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Volvo To Test Full-Size Driverless Bus in Singapore (reuters.com)
Speaking of Volvo, the Swedish carmaker announced today that it has partnered with Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and unveiled a full-size autonomous electric bus for testing this year in the city state. From a report: High-density Singapore has been encouraging the development of driverless technology in hopes that its residents will use more shared vehicles and public transport. Tests with one bus on the university campus could begin in a few weeks to months, before moving to public roads after regulatory approvals, NTU President Subra Suresh told reporters. He hoped the tests could be extended to public roads in a year. A second bus will undergo tests at a city bus depot.
The 12-metre (39 ft) vehicle can carry up to 80 passengers and is the world's first full-size, autonomous electric bus, Volvo and NTU said. "This is the type of vehicle that real operators would use and that's why it is a milestone," Hakan Agnevall, president of Volvo Buses, told reporters.
The 12-metre (39 ft) vehicle can carry up to 80 passengers and is the world's first full-size, autonomous electric bus, Volvo and NTU said. "This is the type of vehicle that real operators would use and that's why it is a milestone," Hakan Agnevall, president of Volvo Buses, told reporters.
Volvo Bus (owned by the Volvo Group), is a different company than Volvo Cars (owned by Geely).
. . . the speed of the bus will be limited to prevent accidents to 0 kph.
(That's 0 mph for the Imperial Units crew).
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
That way I don't have to ever see these things on the road. Thing is computers are not advanced enough to do this and you had better hope they don't become that advanced.
Corporatism != Free Market
The nice thing about autonomous vehicles is that they could provide a comfortable, useful middle ground between public transport and private car ownership: autonomous cars on demand, autonomous taxicabs or minivans where you’ll often share a ride with someone else, but all providing point to pint transport at a reasonable price. Putting an AI driver on a large bus driving a fixed route might drive ticket costs down a little but won’t do much to make public transport more attractive in general.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
I think the biggest problem is Tesla'a Autopilot isn't the same as a self driving car.
The Autopilot is a tool to reduce driving strain, where it will keep you in your lane, and avoid collisions. Most of the Autopilot accidents is because some idiot thinks the car is a self driving car, and just lets it drive on its own, especially in situations where the road is non normal (bad conditions, road work, work men, traffic)
This is good if you are on the Highway you have picked your lane, and need to refocus your eyes a bit.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Before the SDC fanboys go apeshit over this, let's put it in perspective.
An 'driverless bus' will operate on a set route, on a set schedule, making pre-determined stops at pre-determined locations. Compared to a so-called 'self driving car', this is closer to an elevator or a train than it is a 'driverless car'. The requirements placed on the so-called 'AI' running it are small in comparison. Furthermore I'm sure it'll run at a slow speed. The most complex thing it'll be asked to do is stop when something is in it's path. Overall this is nothing to get excited about, is not anything I'd consider a 'milestone'.