Economist: Self-driving cars offer huge benefits—but have a dark side

[AbortedWalrus]

Originally Posted by JManc

In ten years, they will just be rolling out the technology. Consider the amount of processing power it will require to anticipate every imagine imaginable condition. As well as the costs.

And this stuff is all still fairly new. My 2016 Acura is a "Level 1" and some of the more expensive/ premium cars are Level 2's with some Level 3 features; Tesla's Autopilot for example that steers people into lakes.


https://www.designnews.com/electronics-test/autonomous-cars-will-move-level-4-2018/175488520357946

Well, two things to consider:

1) We don't need Level 5 for self driving cars to be common. Level 4 has everything necessary for operation in most urban areas and already exists in reality.

2) The largest manufacturers pursuing Level 5 are saying 2025 at the latest from everything I've read, with several saying they'll have them done much sooner.

Regardless, sensor cost is a bigger deal that computer power at this point. Once breakthroughs are made to reduce the cost of LiDAR systems, such as making them solid state, the prices on those sensors will drop significantly. If they can't bring costs down it will be a bigger barrier to entry than the technology itself.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by JManc

In ten years, they will just be rolling out the technology. Consider the amount of processing power it will require to anticipate every imagine imaginable condition. As well as the costs.

I think the ultimate technological solution to this is on the horizon: Quantum computing

And this stuff is all still fairly new. My 2016 Acura is a "Level 1" and some of the more expensive/ premium cars are Level 2's with some Level 3 features; Tesla's Autopilot for example that steers people into lakes.

Worse, as I posted somewhere above, the Tesla has now twice that we know of steered into vehicles that were high (like semi trailers) apparently thinking they were road signs.

[dubu]

Tesla is cool but it’s annoying how they have to advertise to stay a company. Why do some companies have to do that and others don’t. That’s probably a dumb question and off topic so nm.

[MolsonExport]

All companies that do business with consumers engage in some form of advertising.

But carry on with your nonsense.

[dubu]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

All companies that do business with consumers engage in some form of advertising.

But carry on with your nonsense.

There’s other electric car companies that don’t advertise. I don’t know the names because I can’t cant even afford a normal car

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by dubu

There’s other electric car companies that don’t advertise. I don’t know the names because I can’t cant even afford a normal car

buzzfeed

[dubu]

Half the posts you post I don’t understand

[10023]

Originally Posted by dubu

Tesla is cool but it’s annoying how they have to advertise to stay a company. Why do some companies have to do that and others don’t. That’s probably a dumb question and off topic so nm.

Yes on both counts.

[10023]

Originally Posted by AbortedWalrus

Well, two things to consider:

1) We don't need Level 5 for self driving cars to be common. Level 4 has everything necessary for operation in most urban areas and already exists in reality.

2) The largest manufacturers pursuing Level 5 are saying 2025 at the latest from everything I've read, with several saying they'll have them done much sooner.

Regardless, sensor cost is a bigger deal that computer power at this point. Once breakthroughs are made to reduce the cost of LiDAR systems, such as making them solid state, the prices on those sensors will drop significantly. If they can't bring costs down it will be a bigger barrier to entry than the technology itself.

Fine, although you need level 5, and probably a ban on human drivers (at least on some roads), in order to achieve maximum benefit from self-driving tech (like very close following distances, higher speeds, etc).

[JManc]

Originally Posted by AbortedWalrus

Well, two things to consider:

1) We don't need Level 5 for self driving cars to be common. Level 4 has everything necessary for operation in most urban areas and already exists in reality.

2) The largest manufacturers pursuing Level 5 are saying 2025 at the latest from everything I've read, with several saying they'll have them done much sooner.

Regardless, sensor cost is a bigger deal that computer power at this point. Once breakthroughs are made to reduce the cost of LiDAR systems, such as making them solid state, the prices on those sensors will drop significantly. If they can't bring costs down it will be a bigger barrier to entry than the technology itself.

Level 4's still require a level of human participation on regular city streets though where there are to many variables and unknown factors. 2025 maybe when the technology might be possible in some conditions but I doubt anyone will fully trust a car to handle all the driving from point A to point B without any intervention in that short of a time frame. As Pedestrian mentioned, I think once quantum computing makes some further developments, you'll see more advancement in AI capability which is where the future lies in this realm. You can have all the senors but there has to be something telling it what to do.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by dubu

Tesla is cool but it’s annoying how they have to advertise to stay a company. Why do some companies have to do that and others don’t. That’s probably a dumb question and off topic so nm.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a Tesla ad. Actually, you hardly see ads by car companies for their products today--most car ads are from local dealers, not the manufacturers. In the 1950s there were some iconic car ads from the manufacturers like Dina Shore singing "See the USA in your Chevrolet" but nothing like that today.

[dubu]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

I'm not sure I've ever seen a Tesla ad. Actually, you hardly see ads by car companies for their products today--most car ads are from local dealers, not the manufacturers. In the 1950s there were some iconic car ads from the manufacturers like Dina Shore singing "See the USA in your Chevrolet" but nothing like that today.

A bunch of people have driven a Tesla in my family, It seems like the most hyped car I’ve seen.

[10023]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

I'm not sure I've ever seen a Tesla ad. Actually, you hardly see ads by car companies for their products today--most car ads are from local dealers, not the manufacturers. In the 1950s there were some iconic car ads from the manufacturers like Dina Shore singing "See the USA in your Chevrolet" but nothing like that today.

That’s not at all the case. There are lots of ads for entry level luxury cars (Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus, etc).

Do you mean to say that you don’t see those stupid commercials with the big red bow on a car in the driveway hundreds of times every Christmas?

[JManc]

Originally Posted by 10023

That’s not at all the case. There are lots of ads for entry level luxury cars (Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus, etc).

Do you mean to say that you don’t see those stupid commercials with the big red bow on a car in the driveway hundreds of times every Christmas?

Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus, etc, yes...not Tesla though.

[MolsonExport]

• Video Link

Montalban is celebrated for three great roles: as the proprietor of television’s Fantasy Island of 1977-1984; in the title role of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; and as the star of a whole series of Chrysler commercials in which the phase “soft Corinthian leather” r-r-rolls off his silvery tongue as though he were reading from Cervantes.


• Video Link

Man, I love the way he says Cordoba.

[TexasPlaya]

I think the technology is going to outpace the implementation. The implementation is where a place like China could outpace us.

I think another dark side, may have been mentioned, is how this will shape the next generation of exburbs. I think people often underestimate how when given a choice of low density vs higher density many people/families choose the former.

[10023]

Originally Posted by JManc

Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus, etc, yes...not Tesla though.

They will come.

Tesla’s issue today is manufacturing capacity, so why would they advertise? And its target demographic is well-defined and geographically concentrated. They have billboards and showrooms in the cities where their customers are. Even my nearest shopping mall has a Tesla “store” with each of their models on display.

[10023]

Originally Posted by TexasPlaya

I think the technology is going to outpace the implementation. The implementation is where a place like China could outpace us.

I think another dark side, may have been mentioned, is how this will shape the next generation of exburbs. I think people often underestimate how when given a choice of low density vs higher density many people/families choose the former.

Because of cost. It’s really just price per square foot.

And American cities don’t build enough public parks, which obviate the need for personal “backyards” (themselves not really a thing in most of the world).

[dubu]

I think some day it will be illegal to have a regular car. It will have to be electric and driverless. Only rich people will probably have cars. Unless all cities are smart cities and all the cars are connected to the internet and no one owns a car.

I thought most companies make money when they advertise. Look at the Super Bowl that whole day is all about company’s making money. There’s so many adds. We know that there’s a beer company or pop company, they don’t have to remind us every day for hundreds of years. There’s adds to get you to buy there product and they have a song you can’t get out of your head, but for the most part arnt adds just the way the company works.

There’s so many people saying different things I don’t know who is right. It’s just something I’ve heard.

I worked at Coca-Cola and I was surprised how many drinks they own. All of them weren’t very good except the water. Anyways why wouldn’t they call all those drinks coke but say energy drink coke ect? Why only advertise one of your drinks a lot and the rest a little bit? I guess it doesn’t really matter. All the large companies are all owned by one big company.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by 10023

They will come.

Tesla’s issue today is manufacturing capacity, so why would they advertise? And its target demographic is well-defined and geographically concentrated. They have billboards and showrooms in the cities where their customers are. Even my nearest shopping mall has a Tesla “store” with each of their models on display.

They also think and operate like a tech company rather than a traditional car company. Kinda like Amazon with it being more like a tech company than a giant retailer.