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I’m an automotive EE, so I encourage you to come fix all the problems. Because imo we’re 5 years out from where people think we are today. Maybe the problem isn

I’m an automotive EE, so I encourage you to come fix all the problems. Because imo we’re 5 years out from where people think we are today. Maybe the problem isn’t practical, it’s just we just haven’t dumped enough brain power into it.

mlyle 6y ago
I think there's massive problems, but the one you described -- attentional saturation -- is not the way sensing systems behave. That is a human issue. Trying to anthropomorphize the computer solving the problem is not a path to understanding the problem space.
- SV_BubbleTime 6y ago
  As a 1:1 exact problem, no of course. As an analog to challenges, sure. There is also the “who is more important” problem? A self-interst version of the trolly problem. When asked this, a Mercedes executive explained that the driver was the most important person to the vehicle. So given the option of hit this biker or swerve into oncoming traffic, they would chose the biker. So, somewhere in software there is a decision to always protect the driver, interesting problem that we have no good answer for. Back to my point though, I’m skeptical we’re even close to having all the data to make the decision properly.
  - mlyle 6y ago
    > As a 1:1 exact problem, no of course. As an analog to challenges, sure. I disagree. > So given the option of hit this biker or swerve into oncoming traffic, they would chose the biker. You act like this is really complicated, but given that self-driving cars generally are quite conservative in their dynamics and where they choose to go, this is pretty much the default behavior. Swerving into oncoming traffic is just not in their DNA right now, even in the rare circumstances where it's advantageous. Right now there's some work on aggressive dynamics for difficult situations, but this will tend to be underused not overused (just like it is by humans). Doing the default, conservative thing is generally the self-protective one.
    - ghaff 6y ago
      >Doing the default, conservative thing is generally the self-protective one. Yes, given that scenario, the "correct" response is almost certainly to lay on your brakes not to get into a head-on collision with another moving vehicle. And while one can construct trolley-type scenarios, braking hard is generally the right choice unless you think you can safely swerve.

mlyle 6y ago

I think there's massive problems, but the one you described -- attentional saturation -- is not the way sensing systems behave. That is a human issue. Trying to anthropomorphize the computer solving the problem is not a path to understanding the problem space.

SV_BubbleTime 6y ago
As a 1:1 exact problem, no of course. As an analog to challenges, sure. There is also the “who is more important” problem? A self-interst version of the trolly problem. When asked this, a Mercedes executive explained that the driver was the most important person to the vehicle. So given the option of hit this biker or swerve into oncoming traffic, they would chose the biker. So, somewhere in software there is a decision to always protect the driver, interesting problem that we have no good answer for. Back to my point though, I’m skeptical we’re even close to having all the data to make the decision properly.
- mlyle 6y ago
  > As a 1:1 exact problem, no of course. As an analog to challenges, sure. I disagree. > So given the option of hit this biker or swerve into oncoming traffic, they would chose the biker. You act like this is really complicated, but given that self-driving cars generally are quite conservative in their dynamics and where they choose to go, this is pretty much the default behavior. Swerving into oncoming traffic is just not in their DNA right now, even in the rare circumstances where it's advantageous. Right now there's some work on aggressive dynamics for difficult situations, but this will tend to be underused not overused (just like it is by humans). Doing the default, conservative thing is generally the self-protective one.
  - ghaff 6y ago
    >Doing the default, conservative thing is generally the self-protective one. Yes, given that scenario, the "correct" response is almost certainly to lay on your brakes not to get into a head-on collision with another moving vehicle. And while one can construct trolley-type scenarios, braking hard is generally the right choice unless you think you can safely swerve.