tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4239412806671072081.post8935552324421001106..comments2024-03-17T22:34:29.923-06:00Comments on Academic (a)Musings: The Horseless Carriage Becomes the Driverless CarJonathan Schaefferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15855429784938188589noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4239412806671072081.post-64906341250545113682012-07-31T18:36:20.277-06:002012-07-31T18:36:20.277-06:00An obvious thing to add is voice recognition and r...An obvious thing to add is voice recognition and response to the typical passengers' not so informative cries of: arrgh, lookout, it's a red!, ...<br /><br />"I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather, not screaming like his passengers in the car."H. James Hoovernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4239412806671072081.post-21548429509283107762012-07-30T18:53:50.967-06:002012-07-30T18:53:50.967-06:00The Google car allows the user to take control by ...The Google car allows the user to take control by touching the brake, accelerator, or steering wheel. This, of course, presumes that the user is sitting in the driver's seat and is paying attention to the road.Jonathan Schaefferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15855429784938188589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4239412806671072081.post-69506703526359474002012-07-30T18:38:21.743-06:002012-07-30T18:38:21.743-06:00Given the appalling ability of Edmonton drivers, a...Given the appalling ability of Edmonton drivers, anything would be a welcome improvement. We don't have elevator operators for the same reason - the automation is better than humans. Although interestingly, in Europe there are all kinds of elevators where you have to open and close the door yourself.<br /><br />The key thing with all automated systems is for the "operator" to maintain situation awareness in order to act when things go wrong (see the books by Charles Perrow and Nancy Levison). The Air France crash was just the most recent high-profile example. But you have to maintain situation awareness regardless of the degree of automation, and many people simply don't have the professional attitude to do so when driving. <br /><br />Driving is such a colossal waste of time, that I'm all for robot cars when they are ready. It would combine the best of public transit (being able to relax or work during the commute) with the best of car ownership (being able to avoid rubbing shoulders with the masses). Plus, it's like having your own personal driver, and you could have the benefits of a multi-car familiy with just one car. But they better be good enough that I don't have to "operate" them, that is they will have to require no more supervision than I do with the human bus or subway driver.H. James Hoovernoreply@blogger.com