Nissan promises to sell self-driving cars by 2020

[Blobbenstein]

Nissan has said it is two car generations away from building mass-market self-driving vehicles, and has promised to have the first hands-free automobiles available for sale within the next seven years.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/0...mercially_available_selfdriving_cars_by_2020/

And Google cars will be on the roads too in a few years.

It would seem strange if all the cars and trucks on the road were self drive controlled.
People gliding around in robotic bubbles....It should make the roads safer, but it will sort of dis-empower people too, I feel.

What do other people think?

 

[RascalsMom]

Have you ever seen "I, robot"?

 

[Blobbenstein]

I saw the beginning, but missed most of it.

 

[Blobbenstein]

anyway, I think VW should definitely bring out a self drive Beetle.

 

[Snowcone]

I predict much of this in the future:

 

[Blobbenstein]

One thing I thought about is; if some guy has a robot car, and he is driving along at night, then some people could just stand in front of it and it will presumably just stop. Unless it has some sort of 'get away' program to get away from a dangerous situation, that might involve risking the aggressor's health, or life, then that might be a dangerous situation.
The people could just surround the car, and I presume it would just be stuck there, and the passenger at the mercy of the crowd.

 

[Blobbenstein]

It could still be useful for automated delivery vehicles..like a pizza car.

 

[yakherder]

People already tend to stop if someone jumps out in front of them

I'm sure self driving cars would have their problems, but I'll bet the problems of road ragers and intoxicated/intexticated drivers is worse.

I just imagined the cars coming up with new glitches every time their operating system does an update. So once you have your car driving good, TURN OFF WINDOWS UPDATE!

 

[das_nut]

Even if a self-driving car is statistically safer than the average driver, expect to hear a huge outcry when a self-driving car kills someone and calls for the cars to be banned.

I'd rather have the self-driving cars, at least the Google ones, since they seem extremely safe. I see far too many people driving while texting when I bicycle. It scares me.

 

[Blobbenstein]

I think if someone is brought before the courts for some sort of dangerous driving activity like drink driving, or like the texting whilst driving, then they could more easily have their driving license revoked, and then they could have the option of a self drive car.

People may then, if the law allowed, be able to go to the pub, and get drunk, and then have their car drive them home.

 

[yakherder]

Commercial drivers may want to think about investing in some training for an alternate career very soon.

 

[Blobbenstein]

Lorries and vehicles that have automated driving abilities may move away from needing a driver, and will just have a security guard type operator, who sits in the cab(or sleeps), and deals with stuff at both ends, or any problems on route. A vehicle like that could be operational 24 hours a day, apart from servicing and breakdowns.
The job would be more like a lighthouse keeper job.

 

[Second Summer]

One thing I thought about is; if some guy has a robot car, and he is driving along at night, then some people could just stand in front of it and it will presumably just stop. Unless it has some sort of 'get away' program to get away from a dangerous situation, that might involve risking the aggressor's health, or life, then that might be a dangerous situation.
The people could just surround the car, and I presume it would just be stuck there, and the passenger at the mercy of the crowd.

I suppose the car at that point (after stopping) would go to manual mode. Assuming there is a manual mode?

If there is no manual mode, then I suppose the car could be used by children as well. Or companion animals. Or robots. Or no passengers at all ...

 

[Blobbenstein]

Yes, I look forward to the day when I see a car going down the road with only a dog in it.

I really am.....which may be sad...

 

[beancounter]

Yes, I look forward to the day when I see a car going down the road with only a dog in it.

I really am.....which may be sad...

I think you would still have a human in the car to tell the car where to go. Although, I guess someone could say "go to vet" and then put their dog in the car alone.

 

[beancounter]

In addition to automated cars, there was an idea about a centralized traffic control that the automated car would link into and it could control the flow of traffic to minimize traffic jams.

That would be awesome. No more highway parking lots...

 

[Blobbenstein]

I suppose car commuters could let the car drop them off and then the car would go and park itself in some out of town carpark.

 

[beancounter]

I suppose car commuters could let the car drop them off and then the car would go and park itself in some out of town carpark.

That would be a neat idea too.

But "highway parking lot" is just another term for traffic jam where your sitting in your car on the highway without moving an inch for an extended period of time.

 

[Amy SF]

It might eliminate road rage. Unless the self-driving cars became sentient and then it would be like a Monster Car Rally with automated cars smashing into each other while people safely watched from the sidelines.

 

[yakherder]

I'm thinking of Johnny Cab from Total Recall.