Brad Ideas - self-driving cars - Comments

Need to know

Shiv prakash — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:16:33 -0700

The RoboCars are really the victory of science ie artificial intelligence and robotics. I also know my question may occur foolish if, but I need to know can the car will be able to take decision when something would be moving fastly above car say. something huge dropping above it. I know this is not checked by any individual driving the car but, i would be great if It can take decision when any action like this happens. if these module are included then I say its great and more inspiring.

thanks

Intellidrive

brad — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:40:24 -0800

Is another name for the broad program showing up called “intelligent transportation systems.” ITS is a more near-term project to create data and communications services related to driving, with things like road and traffic data, car-to-car communication, parking etc.

Nothing wrong with near term work, in fact it’s essential and robocars will want to make use of any reliable ITS data they can get their hands on. In my articles on congestion and parking you’ll see a lot of references to present and future ITS concepts.

However, it’s also been one of my contentions that we want robocars to work without infrastructure changes. ITS data is great but it may be many years before you can depend on it, and that means the first robocars have to drive using their own resources at least some of the time. So you don’t get to solve problems like that first. I’ve also written about the 802.11p protocol aimed at communication to cars from things like traffic lights and streets.

For car to car communications, you need to worry about whether you can trust the other car, at least if you use it for important decisions. That’s complex and requires a PKI, and systems of certifying trust. Some information is just information though, and does not require trust. If a car ahead broadcasts about some ice or debris your action would be to be cautious and probably slow, just as you would with today’s main mode of car to car communication — brake lights.

Intellidrive

Dennis Ivey — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:11:43 -0800

I haven't seen anything in you robocar blog on the Intellidrive government/industry program. Did I miss it?

self driving car, no thanks!

chris — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:02:32 -0800

I get nervous just with my wife driving, an automated car would freak me out big time. lol

I would hardly call that a nit

brad — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 09:42:01 -0700

There are parts of the world where people would vandalize the vacant cars, but then most cities of the world are full of vacant cars sitting on streets. Those cars aren’t covered in cameras and sensors and constantly wired into the network, and able to move away if somebody touches them, and they seem to suffer only a tolerable amount of vandalism in most places today.

Small nit to pick.

Anonymous — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 01:42:46 -0700

Robotaxis are an utterly bad idea because of vandalism.

Away from coal

brad — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:47:30 -0800

Coal generated electricity is indeed a problem that must be solved. But using 1/10th the energy is still a win. Instead of 10 gallons gasoline it means the coal equivalent of half a gallon of gas and the NG equivalent of 1/5th of a gallon of gas.

And how do you generate

drill now — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:44:59 -0800

And how do you generate electricity? The efficiency of generation is about 60%, plus variable losses in transmission. Over 50% of electricity is generated by coal, so don't give me all this crap about "saving the planet".

The end of public transit

Jason Goodburn-Moffitt — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:21:47 -0700

Two years after I wrote that comment, Oakville has switched to primarily a fixed-route grid system. C'est la vie. My wife and I now use electric bikes for anything local.

Found your site again in the top three hits after searching "round-the-world" while looking for a RTW plane ticket for my wife and I. I noted you have an entry about robo-cars - interesting stuff, and I would like to read more of your thoughts on the future of transportation.

Sadly, I live in Ontario, which is one of the least progressive jurisdictions w.r.t. electric vehicles. ZENN has their head office here, but cannot sell their cars here. Government never ceases to cause me wonder.

How is the e-vehicle situation in S.F.? E-bikes?

Re: Your comment on growing up in Clarkson - I remember your name well, though you may not remember me. I ran "The Void BBS" off a C64 in Scarborough back in the early-to-mid '80s.

I enjoy reading your blog.

Cheers,

You're kidding, right? The

Anonymous1 — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:22:17 -0700

You're kidding, right? The history of inquiry into manned HTA flight goes back at least a millenium. The 19th century is riddled with manned flight failures, and Lord Kelvin even went as far as to assert that heavier-than-air flight was impossible, and that we should just focus our efforts on lighter-than-air flight, which had been successful for millenia. Much like some would have us focus on centuries old ground transportation technology rather than investigate a new one. Lord Kelvin, of course, was proven wrong.

It took a century or more (depending how you count--much longer if you count da Vinci and the like) to achieve manned HTA flight. We're only 40 years into this PRT thing, and we're likely to see a successful albeit small-scale system at the end of '09. According to the above critic's timetable, that gives us until 2029 to have the technology fully developed and deployed on a large scale. I have a feeling we can manage that.

i totally agree, i would

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:59:45 -0700

i totally agree, i would love robotic cars in certain areas say in an electric bus lane, but i would like to drive my own 911 when i own it thank you!

its amazing that people are thinking about giving up thse things, technology is there to guide us not to take over a gps and detailed map is good enough but why robots?

Freeway lanes

brad — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:22:28 -0700

The issue there is whether the pubic would tolerate giving over freeway lanes, which they view as precious, until the new system has reduced the need for the lanes — which it can’t do until it’s been running. In fact, it may have a harder time then that, as it’s been shown many times that freeway traffic tends to expand to fill capacity fairly quickly. As a counter, it also reduces in response to reduced capacity. But try convincing voters of that.

I suspect it’s more likely to see highways used as easy ROW for adding elevated traffic, or possibly highway medians, especially if they are wide enough. Of course in this case you must have elevated or underground track for entry and exit.

A freeway lane can be

Anonymous — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:13:24 -0700

A freeway lane can be converted to a PRT or GRT lane at minimal cost--just the cost of track and some barriers to separate it from auto traffic. Freeways provide already-existing grade-separated rights-of-way, which is most of what makes PRT cost so much.

Where do retired boomers

MattYoung — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:44:46 -0700

Where do retired boomers live and where to they go? Much of it is from gated communities to controlled private strip malls. These are controlled traffic situations, and we have automated traffic solutions for these today. Automated taxis are being deployed in airports; and factories have automated delivery around the factor campus.

Now, what is the public road between the strip mall and the gated community? Most of it is about a quarter mile of public roads. That is the constraint, how to deal with the bureaucracy on that quarter mile.

Matt

Great for those who cannot drive

Alec C — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 06:06:07 -0700

Having seen how much my parents lives closed down when they ceased to be able to drive, I am strongly hoping that robocars come along by the time I cease to be able to drive (maybe another 20 years, if I am lucky).

Also, I have several friends who cannot drive (epilepsy, seriously impaired vision) and have their lives significantly restricted by this. Robocars would give them a freedom the rest of us enjoy.

Finally, as someone who enjoys a beer or three, I would be very pleased not to have to have the "who is not drinking tonight" discussion. While I don't get drunk, I certainly go far beyond the safe level for driving (essentially, none) and an inexpensive robotaxi would be wonderful. (Yes, there are taxis here, but a manned taxi home can double the cost of the evening).