Motoring Discussion > Driverless cars begin public trials today Green Issues
Thread Author: VxFan Replies: 35

 Driverless cars begin public trials today - VxFan
The demonstration of autonomous electric vehicles is going to take place on the pavements of Milton Keynes.

Presumably they've asked pedestrians not to use the pavements?

news.sky.com/story/public-trial-for-driverless-cars-beginning-in-milton-keynes-10613089

 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Stuartli
Well at least it would get law breaking cyclists back on the road where they should be in the first place.
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - spamcan61
Pah - it's a got a steering wheel and a driver! Not very autonomous then.
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Cliff Pope
It seems an odd place to be testing a vehicle that is primarily intended for interaction with other cars. At least drivers can mostly be expected to obey some semblance of traffic rules - pedestrians follow no rules at all.
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Slidingpillar
pedestrians follow no rules at all

They do. Many of them regards the space in front of them as 'my way' and even if you are struggling with crutches they still expect you to move out of their way. Cos it's their way, and they are more important. (They often drive a car the same way too).
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Old Navy
I was in a big shopping mall (USA) where the security staff used Segways. There were safety signs with words to the effect of "Stand still if Segways are moving near you". No doubt a legal get out, but I assume if you try to dodge them you are liable to step in front of it.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Wed 12 Oct 16 at 08:20
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - VxFan
>> I was in a big shopping mall (USA) where the security staff used Segways.

The security at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth used to have Segways to patrol the area with. Not seen them riding about on them recently though.
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Crankcase
Some of the staff in bigger branches of Tesco used to be on rollerskates, so they could quickly nip back to replace a broken milk carton or get a price from the shelf. Remember that?

Thy ditched it after a while. I imagine it was always going to be an accident waiting to happen, and perhaps one did.
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Runfer D'Hills
I think some people have real problems with special awareness. For example, when riding my mountain bike on forest trails it's not unusual to encounter groups of walkers. Despite there being plenty of room for everyone to pass safely, experience tells me that unless I reduce my pace to less than walking speed that there's a high possibility that one of them will just step right in front of me even if my approach has been in their line of sight for quite a while. In fact they still do it but of course at very low speeds I can just stop if they do.

 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Runfer D'Hills
"Spacial" rather. Damn spellchecker ! ;-)
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Crankcase
Spatial, surely...

:)

Edit..ooh, no, yours is a variant I didn't know. Like!

Last edited by: Crankcase on Wed 12 Oct 16 at 10:11
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Runfer D'Hills
Quite so.
:-(

Edit - my brain hurts
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Wed 12 Oct 16 at 10:13
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - CGNorwich
There's always "spocial"

Spocial definition. the opposite of special dude 1-"man i have pizza for dinner every night" dude 2-"s*** bro thats so spocial"

I can see you using that a lot :-)
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - sooty123
>> I think some people have real problems with special awareness. For example
there's a high possibility that one
>> of them will just step right in front of me even if my approach has
>> been in their line of sight for quite a while.

I read about this, it's something to do with the way the brain and eyes are 'wired' up for many people. People are 'drawn'into having a collision with what they are looking at. The article might not be entirely true, but I think there's something in it.
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Runfer D'Hills
Well, it is interesting you say that. One of the things you learn when mountain biking or skiing for that matter, is that if you look at something you don't want to hit on a fast descent, like a rock or a tree stump or whatever, it does seem to draw you towards it. Far better to look at where you want to go than where you don't.

I have the scars to prove the theory ! ;-)
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Crankcase
Also funnily enough, I read a jolly exciting passage in a thriller by one of my favourite authors only two days ago where the protagonist was flying a Russian jet fighter, came under attack by Russian missiles, and he talked about not concentrating too hard on the missile as otherwise you get focussed on it to the extent that you can in point of fact not avoid it.



 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Runfer D'Hills
Although, in fairness, I don't know about you, but if someone had fired a missile at me, I'm not sure I could take my eyes off it ! It would, in truth, be taking more or less all my attention.

;-)
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Wed 12 Oct 16 at 10:42
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - NortonES2
I'd be looking for the big red eject button:) In a military aircraft assembly area, when I was warned about the BRB, it was extremely hard to avoid looking at it.
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Runfer D'Hills
I have much the same problem with chocolate chip cookies.
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Cliff Pope
>> People are 'drawn'into having a collision with what they
>> are looking at.
>>

Is that why people are apparently drawn into hitting vehicles stopped on the hard shoulder?
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Runfer D'Hills
Hadn't thought of that Cliff. But maybe you are on to something there. Like I mentioned upthread, it's definitely true to say that if you look at something you don't want to hit when riding fast, you just seem to find it really hard to avoid, whereas if you avert your gaze to concentrate on the direction you actually want to travel then you go that way instead. Can't begin to explain why.

Something to do with the way we're wired I suppose.
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Runfer D'Hills
Further to the above, here's a thing. I've not done it for years but a long time ago I used to enjoy clay pigeon shooting.

When learning to do it I was always taught to give give "lead" to to the clay. In other words to shoot in front of it rather than at it so that by the time the shot reaches that point the clay is also there.

And indeed that works pretty well. But one day I was lucky enough to get a lesson from a then champion shooter who totally rejected the "lead" theory and who instead told me to think of the end of the gun as an extension of my arm, and of the clay as a ball I was reaching out to catch with it. To just look at nothing else but the clay in flight, not the gun sight at all, and when ready just squeeze the trigger.

My accuracy rate improved dramatically.

No I don't know why either.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Wed 12 Oct 16 at 18:02
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Cliff Pope

>>
>> Something to do with the way we're wired I suppose.
>>

Have you ever experienced the alarming sensation of finding yourself beginning to be hypnotised by an incoming tube train, and walking towards the platform edge?
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Runfer D'Hills
Absolutely.

Usually just after I've submitted a tax return.
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Old Navy
>> The security at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth used to have Segways to patrol the area
>> with. Not seen them riding about on them recently though.
>>

Last time I was there it was HMS Vernon.
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - stan10
" .. Pah - it's a got a steering wheel .."

Agree, saw a news item a few days ago which followed a "driverless" car around a track of some sort, my immediate thought was "why does this marvel of 'driverless' technology need a steering wheel ?"

Gawd help us if Samsung ever build one of these things !


 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Runfer D'Hills
What, you mean, like, a hot version?

Sorry, I'll, erm, yeah, see ya...

;-)
 Accident Dilemma No More... - zippy
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/12/mercedes_autonomous_car_will_run_over_pedestrians/


;-)
 Accident Dilemma No More... - Cliff Pope
I wonder what the Mercedes would do if it happened to be empty on that occasion, perhaps driving to collect its owner from the pub?
What if he staggered drunk into the road at closing time - would the car recognise its owner or run him down too?
 Accident Dilemma No More... - sooty123
Hopefully it wouldn't discriminate.
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - madf
SQ
>> Gawd help us if Samsung ever build one of these things !

The recalls of their Smartphone only appear to cost am odd $5Bn or so. Vs VW's $ 18Bn for emissions..


Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 14 Oct 16 at 01:24
 Driverless Royal Navy! - Pat
.....and it's not just cars either!

www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/2016/unmanned-warrior

Pat
 Driverless Royal Navy! - Old Navy
Even in my day the navy had remote controlled and autonomous devices you would not want to be on the wrong end of. :-)
 Driverless Royal Navy! - commerdriver
>> Even in my day the navy had remote controlled and autonomous devices you would not
>> want to be on the wrong end of. :-)
>>
Presumably the marine equivalent of what the RAF called Fire and Forget devices
 Driverless Royal Navy! - No FM2R
moralmachine.mit.edu/
 Driverless cars begin public trials today - Dog
Simple Witchcraft to defeat our robot overlords:

laughingsquid.com/performance-artist-uses-solid-and-dotted-circles-of-salt-to-create-a-confusing-trap-for-a-self-driving-car/
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