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I suppose if they become mainstream, you will be able to convert your car to autonomous.

by return0 11y ago

organsnyder 11y ago
I don't think that a conversion will be easy. In addition to all of the necessary sensors and automated controls, you'd need to find someone willing to either do the conversion for you or sell you the parts needed to do it yourself, including a license for the software. Given the liability issues and low payoff involved, I doubt that any of the players involved will be licensing their software for diy/conversion use.
- return0 11y ago
  Isn't the long term plan of google to licence the technology to car makers? Also the sensors and manipulators seem like standard components so they 'll probably not cost a lot when they are produced at scale.
  - organsnyder 11y ago
    I believe that is their plan. However, I don't see them going after the aftermarket—too many variables, and given the liability issues involved (for instance, what would happen if a sensor was installed incorrectly?), I think they'll avoid the aftermarket channel entirely.
    - jfoutz 11y ago
      At the opening yes. Midgame, is requiring autonomous cars only in certain situations - perhaps highway/freeway lanes. Endgame is, of course, autonomous only - aftermarket is inevitable there. But the tech will be old and reliable by then.
      - organsnyder 11y ago
        I don't see us ever getting to a point where human drivers are prohibited—at least not in the time span where we'd need to worry about converting existing vehicles. In the USA at least, driving is so closely associated with the idea of "freedom" that such a move would be politically untenable, no matter the potential for lives saved. Also, I think that once the majority of vehicles are autonomous, the remaining human drivers become less of a danger—I'd argue that most accidents involve two parties making mistakes (even the "not-at-fault" driver wasn't driving as defensively as they could have been). It will be interesting to see how insurance rates change for autonomous vehicles—a vehicle with no potential for manual control should in theory be much cheaper to insure.

I suppose if they become mainstream, you will be able to convert your car to autonomous.

by return0 11y ago

I suppose if they become mainstream, you will be able to convert your car to autonomous.

I don't think that a conversion will be easy. In addition to all of the necessary sensors and automated controls, you'd need to find someone willing to either do the conversion for you or sell you the parts needed to do it yourself, including a license for the software. Given the liability issues and low payoff involved, I doubt that any of the players involved will be licensing their software for diy/conversion use.

return0 11y ago
Isn't the long term plan of google to licence the technology to car makers? Also the sensors and manipulators seem like standard components so they 'll probably not cost a lot when they are produced at scale.
- organsnyder 11y ago
  I believe that is their plan. However, I don't see them going after the aftermarket—too many variables, and given the liability issues involved (for instance, what would happen if a sensor was installed incorrectly?), I think they'll avoid the aftermarket channel entirely.
  - jfoutz 11y ago
    At the opening yes. Midgame, is requiring autonomous cars only in certain situations - perhaps highway/freeway lanes. Endgame is, of course, autonomous only - aftermarket is inevitable there. But the tech will be old and reliable by then.
    - organsnyder 11y ago
      I don't see us ever getting to a point where human drivers are prohibited—at least not in the time span where we'd need to worry about converting existing vehicles. In the USA at least, driving is so closely associated with the idea of "freedom" that such a move would be politically untenable, no matter the potential for lives saved. Also, I think that once the majority of vehicles are autonomous, the remaining human drivers become less of a danger—I'd argue that most accidents involve two parties making mistakes (even the "not-at-fault" driver wasn't driving as defensively as they could have been). It will be interesting to see how insurance rates change for autonomous vehicles—a vehicle with no potential for manual control should in theory be much cheaper to insure.