5 ms·

I don't understand this obsession with achieving level-5. What would deliver tremendous value for many people, is simply the ability to drive autonomously on hi

by whack 7y ago

I don't understand this obsession with achieving level-5. What would deliver tremendous value for many people, is simply the ability to drive autonomously on highways. Highway driving is so radically simpler, and can be achieved in a fraction of the time. In addition, time spent on the highway is the majority of people's time driving. Being able to sleep or read a book for 30-60 minutes everyday, while commuting to work on the highway, would be a tremendous boon. Being able to sleep overnight while your car drives you to your parents' city 500 miles away, would be a godsend. It would be great if we could focus on making highway-autonomous cars mainstream, before worrying about level 5.

davnicwil 7y ago
I agree with this - I think the way to think about it is not to think of the self driving car as a car at all, but rather a train / bus replacement. It takes the work out of covering the long distances, but you have to solve the last mile problem yourself with walking, taxis, local buses, whatever. The game changer is that you get this whilst being able to pick your own schedule, and none of the other downsides of shared public transport which are numerous.
Balgair 7y ago
The lives of the disabled and the impartially abled would be made astoundingly better with such level 5 cars. Greater freedom of movement for those with illnesses, mental disabilities, vision impairments, amputations, etc would greatly improve their lives and thereby the lives of their caretakers and loved ones too. No longer would your legally blind uncle need your help to get to the doctor or to the store. It's not obvious, but there are medical, familial, and personal liberty implications to such self-driving cars too. I think that these implications should be better championed by their engineers. Such cars can be wheelchairs for the blind, etc. It would hit an emotional nerve better than the meme of people sleeping on their way to work. Level 5 will be a very very big deal.

by whack 7y ago

davnicwil 7y ago

I agree with this - I think the way to think about it is not to think of the self driving car as a car at all, but rather a train / bus replacement. It takes the work out of covering the long distances, but you have to solve the last mile problem yourself with walking, taxis, local buses, whatever. The game changer is that you get this whilst being able to pick your own schedule, and none of the other downsides of shared public transport which are numerous.

Balgair 7y ago

The lives of the disabled and the impartially abled would be made astoundingly better with such level 5 cars. Greater freedom of movement for those with illnesses, mental disabilities, vision impairments, amputations, etc would greatly improve their lives and thereby the lives of their caretakers and loved ones too. No longer would your legally blind uncle need your help to get to the doctor or to the store. It's not obvious, but there are medical, familial, and personal liberty implications to such self-driving cars too. I think that these implications should be better championed by their engineers. Such cars can be wheelchairs for the blind, etc. It would hit an emotional nerve better than the meme of people sleeping on their way to work. Level 5 will be a very very big deal.