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A Robo-Car Just Drove Across the Country
Press2ToContinue writes with this news from Wired: Nine days after leaving San Francisco, a blue car packed with tech from a company you've probably never heard of rolled into New York City after crossing 15 states and 3,400 miles to make history. The car did 99 percent of the driving on its own, yielding to the carbon-based life form behind the wheel only when it was time to leave the highway and hit city streets. This amazing feat, by the automotive supplier Delphi, underscores the great leaps this technology has taken in recent years, and just how close it is to becoming a part of our lives. Yes, many regulatory and legislative questions must be answered, and it remains to be seen whether consumers are ready to cede control of their cars, but the hardware is, without doubt, up to the task."
That last one percent is a bear, though.
"I bet no one will miss that ugly pale one. Damn, she kinda looks like a man. She'll do."
That they'll get plenty of sleep for 90% of the trip, until they need to hit city streets.
Lane following is one of the simplest things for vehicle technology to do. All it does is follows the lane lines and keeps a speed/ or minimum distance from the vehicle in front. I bet every time they had to change highways the driver took over. Also notice it was not raining heavily, snowing or recently snowed in the trip. Current technology has problems in those cases. Comparing lane following to autonomous driving is like comparing algebra to calculus.
Well, there are a few problems that crop up if you don't have someone along for the bulk of the ride:
1) Who refuels it?
2) Whose job is it to prevent the cargo from being stolen?
3) Who ensures that the cargo remains properly secured?
4) Who is legally responsible if the cargo is unsecured?
5) Who answers questions at weigh stations?
6) Who gives the okay to start driving again after someone crashes into it?
Some of those can obviously be dealt with easily, others not so much, especially when it comes to questions of legal liability and providing sufficient (dis)incentives to ensure the public's well-being.
1) Who refuels it?
The folks at the truck stop, who have a contract with the trucking company.
2) Whose job is it to prevent the cargo from being stolen?
Two people are responsible: The guy who puts the padlock on the back of the trailer, and the guy who checks the cameras when a breach is detected.
4) Who is legally responsible if the cargo is unsecured?
The insurance company
5) Who answers questions at weigh stations?
The guy at the other end of the phone call.
6) Who gives the okay to start driving again after someone crashes into it?
After a collision, I think a human would show up to deal with the situation.
Short term solution: experienced driver in the lead truck responsible for the 2-5 following him. Much simpler driving for the automatic ones, and a real human there for taking care of problems.
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So, I want to be clear about my intent here. I'm not trying to suggest that driver-less trucks are infeasible. On the contrary, I agree with what I would assume is your belief as well: that driver-less trucks will be the future. I'm merely pointing out that the problem is much harder than you're giving it credit for. Moreover, your latest response is trivializing a complicated situation by suggesting that a handful of trite answers are sufficient to address it.
For instance, we currently lack a nationwide network of stations that offer full-service for your trucks. It's certainly doable, but so far as I know it's not currently in place, and that's one of the simpler problems to address.
Your notion that a padlock and camera is sufficient to deter theft falls apart when we consider all of the flatbed trailers out there, or the fact that we live in a world where bolt cutters and masks exist. As it is, I see flatbeds loaded with lumber, steel pipes, and all manner of other material go by regularly, with the only things stopping me from stealing them being a trucker and my sense of what's right.
And I wasn't talking about who pays for lost cargo when I asked about unsecured loads (yes, that would be the insurer). I was asking who gets charged with manslaughter when the aforementioned steel pipes come loose and impale the passengers in the car following your truck. My family once had to swerve around one of these tires after it came loose from a flatbed. Trucks are pulled over all the time for violations in properly securing their loads, and that's despite the fact that the driver is currently held legally responsible for it. Heaven help us if it's a corporate drone three states removed who may or may not be traceable.
And what phone numbers would the folks at the weigh station call? Do we require trucking companies to register themselves in a national database, or do we just let them paint it on the side of the truck? Who do they call if the paint has faded? How do they tell the truck to pull off to the side of the weigh station while they wait for a human to arrive to deal with any problems that can't be answered over the phone?
Again, I agree that all of these issues are solvable, but suggesting that your trite answers are sufficient is doing a disservice to the people working on the technological, political, and economic issues surrounding the subject.