Chris, All true. But I am also with others - so many people driving distracted or even plain cannot keep their lane while driving that it would be a joy to let all that frustration go away with cars that simply deliver you at your destination without the constant checking-if-the-others-are-paying-attention and all the lives lost and damaged as a result of preventable crashes.
Cor van de Water Chief Scientist Proxim Wireless Corporation http://www.proxim.com Email: [email protected] Private: http://www.cvandewater.info Skype: cor_van_de_water Tel: +1 408 383 7626 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Chris Tromley Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 5:24 PM To: Electric Vehicle Discussion List Subject: Re: [EVDL] RE, zoom zoom A few years ago I worked at a company developing an entire cockpit worth of instrumentation for a new business jet. They more than doubled the size of their workforce to do it, and the majority of that increase was software validation personnel. Think hard about that - then realize the pilots are still flying these planes "hands-on". (Sometimes on autopilot, but only in empty sky.) Most people have no idea what an enormous undertaking it is to get aircraft instrumentation certified by FAA. Or to get life-critical medical devices approved by FDA, for that matter. There's a reason for that. What kind of validation protocols do you think the automakers are subjecting their code to? And what regulatory body approves it? Remember the BMW luxo-barge that had to be recalled because the entry/security software would occasionally lock occupants INSIDE the car? That's right, once you were in you couldn't get out without breaking a window or calling a cop or locksmith. When you're talking about cars and code that controls their movements in traffic, the concept of "system crash" takes on a whole new meaning. Maybe self-driving cars are coming, but you WILL NOT find me in one until the auto industry accepts and adapts to a whole new paradigm. Think back to seat belts and smog control. How good is the auto industry at accepting anything new? I'm not holding my breath. I have no problem with enhancements. I like ABS, but I still know how to do near-ABS-level braking the old fashioned way. A head-up display of the road ahead in infrared would be welcome, and there are probably other do-dads that would be helpful. But I still decide what is done and how and when - until there's good reason to believe the code that runs this stuff is more robust than my head. I'm not holding my breath. Chris On Wed, Jan 15, 2014 at 2:36 AM, Mike Nickerson <[email protected]>wrote: > We had a situation in the local area last week that kind of argues to the > benefits of self-driving cars. > > Morning commute on the freeway, 65 MPH speed limit. Patches of fog and a > little ice on the road. Hitting a dense wall of fog, some people slowed > down rapidly (from 65 MPH), and some didn't. Net result was a 46 car > pileup. Amazingly, nobody was killed, although some were hurt seriously. > > A bunch of robot cars with radar to sense the motion / presence of the cars > in front, would have been very helpful that morning! > > Mike > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > > Behalf Of Mark Warner > > Sent: Monday, January 13, 2014 3:33 PM > > To: Electric Vehicle Discussion List > > Subject: Re: [EVDL] RE, zoom zoom > > > > I am a passionate car guy, and I love to drive... > > > > ...but a) I would relish the opportunity on my daily commute to let my > car > > take over for me; and, b) more importantly, I would love to know that the > > majority of drivers around me are *not* driving their car while putting > on > > makeup, eating a Big Mac, or whatever the hell else they do. We can > > dramatically reduce the death rate in the US with the implementation of > > "driverless" cars. A simple override switch on the autopilot can/will > allow for > > fun driving, but for much of typical driving needs, autonomous cars are > not > > only desirable, but I'd argue necessary. > > > > > > On Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 9:16 AM, Electric Blue auto convertions < > > [email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Bruce, do you really want to have cars drive them selves? Think of it, > > > there all lined up like small pea sized things all going 30 MPH, 20 > > > feet apart, all going in a str8t line . That to me would be like a > > > open coffen being put in the ground, maybe that's what I would want > > > for me if that happened. You take the fun from driving and that's what > you > > get. > > > What about all the people walking around, like zombies there targets > > > for mad drivers, I have a brake light cut off switch on m y Ford F250 > > > for tail gaters, they get to close I stomp on the brakes, they run > > > into a 200 Lb rear bumper I made from 1/4 inch plate steel, dont take > > > my fun from me !! > > > The world needs stupid drivers, if there weren't any ,the news > > > wouldn't have any thing to report. Police wouldn't be able to write > > > tickets for speeders and drunk drivers. now we have police with out a > > > job. crime runs amuck !!! Look at automobiles now, they have more > > > software than the Lunar lander, so complex you cant work on them,,,and > > its going to get worse . > > > > > > "They" know where you are at all times, "They" can see how your > > > driving, "They" know if you have your seat belts on. and it will get > > > worse . I build electric cars/trucks, I do it for the money the > > > business brings, the fords > > > 428 engine still cranks out huge amounts of noise and horse power . > > > and a bumper sticker on the rear bumper says, " Born to pollute" > > > > > > Willi Mc Kimmi came to my shop to pick up a bunch of LiOn cells I sold > > > him with his tesla, It had more do-dads that I could imagine . and the > > > poor guy had to plan every trip to make sure he got where he was > > > going. I have 6 gas pumps in front of my shop . I dought I will ever > > > plan a trip in a electric and I build the dam things !!! just my 2 > > > cents > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was > > > scrubbed... > > > URL: < > > > http://lists.evdl.org/private.cgi/ev-evdl.org/attachments/20140113/298 > > > 9e5f3/attachment.htm > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub > > > http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org > > > For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA ( > > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) > > > > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > URL: <http://lists.evdl.org/private.cgi/ev- > > evdl.org/attachments/20140113/bdf6b298/attachment.htm> > > _______________________________________________ > > UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub > > http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org > > For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA > > (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) > > _______________________________________________ > UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub > http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org > For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA ( > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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