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People are jumping in because they get attention and money for doing so (and because lots of non-experts who tend to be the money-distributors believe the hype)

People are jumping in because they get attention and money for doing so (and because lots of non-experts who tend to be the money-distributors believe the hype) including government grants. The real threat is not that the hype will waste private investors' money (although it is) but that it will draw government funds away from transit projects that would be a far better investment.

w0utert 9y ago
>> draw government funds away from transit projects that would be a far better investment. Not just government funds, but also car maker funds. I honestly don't understand why all the research in automated driving doesn't focus on making better versions of the driver assists we already have first, instead of shooting for full autonomy, which I honestly believe to be a pipe dream. Of course many of the advances in researching autonomous driving will trickle down to safety systems for 'normal' cars, so that's a good thing. I just feel like everyone is approaching the problem from the wrong direction, wasting a lot of R&D effort that could have produced much better results much sooner if car companies would start from what we already have and incrementally improve it. You can blame car companies for being slow to adopt many things that could benefit all of us (such as electric drivetrains), but you can hardly deny car safety has already improved tremendously in a relatively short timespan. Whether they were forced by regulation or because they thought making safer cars would be more profitable doesn't really matter.
cr0sh 9y ago
> but that it will draw government funds away from transit projects that would be a far better investment. Here in the United States, such funds are meager and almost non-existent. That is not likely to ever change anytime soon. Even in the areas where such funds are allocated, most people do not want to take public transit, for a variety of different reasons. If you have the ability to own a car, using it for transportation and other tasks tends to be preferable than other means. You have more flexibility in where you go, when you go, and how fast you'll get there. You are dependent on a system outside of your control, or other people to transport you.

w0utert 9y ago

>> draw government funds away from transit projects that would be a far better investment. Not just government funds, but also car maker funds. I honestly don't understand why all the research in automated driving doesn't focus on making better versions of the driver assists we already have first, instead of shooting for full autonomy, which I honestly believe to be a pipe dream. Of course many of the advances in researching autonomous driving will trickle down to safety systems for 'normal' cars, so that's a good thing. I just feel like everyone is approaching the problem from the wrong direction, wasting a lot of R&D effort that could have produced much better results much sooner if car companies would start from what we already have and incrementally improve it. You can blame car companies for being slow to adopt many things that could benefit all of us (such as electric drivetrains), but you can hardly deny car safety has already improved tremendously in a relatively short timespan. Whether they were forced by regulation or because they thought making safer cars would be more profitable doesn't really matter.

cr0sh 9y ago

> but that it will draw government funds away from transit projects that would be a far better investment. Here in the United States, such funds are meager and almost non-existent. That is not likely to ever change anytime soon. Even in the areas where such funds are allocated, most people do not want to take public transit, for a variety of different reasons. If you have the ability to own a car, using it for transportation and other tasks tends to be preferable than other means. You have more flexibility in where you go, when you go, and how fast you'll get there. You are dependent on a system outside of your control, or other people to transport you.