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I would expect service to be canceled while it is pouring down. Do we have reasons to believe that they have the ability to ride safely during heavy rain? I hav

I would expect service to be canceled while it is pouring down. Do we have reasons to believe that they have the ability to ride safely during heavy rain? I haven't been keeping up.

RivieraKid 2y ago
They can handle heavy rain, see time 6:00: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Bm1A3aaQnh0 https://youtube.com/watch?v=Bm1A3aaQnh0 From their August 2023 blog post: > During this past winter season in California with its record rain, high winds, and thunderstorms, we were able to maintain 99.4% fleet uptime
- david-gpu 2y ago
  Thank you, that was fascinating.
- 1024core 2y ago
  How does it make out lane markings? Or is it all just GPS-based?
  - AlotOfReading 2y ago
    Localization is primarily based on visual registration, i.e. matching the current surroundings to the closest data in its map. Lane markings are based on map data and what it's able to see in real-time.
  - RivieraKid 2y ago
    Maybe similarly how humans do it.
    - mikepurvis 2y ago
      Humans do it super badly in a heavy rain/snow though. We're basically blind and just toodle along following the guy in front and hoping for the best. A machine driver should not accept these conditions.
      - drewgross 2y ago
        On the contrary, sticking strictly to the lane markers when everyone else is blindly straddling lanes seems the worst of all worlds.
        mikepurvis 2y ago
        Right, but I’m arguing that the correct behaviour for everyone is to pull over and wait for conditions to improve — robots and humans alike.
- rstuart4133 2y ago
  Where I come from that might be called a "shower". Heavy rain here is like fog. It's so thick you can only see a few meters, and the windscreen wipers can only give you a brief glimpse of what's ahead. It happens rarely. When it does, more cautious drivers give up and pull over, even if they are on the freeway. That makes travelling at high speed down on freeway at high speed in those conditions near suicidal. It only lasts a few minutes. I expect Waymo would handle like any human. Stop, or just creep forward.
  - ethbr1 2y ago
    Example of moderate Miami tropical rain: https://m.youtube.com/shorts/HAvKGwtQ2Uo https://m.youtube.com/shorts/HAvKGwtQ2Uo
tialaramex 2y ago
If it's too dangerous for humans to drive (regardless of whether they do anyway, humans do all manner of things which are unacceptably dangerous) then I don't expect Waymo to offer service even if they believe they technically could have the Waymo driver [their software] continue to deliver service.
- marcosdumay 2y ago
  The weather becomes too dangerous to drive because of mechanical (lost of adherence) problems way sooner than humans have sensorial problems anyway. So if it's too dangerous for people, it's also too dangerous for computers.
- thegrim33 2y ago
  You moved the goalpost by introducing the "too dangerous for humans to arrive" qualifier. The person you're replying to never said that. They asked if it would refuse to drive in pouring rain. They never asked if it would refuse to drive in scenarios where it's too dangerous for humans to drive.
  - tialaramex 2y ago
    The problem is that "pouring rain" is vague. So that's why I drew a more specific line.

I would expect service to be canceled while it is pouring down. Do we have reasons to believe that they have the ability to ride safely during heavy rain? I haven't been keeping up.

RivieraKid 2y ago

They can handle heavy rain, see time 6:00: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Bm1A3aaQnh0 https://youtube.com/watch?v=Bm1A3aaQnh0 From their August 2023 blog post: > During this past winter season in California with its record rain, high winds, and thunderstorms, we were able to maintain 99.4% fleet uptime

david-gpu 2y ago
Thank you, that was fascinating.
1024core 2y ago
How does it make out lane markings? Or is it all just GPS-based?
- AlotOfReading 2y ago
  Localization is primarily based on visual registration, i.e. matching the current surroundings to the closest data in its map. Lane markings are based on map data and what it's able to see in real-time.
- RivieraKid 2y ago
  Maybe similarly how humans do it.
  - mikepurvis 2y ago
    Humans do it super badly in a heavy rain/snow though. We're basically blind and just toodle along following the guy in front and hoping for the best. A machine driver should not accept these conditions.
    - drewgross 2y ago
      On the contrary, sticking strictly to the lane markers when everyone else is blindly straddling lanes seems the worst of all worlds.
      - mikepurvis 2y ago
        Right, but I’m arguing that the correct behaviour for everyone is to pull over and wait for conditions to improve — robots and humans alike.
rstuart4133 2y ago
Where I come from that might be called a "shower". Heavy rain here is like fog. It's so thick you can only see a few meters, and the windscreen wipers can only give you a brief glimpse of what's ahead. It happens rarely. When it does, more cautious drivers give up and pull over, even if they are on the freeway. That makes travelling at high speed down on freeway at high speed in those conditions near suicidal. It only lasts a few minutes. I expect Waymo would handle like any human. Stop, or just creep forward.
- ethbr1 2y ago
  Example of moderate Miami tropical rain: https://m.youtube.com/shorts/HAvKGwtQ2Uo https://m.youtube.com/shorts/HAvKGwtQ2Uo

tialaramex 2y ago

If it's too dangerous for humans to drive (regardless of whether they do anyway, humans do all manner of things which are unacceptably dangerous) then I don't expect Waymo to offer service even if they believe they technically could have the Waymo driver [their software] continue to deliver service.

marcosdumay 2y ago
The weather becomes too dangerous to drive because of mechanical (lost of adherence) problems way sooner than humans have sensorial problems anyway. So if it's too dangerous for people, it's also too dangerous for computers.
thegrim33 2y ago
You moved the goalpost by introducing the "too dangerous for humans to arrive" qualifier. The person you're replying to never said that. They asked if it would refuse to drive in pouring rain. They never asked if it would refuse to drive in scenarios where it's too dangerous for humans to drive.
- tialaramex 2y ago
  The problem is that "pouring rain" is vague. So that's why I drew a more specific line.