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Exciting Yet Disruptive Posted by DnstrDan [Email] (#1361) [Profile/Gallery] (more from DnstrDan) on Mon, 19 Feb 2018 11:01:57 In Reply to: What is your take on Autonomous Vehicles?, Noel, Fri, 16 Feb 2018 11:01:20 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I have never used any nascent autonomous features... adaptive cruise control was an option on the 2013 Audi Q5 I purchased for my wife, but we demurred for cost reasons. My use of AV will likely rest upon a future decision to purchase a new electric vehicle that provides a compelling price point for inclusion. Additionally, I do *not* wish to be an uncompensated beta tester!
Perhaps the most sensible use for autonomous ground vehicles (AV) will be in the context of urban/suburban freeway/interstate driving - that utterly mundane yet vital mode of transportation that already has been anathema to driving for pleasure. My idea is to allow only fully autonomous *and* networked vehicles on designated freeways during designated times. Driver interaction would be not only forbidden, but locked out. Physical controls would prohibit non-autonomous cars from entering autonomous zones. Using swarming technology, the density and average speed of traffic could be greatly increased, because human reaction time would be factored out. Imagine cars moving en masse, at 60 mph, with mere inches between bumpers. Chain collisions would be mitigated because the swarm would control traffic - not individual vehicles. Once a vehicle has been guided to its designated exit ramp, control would be returned to the driver.
I would not want to rely on AV in high traffic density situations where non-AV's are also present. To my way of thinking, a human-controlled vehicle introduces the potential for chaos and uncertainty vis-a-vis an artificially intelligent swarm that can otherwise accommodate known risk factors.
Finally - the adoption of AV will precipitate an enormous and politically volatile impact upon the workforce. Imagine ten years from now - when most new interstate tractor-trailers are fully robotized. Human operators and their older vehicles may be driven from the marketplace for many use cases. The point is that the social implications of this disruptive technology can and should be concurrently addressed.
_______________________________________ '04 9⁵ Aero Sedan (m/t) '04 9⁵ Aero Wagon (a/t) --- '99 9⁵ SE (LPT) - donated in '20
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