[colug-432] Great moments in computer science

[Robert Grimm]

Humans not evolving in an environment that includes them controlling fast
moving, large metal objects is not a social problem. We're not equipped for
safe driving. Getting the drunks off the road, a nice idea that isn't
really feasible, just takes out some of the impaired drivers. The real
problem is that even unimpaired, humans are not good at the tasks required
while driving. The rest of us only see with a certain angle of view, which
not all of us can accurately use. We have response times that aren't fast
enough to respond to things that move too fast, which is exacerbated by
also moving fast. We're just not built for the task. Self driving cars are.
They have sensors that allow them to see all around, visually, with radar,
with sound, with communication to other cars. They can build a much more
complete model of their surroundings than a human can. They can process the
information faster and respond faster. Someone posted a link to an article
here recently about how much safer they're proving to be. It showed that in
so many accidents involving them, they have not yet been at fault once and
there have been no injuries.

On Wed, Jun 3, 2015 at 8:40 AM tom <thomas.w.cranston at gmail.com> wrote:

> On 06/02/2015 10:48 PM, Jeff Frontz wrote:
>
>
>   On Tue, Jun 2, 2015 at 9:07 PM, tom <thomas.w.cranston at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On 06/02/2015 05:59 PM, Jeff Frontz wrote:
>> > you keep careening toward the embankment
>> How So?
>>
>>
>  When you're in a "fly-by-wire" car, the computer is between you and the
> ignition/transmission. If the task that pays attention to driver input
> drops core, there is no way to "turn off the ignition, put it in neutral,
> put it in low gear, etc."
>
>
>
>
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>
>  You are assuming a completely fly by wire car. Are there any today? For
> instance my car has manual transmission with a manually operated clutch. It
> does have electric power steering. Don't know if or how much a computer
> controls that. I don't think a self driving car is a great idea. That's
> using more and more technology to solve a social problem. Get the drunks
> off the road, and put drivers ed back in public schools. The only advantage
> I can see a self driver having is that I could go out drinking and say
> "Home James" at the end of the night.
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