4 ms·

In an alternative universe: 1. the regulatory environment in the US was relaxed 2. the cars were a big hit, and 3. there are articles about how far sighted G

In an alternative universe: 1. the regulatory environment in the US was relaxed 2. the cars were a big hit, and 3. there are articles about how far sighted Google was for letting the research project have these startup like returns.

jessaustin 10y ago
...the regulatory environment in the US was relaxed... Have onerous regulations been a problem for robocar development? If they were, I sort of think I would have heard of it, particularly here on HN where such vehicles are a common topic of conversation.
- ocdtrekkie 10y ago
  Google has routinely claimed or indicated that regulations are a significant roadblock[1][2][3][4] for self-driving cars. I would argue this is a misdirection, as regulations would not be an issue if the cars were safe to drive. [1]https://www.wsj.com/articles/googles-self-driving-cars-hit-regulatory-traffic-1426717776 https://www.wsj.com/articles/googles-self-driving-cars-hit-r... [2]https://www.texastribune.org/2013/02/21/googles-self-driving-car-too-advanced-texas-laws/ https://www.texastribune.org/2013/02/21/googles-self-driving... [3]http://time.com/4152958/google-california-self-driving-car-regulations-disappointed/ http://time.com/4152958/google-california-self-driving-car-r... [4]http://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-selfdrivingcar-idUSKCN0WH2S2 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-selfdrivingcar-idUS...
- waisbrot 10y ago
  If there weren't these rules about not killing pedestrians or ramming buildings I could make a robot car myself! Another small business smothered in the crib by government overreach.
  - startupdiscuss 10y ago
    This is the point I was making, although this is a more amusing way of making it. I didn't say they should not be relaxed, by the way. I do think at some point there will be a big public fight about what we are willing to accept. I have heard it said that even current self-driving tech is safer than humans. But I haven't looked at the stats myself.
    - jessaustin 10y ago
      Sorry! To my embarrassment, your irony overpowered me.
  - Animats 10y ago
    Right. California has liberal rules on autonomous vehicle testing on public roads. You have to get insurance and report accidents and disconnects. Only Uber whines about that, but Uber whines about everything. Deployment is something else. California's rules for autonomous vehicle deployment are out.[1] There's a third party testing requirement and a three-year transition period during which autonomous vehicles can only be leased, not sold outright, and drivers require an autonomous vehicle certification. That's about what Volvo is doing with their test in Sweden.[2] Nobody has technology good enough yet to turn loose on the general public. Google/Alphabet/Waymo seems to be getting close, but everybody else is at least two orders of magnitude worse on disconnects per mile. [1] https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/connect/dbcf0f21-4085-47a1-889f-3b8a64eaa1ff/AVRegulationsSummary.pdf?MOD=AJPERES https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/connect/dbcf0f21-4085-47a1... [2] http://blog.caranddriver.com/meet-the-first-real-family-slated-to-get-keys-to-volvos-self-driving-xc90/ http://blog.caranddriver.com/meet-the-first-real-family-slat...
- michaelt 10y ago
  The impression I got was that Google got a sort of "first mover disadvantage" - they did all the leg work (and provided the reputation) to get legislators to come up with frameworks for issuing approvals and whatnot. That's not to say the regulators were obstructionist or anything - but these things can be difficult even when there aren't any obstructions.

jessaustin 10y ago

...the regulatory environment in the US was relaxed... Have onerous regulations been a problem for robocar development? If they were, I sort of think I would have heard of it, particularly here on HN where such vehicles are a common topic of conversation.

ocdtrekkie 10y ago
Google has routinely claimed or indicated that regulations are a significant roadblock[1][2][3][4] for self-driving cars. I would argue this is a misdirection, as regulations would not be an issue if the cars were safe to drive. [1]https://www.wsj.com/articles/googles-self-driving-cars-hit-regulatory-traffic-1426717776 https://www.wsj.com/articles/googles-self-driving-cars-hit-r... [2]https://www.texastribune.org/2013/02/21/googles-self-driving-car-too-advanced-texas-laws/ https://www.texastribune.org/2013/02/21/googles-self-driving... [3]http://time.com/4152958/google-california-self-driving-car-regulations-disappointed/ http://time.com/4152958/google-california-self-driving-car-r... [4]http://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-selfdrivingcar-idUSKCN0WH2S2 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-selfdrivingcar-idUS...
waisbrot 10y ago
If there weren't these rules about not killing pedestrians or ramming buildings I could make a robot car myself! Another small business smothered in the crib by government overreach.
- startupdiscuss 10y ago
  This is the point I was making, although this is a more amusing way of making it. I didn't say they should not be relaxed, by the way. I do think at some point there will be a big public fight about what we are willing to accept. I have heard it said that even current self-driving tech is safer than humans. But I haven't looked at the stats myself.
  - jessaustin 10y ago
    Sorry! To my embarrassment, your irony overpowered me.
- Animats 10y ago
  Right. California has liberal rules on autonomous vehicle testing on public roads. You have to get insurance and report accidents and disconnects. Only Uber whines about that, but Uber whines about everything. Deployment is something else. California's rules for autonomous vehicle deployment are out.[1] There's a third party testing requirement and a three-year transition period during which autonomous vehicles can only be leased, not sold outright, and drivers require an autonomous vehicle certification. That's about what Volvo is doing with their test in Sweden.[2] Nobody has technology good enough yet to turn loose on the general public. Google/Alphabet/Waymo seems to be getting close, but everybody else is at least two orders of magnitude worse on disconnects per mile. [1] https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/connect/dbcf0f21-4085-47a1-889f-3b8a64eaa1ff/AVRegulationsSummary.pdf?MOD=AJPERES https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/connect/dbcf0f21-4085-47a1... [2] http://blog.caranddriver.com/meet-the-first-real-family-slated-to-get-keys-to-volvos-self-driving-xc90/ http://blog.caranddriver.com/meet-the-first-real-family-slat...
michaelt 10y ago
The impression I got was that Google got a sort of "first mover disadvantage" - they did all the leg work (and provided the reputation) to get legislators to come up with frameworks for issuing approvals and whatnot. That's not to say the regulators were obstructionist or anything - but these things can be difficult even when there aren't any obstructions.