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The automation of vehicles is taken to strongly imply robotic devices elsewhere in society. Apart from more sophisticated robot hoovers, lawn mowers I don't t
by observation 9y ago
The automation of vehicles is taken to strongly imply robotic devices elsewhere in society.
Apart from more sophisticated robot hoovers, lawn mowers I don't think that is necessarily so.
Hoovers and mowers are safe because they are small, light, low to the ground and constrained to floors and lawns.
Vehicles, fast, heavy, high, are in a controlled environment.
Other controlled enviroments like factories have already ventured into robotics.
It seems to me that main advantages of automated movement would exist in unstructured environments like streets, shops. The robots I've seen so far have low center of gravity, are heavy so as to inhibit any danger.
What exactly does automated driving do for other unstructured environments?
It is far from clear to me that this is going to be a trifle soon after the roads swarm with autos.
- dsfyu404ed 9y agoWe don't even have autonomous street sweepers (well defined environment, not allowed to run over stuff) mining dump trucks (not as well defined environment, few things it's not allowed to run over and most of them have reflectors on them) or forklifts to unload trucks (well defined environment, nothing to run into). I'm not holding my breath for automated trucking.
- alphaalpha101 9y agoI thought we did have automated mining vehicles already?
- avar 9y agoAutomated mining trucks are already being used: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603170/mining-24-hours-a-day-with-robots/ https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603170/mining-24-hours-a-...