alternative is less freedom with relying on the schedules and availability of public transportation. That is what I like about this most, it is like infinitely scaleable public transportation financed 100% by the users.