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Could you say more about the "they had to send out a manual driver" bit?

IshKebab 4y ago
I'm curious too. I assumed they'd just use manual remote control for situations that the AI can't handle. Actually sending out a driver sounds anything but smooth and fast.
- TexanFeller 4y ago
  Remote control sounds unsafe because radio signals are so easily disrupted?
- jcampbell1 4y ago
  I find it funny imagining an army of ex-tuktuk drivers working from home on a simulator and using their expertise to get the world’s self-driving cars out of tricky situations. If the AI ever learns their ways, it will be terrifying but we will get to work 30% faster.
  - toast0 4y ago
    > If the AI ever learns their ways, it will be terrifying but we will get to work 30% faster. Only if they don't stop off at a tourist trinket store.
- haliskerbas 4y ago
  I'd much prefer that as the failure scenario instead of someone trying to operate my vehicle through a computer screen.
  - brianwawok 4y ago
    Would VR goggles make you feel better?
  - IshKebab 4y ago
    I wasn't imagining someone clicking "forwards" in a web browser. You would have full driving simulator style control systems.
- tialaramex 4y ago
  Waymo's remote support can't drive the car. I'm surprised by how many people seem to have assumed that would be a good idea. What happens when, inevitably, there's a communication fault while driving in this way ?
  - zug_zug 4y ago
    Uh, it switches back to self driving?
    - wpietri 4y ago
      I honestly think that's a reasonable reply. It's pretty clear that with Waymo the first response is to fail safe: when in doubt, pull over and ask for help. I was expecting that the help could include a semi-assisted remote override mode. The remote support would not be turning the wheel and pressing the gas, but giving it higher-level overrides, like "do a u-turn here". So in that case if it loses touch it's reasonable to resume traveling if it now can or once again pull over and ask for help.
      - tialaramex 4y ago
        Remote Waymo support can reach into the car's model of the world to a limited extent to resolve problems, but if the situation is just screwed then it makes sense to have a human driver take over rather than waste the passenger's time while somebody futzes with the model for an unknown length of time.
    - sumeno 4y ago
      If it was in a position where it could safely self drive it already would be
      - IshKebab 4y ago
        It wouldn't need to be able to safely drive itself, just safely pull over.
JumpCrisscross 4y ago
> Could you say more about the "they had to send out a manual driver" bit? Car encountered an unmarked dead end and got confused turning around (there was a badly-parked car on the narrow road). Car called for help and we were told a person was en route. A few minutes later, a guy arrived in a truck and manually drove us to our destination.
- Mistletoe 4y ago
  It took four times as long to get it, you had to endure this also and you still liked it?! I think you may be an outlier and early adopter type person and may not represent the average customer.
  - wetpaws 4y ago
    Dude, it's a freaking self driving car from the future.
    - wpietri 4y ago
      That is exactly how an early-adopter outlier would feel about that. And I'm not saying you're wrong; those are valid feelings. But if you look at the distribution of people like that [1], it's not representative. Imagine how most people would feel if a taxi driver did that to them: "Oh, sorry, I'm scared to turn the car around; please wait until a supervisor can pick you up." They'd be annoyed at the delay and would be less likely to rely on the service again. Props to Waymo for what they've accomplished; they've been very clever in working around the limitations of the tech. But it sounds like it has a long way to go before they're ready for general-audience usage. [1] E.g., the Crossing the Chasm model, although this is more the behavior of the "visionary" segment than what he calls "early adopter"; scroll down to the first big graph here: https://thinkinsights.net/strategy/crossing-the-chasm/ https://thinkinsights.net/strategy/crossing-the-chasm/
      - ghaff 4y ago
        I'd do it once for the experience. I doubt there's any real appreciable actual personal danger. But, with that experience, I probably wouldn't do it again anytime soon.

I'm curious too. I assumed they'd just use manual remote control for situations that the AI can't handle. Actually sending out a driver sounds anything but smooth and fast.

TexanFeller 4y ago
Remote control sounds unsafe because radio signals are so easily disrupted?
jcampbell1 4y ago
I find it funny imagining an army of ex-tuktuk drivers working from home on a simulator and using their expertise to get the world’s self-driving cars out of tricky situations. If the AI ever learns their ways, it will be terrifying but we will get to work 30% faster.
- toast0 4y ago
  > If the AI ever learns their ways, it will be terrifying but we will get to work 30% faster. Only if they don't stop off at a tourist trinket store.
haliskerbas 4y ago
I'd much prefer that as the failure scenario instead of someone trying to operate my vehicle through a computer screen.
- brianwawok 4y ago
  Would VR goggles make you feel better?
- IshKebab 4y ago
  I wasn't imagining someone clicking "forwards" in a web browser. You would have full driving simulator style control systems.
tialaramex 4y ago
Waymo's remote support can't drive the car. I'm surprised by how many people seem to have assumed that would be a good idea. What happens when, inevitably, there's a communication fault while driving in this way ?
- zug_zug 4y ago
  Uh, it switches back to self driving?
  - wpietri 4y ago
    I honestly think that's a reasonable reply. It's pretty clear that with Waymo the first response is to fail safe: when in doubt, pull over and ask for help. I was expecting that the help could include a semi-assisted remote override mode. The remote support would not be turning the wheel and pressing the gas, but giving it higher-level overrides, like "do a u-turn here". So in that case if it loses touch it's reasonable to resume traveling if it now can or once again pull over and ask for help.
    - tialaramex 4y ago
      Remote Waymo support can reach into the car's model of the world to a limited extent to resolve problems, but if the situation is just screwed then it makes sense to have a human driver take over rather than waste the passenger's time while somebody futzes with the model for an unknown length of time.
  - sumeno 4y ago
    If it was in a position where it could safely self drive it already would be
    - IshKebab 4y ago
      It wouldn't need to be able to safely drive itself, just safely pull over.

JumpCrisscross 4y ago

> Could you say more about the "they had to send out a manual driver" bit? Car encountered an unmarked dead end and got confused turning around (there was a badly-parked car on the narrow road). Car called for help and we were told a person was en route. A few minutes later, a guy arrived in a truck and manually drove us to our destination.

Mistletoe 4y ago
It took four times as long to get it, you had to endure this also and you still liked it?! I think you may be an outlier and early adopter type person and may not represent the average customer.
- wetpaws 4y ago
  Dude, it's a freaking self driving car from the future.
  - wpietri 4y ago
    That is exactly how an early-adopter outlier would feel about that. And I'm not saying you're wrong; those are valid feelings. But if you look at the distribution of people like that [1], it's not representative. Imagine how most people would feel if a taxi driver did that to them: "Oh, sorry, I'm scared to turn the car around; please wait until a supervisor can pick you up." They'd be annoyed at the delay and would be less likely to rely on the service again. Props to Waymo for what they've accomplished; they've been very clever in working around the limitations of the tech. But it sounds like it has a long way to go before they're ready for general-audience usage. [1] E.g., the Crossing the Chasm model, although this is more the behavior of the "visionary" segment than what he calls "early adopter"; scroll down to the first big graph here: https://thinkinsights.net/strategy/crossing-the-chasm/ https://thinkinsights.net/strategy/crossing-the-chasm/
    - ghaff 4y ago
      I'd do it once for the experience. I doubt there's any real appreciable actual personal danger. But, with that experience, I probably wouldn't do it again anytime soon.