As an ex airline pilot and current software developer I would say that an override must be available in any system. Of course computers are much better in quick decision making and collecting all the facts than humans are. In fact with a glass cockpit, the computer knows the data before the pilot does anyway. But there is the occasion that software fucks up. Plain and simple.
From my own personal experience:
1 - Autopilot with suicide attempt
Boeing 737-400 cruising at FL310 everything happy, clear skies. I'm Pilot flying and the captain suggest I have lunch. With the tray on my lap I eat while glancing at the instruments every once in a while. The captain was supposed to have control. So after a particular tasty piece of chicken I look up only to see the horizon at an angle and way too high. I glance across and see the captain reading the news paper. Look at the instruments which indicate a gentle diving turn. The VNav path on the displays indicate nothing out of the ordinary but this Autopilot decided to go for a turn and decent anyway. The whole thing would have only lasted a few seconds but there was absolutely no reason for the computer to do this manouvre. AP disconnect and reconnect sorted it all out.
2 - Lazy plane
Yeah, uh again during my mean and again I had handed control over to the captain while eating. This time at night. Cruising FL330 when auto throttle decides to close the throttles to idle. Auto pilot maintains altitude. WTF to I push the throttles back up. They stay up for a few seconds and yet again move to idle. Got rid of my food and disconnected the auto throttle. Set cruising power manually and checked everything. Nothing wrong. Re-engaged the auto throttle and things were fine.
3 - Dutch roll gone bad
Climbing through 10.000 feet on auto pilot, the plane begins a slight rocking left and right. No more than a few degrees. As we continue to climb the rocking gets worse. 5 deg bank either way. Auto pilot is working hard to compensate or so it seems because the control column moves noticeably. Again my luck to be pf. We thought the Autopilot had gone mad so after strapping ourselves in tightly we disconnected the ap. I tried to hand fly and stabilise but things got out of control rapidly as the plane started to buck left and right well past 10 degrees bank. I was obviously losing control. Nah, let's face it, I had no control and told the captain. He took over and at least was able to not allow it to get worse. Glad I was with this guy because he flicked off the yaw damper that is an automatic control system to stop an aerodynamic effect called Dutch roll. The plane steadied immediately although we were left with the Dutch roll effect but that was not too bad.
So there you go. In all three cases it was not a matter of pilots being better than computers. Overrides are required when the computer goes mad. I always valued having the mechanical controls as a backup in the 737. I travelled in Airbus aircraft and I no longer fly but I would still hesitate to be a servant to a fly by wire system.
It is hard to accept but Westerners have lived way beyond their means for way too long. You can try to feel all warm and fuzzy all you like but it is not going to create the kind of wealth that will enable you to pay off your debts and buy a bigger home.
Politicians are bending over backwards to pretend this failing financial fault-line can be repaired with more regulation and government involvement but it can't. The only way out of the mess is the hard way. Tighten you belts literally, learn to do with less, stop sending all your kids to college and instead learn how to produce something valuable that other people will want to buy. Basically start to ignore the government and think and look after of number one first. Yes, that is you and yes that is selfish and yes that is good.
I always like this comparison: When flying as a passenger in large airliners you are told that in case of decompression of the cabin you need to put on your own oxygen mask first before you help the elderly and kids. Why? Because while you a breathing oxygen you will retain the ability to help others. Retaining the ability of action will be essential to get through this rough patch which thanks to Obama Hussein's spending spree will last many years longer than it needed to.
The only thing governments can do for us is get out of the way, cut spending, cut regulations, cut taxes, cut subsidies and allow the great American spirit of your forefathers return. Grow a back bone and get over your tall puppy syndrome. Stop leaning on your union and politicians and get on with your life that is yours to live.
(I still can't believe you people voted in a muslim socialist as your president. Maybe there is no hope left)
Very cool and I like the fact that they give the webcam a double function. The 2.5D effect against a static background is indeed novel only but I see there is a confusion between 3D and stereo vision.
I agree with most writers that stereo vision induces headaches which are simply due to the fact that the eyes each see a different image which giver your brain a depth cue, yet your eyes focal point (To your screen) conflicts with that depth cue thus resulting in a headache. It is unavoidable with normal screens.
However, if it was possible to determine for each pixel in the webcam image at what depth it occurs then each pixel could be placed in 3D space and a virtual camera could be used to rotate around the subject.
For this you would need two web cam's and some real clever software to figure out the depth of each pixel. So the result here is a 3D video model of a real life subject shown on a 2D screen like is done with every 3D game.
But I suppose such software is difficult to write as the Darpa urban challenge with autonomous cars proved. Those guys used extensive sensor arrays that were used to build a 3D model of the road in front of the car.
Inspired by Johnny Lee's stuff, I pulled some old code out over a year ago and turned it into a decent engine that handles multiple screens and head tracking (TrackIR) to achieve the motion parallax effect. Like with all 3D effects, it needs to be seen but the following videos give you a good idea.
Have a look at these demo videos and you can even download a demo:
Are you kidding? Internet security clowns have a very limited imagination. They go nuts on securing one aspect beyond usability while completely ignoring other areas.
Here in NZ there is a problem with ATM machine skimmers. Criminals equip the ATM machine with camera and fake card reader and collect card and pin codes from unsuspecting users after which they raid their bank accounts.
So everyone is worried about this now. Yet, the most popular form of electronic payment in shops in NZ is the user of a bank card combined with a pin code (EFT Pos).
I user it all the time to the point that I rarely see cash. Yet, it only takes a single merchant borrowing a mobile EFTPos installation to skim as many cards as he wants.
Simple. Grab a card reader, fake entry terminal and a simple micro processor and sell some stuff cheap so you get many customers. Add a simple bit of programming. The client payment experience is the same on the fake payment system and they won't pay any attention. After all they are not pulling cash out of a machine but are excited making a payment for a deal too good to be true. No need to suspect anything, after all they walk away with the goods. You collect the card data and pin code and make the same transaction later. Now you either sell on the card data or use it to make small payments or large payments as long as you can get away with.
Unlike ATM machines, Equipment for electronic bank transactions in shops are completely in the hands of the vendor and totally open to abuse. Yet nobody worries about it because it has not happened or had not been detected to the extend that the media jump on it.
Hey, you Aussie guys were fine until you voted the socialists in. Stupid thing to do which will bring Australia down on it's knees in this economic climate.
So glad here in NZ we finally managed to kick out the socialist nannies and see their crazy laws repealed every week.
Pitty everywhere else people turn towards socialism like the Americans with their Obamesiah. It will kill the land of the free if it still exists.
Not so sure it is satellite. I would have thought that the perspective would be straight down. In the picture you can see the sides of buildings as if it ware taken with a wider angle lens such as used on aerial photography.
I think that with the extreme telelens required for satellites you would not see sides of buildings.
Just a novel idea here but uh. Ever heard of socialising where you actually get off your butt and visit in person. I mean actually leave the house and see him... for real?
And then with a total disregard for your germs he allows you to play his copy of Spore? I mean, I know visiting other people is quite an outrageous thing to do but... It could happen..right?
1 - I don't want to get wet. 2 - I want to take stuff and leave it in the car 3 - I don't want to take a change of clothes everywhere
I totally agree with you that pretty much ALL vehicles are oversized both in dimension, weight and power. That is why I am disappointed to see Honda release a new "Insight" that is basically yet another oversized vehicle.
They way I see it is that every car needs to be looked at for the particular purpose you need it rather than a one size fits all.
80% of our trips are made with 1 person in the car, 10% with two and the remaining 10% with three. So we use the Honda for almost all the trips and use another car for those trips when we do need to carry bags of cement or tow a trailer.
Even the Insight is ten times heavier than it's payload and if I had it my way it would be much lighter (And a bit slower). It is just idiotic that people think they need a 4000 lb hunk of metal to carry their kids to school.
Not sure where you have seen 10 foot wide cars. Maybe you mean 5 or 6 foot.
As for running to work? Yeah right with my laptop , change of clothes and lunchbox in a backpack? I don't think so. Being sensible yes but returning to the dark ages, no thank you.
I never intended to say that the Insight will outrun a muscle car forever but it will beat any car off the line due to the simple fact that it is a very light car and thanks to electric assist has a good continuous torque. Putting your foot down in an Insight with "Sport" mode engaged is quite an experience but I have to agree once those heavy muscle cars get up to speed they will zip past very easily. In the city there is no hope in hell those cars can keep up with an Insight. I would love to prove that one day.
You hit the nail on the head! I never intended to say that the Insight will outrun a muscle car forever but it will beat any car off the line due to the simple fact that it is a very light car and thanks to electric assist has a good continuous torque. Putting your foot down in an Insight with "Sport" mode engaged is quite an experience but I have to agree once those muscle cars get up to speed they will zip past very easily. In the city there is no hope in hell those cars can keep up with an Insight.
I own a real 2000 Honda Insight. It is an amazing car. Aluminum bodied two seater made to last.
The low weight and the 990 CC engine with electric assist ensure that I am the one pulling away with spinning wheels at the lights leaving muscle cars in the dust.
This new Insight although it looks like the original one, is a stock standard steel vehicle, high curb weight. Bigger engine on even bigger weight would mean less acceleration, poorer MPG and thanks to the steel body shorter lifespan. I test drove a brand new Honda Civic last week and came away less than impressed. Just another over sized car.
I think the real Insight showed a vision of smaller more nimble cars as frugal with gas as a small motor cycle. No you can't carry 10 bags or cement it it but that is why it is called a commuter vehicle.
The "new" "Insight" does not do the original car any justice.
I suppose it depends what you're used to. Only a few years ago we were still on dial-up.
But indeed the ISP's here are very expensive. For a "cheap" 20 NZD (17 USD) low end "broadband" connections you get maybe 1 mbit speeds with a cap of...1 GByte no kidding!
Most people are on 5 or 10 GByte caps. I am lucky as I signed up on a plan that no longer exists that gives me a whopping 25 GByte for $49 NZD ($30 USD) at a 2 mbit speed.
I suppose the relative low speed makes exceeding the cap less likely. Yet the 7 Gig we use is all we need. Streaming HD is impossible with the services we have here.
So basically it seems that New Zealand internet is about a decade behind everyone else. Whohoo can't wait for internet 10 years from now!
The whole family uses the internet connection spread over 4 computers. We watch Youtube video's and for work I use the net a lot. Yet an average month uses up about 7 GB.
I just cannot imagine how a 250GB cap is a limitation in anyway unless you are a major torrent host.
Software patents are rapidly becoming irrelevant anyway, due to the sheer number of them. I suspect most patents are files just to ensure access to the solution rather than protection of it.
After all, ideas are cheap but turning it into a profitable business is the hard part.
7:30 AM I grab my bag and walk out of the house where my Robo-taxi awaits. In this case it is a scheduled pickup and the taxi already knows where it needs to go.
8:15 The Robo-taxi pulls up in front of the office entrance. I just grab my bag and get out. Behind me the taxi slides away to it's next job or some underground garage.
9:00 I am asked to meet a client on the other side of town. I need to be there at 9:30. Outside I walk down the road to the nearest pick-up station. I could have called a cab at work but the public pick-ups tend to be faster. At the pickup I enter the adress of my destination and sit back and wait.
9:01 The automatic door of the underground garage opens as the Robo-Taxi rolls out. After 300 meters it turns left and pulls up at the taxi stand.
9:02 After I get into the taxi the vehicle pulls away smoothly while I spend my time going though some papers. The traffic is busy but since they all run at a precise governed pace there is no delay at all.
9:23 I arrive at the taxi stand near my destination. It is cheaper this way and I still have some time left to walk the 300 meters to the client. As usual the taxi quietly glides away.
9:25 The robo-taxi enters another underground garage and docks into the allocated recharge stand where the batteries are topped up so it's ready for another job.
11:35 A Robo-taxi leaves the underground garage in a residential area close to the central business district. It has not job to do but for load balance purposes it is commanded to boost capacity at station 4 in the CBD ready to handle the increased demand during lunch.
12:10 The client just signed the lease deal. He will be the proud owner of a new personal taxi. Personal taxi's are becoming more popular as they are guaranteed to be available during high demand since they only handle traffic demands of the owner. Added benefit is that you can leave your stuff in the vehicle and the simple fact that you know the cleanliness of your own vehicle. Not a bad option if you care to pay for the parking fees.
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As an ex airline pilot and current software developer I would say that an override must be available in any system. Of course computers are much better in quick decision making and collecting all the facts than humans are. In fact with a glass cockpit, the computer knows the data before the pilot does anyway. But there is the occasion that software fucks up. Plain and simple.
From my own personal experience:
1 - Autopilot with suicide attempt
Boeing 737-400 cruising at FL310 everything happy, clear skies. I'm Pilot flying and the captain suggest I have lunch. With the tray on my lap I eat while glancing at the instruments every once in a while. The captain was supposed to have control. So after a particular tasty piece of chicken I look up only to see the horizon at an angle and way too high. I glance across and see the captain reading the news paper. Look at the instruments which indicate a gentle diving turn. The VNav path on the displays indicate nothing out of the ordinary but this Autopilot decided to go for a turn and decent anyway. The whole thing would have only lasted a few seconds but there was absolutely no reason for the computer to do this manouvre. AP disconnect and reconnect sorted it all out.
2 - Lazy plane
Yeah, uh again during my mean and again I had handed control over to the captain while eating. This time at night. Cruising FL330 when auto throttle decides to close the throttles to idle. Auto pilot maintains altitude. WTF to I push the throttles back up. They stay up for a few seconds and yet again move to idle. Got rid of my food and disconnected the auto throttle. Set cruising power manually and checked everything. Nothing wrong. Re-engaged the auto throttle and things were fine.
3 - Dutch roll gone bad
Climbing through 10.000 feet on auto pilot, the plane begins a slight rocking left and right. No more than a few degrees. As we continue to climb the rocking gets worse. 5 deg bank either way. Auto pilot is working hard to compensate or so it seems because the control column moves noticeably. Again my luck to be pf. We thought the Autopilot had gone mad so after strapping ourselves in tightly we disconnected the ap. I tried to hand fly and stabilise but things got out of control rapidly as the plane started to buck left and right well past 10 degrees bank. I was obviously losing control. Nah, let's face it, I had no control and told the captain. He took over and at least was able to not allow it to get worse. Glad I was with this guy because he flicked off the yaw damper that is an automatic control system to stop an aerodynamic effect called Dutch roll. The plane steadied immediately although we were left with the Dutch roll effect but that was not too bad.
So there you go. In all three cases it was not a matter of pilots being better than computers. Overrides are required when the computer goes mad. I always valued having the mechanical controls as a backup in the 737. I travelled in Airbus aircraft and I no longer fly but I would still hesitate to be a servant to a fly by wire system.
Mod up this guy! Just my point too. What a joke
Gimme a hug. A voice of reason is so rare these days
Thanks, you that was exactly the part I wanted to know. Now I know, I no longer care :-)
I am dead serious.
But please enlighten me. Explain with reasons what statement is so idiotic in my post?
It is hard to accept but Westerners have lived way beyond their means for way too long. You can try to feel all warm and fuzzy all you like but it is not going to create the kind of wealth that will enable you to pay off your debts and buy a bigger home.
Politicians are bending over backwards to pretend this failing financial fault-line can be repaired with more regulation and government involvement but it can't. The only way out of the mess is the hard way. Tighten you belts literally, learn to do with less, stop sending all your kids to college and instead learn how to produce something valuable that other people will want to buy. Basically start to ignore the government and think and look after of number one first. Yes, that is you and yes that is selfish and yes that is good.
I always like this comparison: When flying as a passenger in large airliners you are told that in case of decompression of the cabin you need to put on your own oxygen mask first before you help the elderly and kids. Why? Because while you a breathing oxygen you will retain the ability to help others. Retaining the ability of action will be essential to get through this rough patch which thanks to Obama Hussein's spending spree will last many years longer than it needed to.
The only thing governments can do for us is get out of the way, cut spending, cut regulations, cut taxes, cut subsidies and allow the great American spirit of your forefathers return. Grow a back bone and get over your tall puppy syndrome. Stop leaning on your union and politicians and get on with your life that is yours to live.
(I still can't believe you people voted in a muslim socialist as your president. Maybe there is no hope left)
Very cool and I like the fact that they give the webcam a double function. The 2.5D effect against a static background is indeed novel only but I see there is a confusion between 3D and stereo vision.
I agree with most writers that stereo vision induces headaches which are simply due to the fact that the eyes each see a different image which giver your brain a depth cue, yet your eyes focal point (To your screen) conflicts with that depth cue thus resulting in a headache. It is unavoidable with normal screens.
However, if it was possible to determine for each pixel in the webcam image at what depth it occurs then each pixel could be placed in 3D space and a virtual camera could be used to rotate around the subject.
For this you would need two web cam's and some real clever software to figure out the depth of each pixel. So the result here is a 3D video model of a real life subject shown on a 2D screen like is done with every 3D game.
But I suppose such software is difficult to write as the Darpa urban challenge with autonomous cars proved. Those guys used extensive sensor arrays that were used to build a 3D model of the road in front of the car.
Inspired by Johnny Lee's stuff, I pulled some old code out over a year ago and turned it into a decent engine that handles multiple screens and head tracking (TrackIR) to achieve the motion parallax effect. Like with all 3D effects, it needs to be seen but the following videos give you a good idea.
Have a look at these demo videos and you can even download a demo:
My first test
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=X8PevTuEWlg
More accurate tracking
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=yf1hu6GLmf0
Multi screen study
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBdtPz2V_vY
Engine complete
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=ku76aHq3pps
Download Demo
http://vandinther.googlepages.com/virtualwindow
Who cares about an upskirt shot. With the net loaded to the brim with porn, why would anyone salivate over an upskirt picture? That is just pathetic.
The sheer numbers of such pictures make it as uninteresting as a picture of the road kerb.
Isn't it about time people get past this Victorian attitude with regard to nudity and body parts. We all have them.
Are you kidding? Internet security clowns have a very limited imagination. They go nuts on securing one aspect beyond usability while completely ignoring other areas.
Here in NZ there is a problem with ATM machine skimmers. Criminals equip the ATM machine with camera and fake card reader and collect card and pin codes from unsuspecting users after which they raid their bank accounts.
So everyone is worried about this now. Yet, the most popular form of electronic payment in shops in NZ is the user of a bank card combined with a pin code (EFT Pos).
I user it all the time to the point that I rarely see cash. Yet, it only takes a single merchant borrowing a mobile EFTPos installation to skim as many cards as he wants.
Simple. Grab a card reader, fake entry terminal and a simple micro processor and sell some stuff cheap so you get many customers. Add a simple bit of programming. The client payment experience is the same on the fake payment system and they won't pay any attention. After all they are not pulling cash out of a machine but are excited making a payment for a deal too good to be true. No need to suspect anything, after all they walk away with the goods. You collect the card data and pin code and make the same transaction later. Now you either sell on the card data or use it to make small payments or large payments as long as you can get away with.
Unlike ATM machines, Equipment for electronic bank transactions in shops are completely in the hands of the vendor and totally open to abuse. Yet nobody worries about it because it has not happened or had not been detected to the extend that the media jump on it.
And don't get me started on credit cards.
Hey, you Aussie guys were fine until you voted the socialists in. Stupid thing to do which will bring Australia down on it's knees in this economic climate.
So glad here in NZ we finally managed to kick out the socialist nannies and see their crazy laws repealed every week.
Pitty everywhere else people turn towards socialism like the Americans with their Obamesiah. It will kill the land of the free if it still exists.
The WII controller has great ideas in it but it can be made much better.
Currently the accelerometers don't deliver the level of control that would allow the user to wield a "light sabre".
The controller needs to know it's orientation better.
Add position sensing so that controller location itself is an input parameter
Implement this stuff properly http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBdtPz2V_vY
Add a microphone to the controller as the mic in the DS proved to have some brilliant uses. (Blow in the mic to inflate balloons is genius)
Add pulse feedback (A magnetic plunger) for strike or fire recoil
Overall, input accuracy will be a key element to make the controller really useful in gaming.
How about Global warming? That has to be the biggest scientific hoax ever in history
Not so sure it is satellite. I would have thought that the perspective would be straight down. In the picture you can see the sides of buildings as if it ware taken with a wider angle lens such as used on aerial photography.
I think that with the extreme telelens required for satellites you would not see sides of buildings.
You're an idiot. Read the thread.
Just a novel idea here but uh. Ever heard of socialising where you actually get off your butt and visit in person. I mean actually leave the house and see him... for real?
And then with a total disregard for your germs he allows you to play his copy of Spore?
I mean, I know visiting other people is quite an outrageous thing to do but... It could happen..right?
Where did the guy say he owns it?
"I've been playing Spore recently"
doesn't say he has a copy. Maybe this guy has friends who own it and let him have a go.
But don't let that get in the way of you making your moral speech mate.
It is simple, I don't want a bike because:
1 - I don't want to get wet.
2 - I want to take stuff and leave it in the car
3 - I don't want to take a change of clothes everywhere
I totally agree with you that pretty much ALL vehicles are oversized both in dimension, weight and power. That is why I am disappointed to see Honda release a new "Insight" that is basically yet another oversized vehicle.
They way I see it is that every car needs to be looked at for the particular purpose you need it rather than a one size fits all.
80% of our trips are made with 1 person in the car, 10% with two and the remaining 10% with three. So we use the Honda for almost all the trips and use another car for those trips when we do need to carry bags of cement or tow a trailer.
Even the Insight is ten times heavier than it's payload and if I had it my way it would be much lighter (And a bit slower). It is just idiotic that people think they need a 4000 lb hunk of metal to carry their kids to school.
Not sure where you have seen 10 foot wide cars. Maybe you mean 5 or 6 foot.
As for running to work? Yeah right with my laptop , change of clothes and lunchbox in a backpack? I don't think so. Being sensible yes but returning to the dark ages, no thank you.
I never intended to say that the Insight will outrun a muscle car forever but it will beat any car off the line due to the simple fact that it is a very light car and thanks to electric assist has a good continuous torque. Putting your foot down in an Insight with "Sport" mode engaged is quite an experience but I have to agree once those heavy muscle cars get up to speed they will zip past very easily. In the city there is no hope in hell those cars can keep up with an Insight. I would love to prove that one day.
You hit the nail on the head! I never intended to say that the Insight will outrun a muscle car forever but it will beat any car off the line due to the simple fact that it is a very light car and thanks to electric assist has a good continuous torque. Putting your foot down in an Insight with "Sport" mode engaged is quite an experience but I have to agree once those muscle cars get up to speed they will zip past very easily. In the city there is no hope in hell those cars can keep up with an Insight.
I own a real 2000 Honda Insight. It is an amazing car. Aluminum bodied two seater made to last.
The low weight and the 990 CC engine with electric assist ensure that I am the one pulling away with spinning wheels at the lights leaving muscle cars in the dust.
This new Insight although it looks like the original one, is a stock standard steel vehicle, high curb weight. Bigger engine on even bigger weight would mean less acceleration, poorer MPG and thanks to the steel body shorter lifespan. I test drove a brand new Honda Civic last week and came away less than impressed. Just another over sized car.
I think the real Insight showed a vision of smaller more nimble cars as frugal with gas as a small motor cycle. No you can't carry 10 bags or cement it it but that is why it is called a commuter vehicle.
The "new" "Insight" does not do the original car any justice.
I suppose it depends what you're used to. Only a few years ago we were still on dial-up.
But indeed the ISP's here are very expensive. For a "cheap" 20 NZD (17 USD) low end "broadband" connections you get maybe 1 mbit speeds with a cap of ...1 GByte no kidding!
Most people are on 5 or 10 GByte caps. I am lucky as I signed up on a plan that no longer exists that gives me a whopping 25 GByte for $49 NZD ($30 USD) at a 2 mbit speed.
I suppose the relative low speed makes exceeding the cap less likely. Yet the 7 Gig we use is all we need. Streaming HD is impossible with the services we have here.
So basically it seems that New Zealand internet is about a decade behind everyone else. Whohoo can't wait for internet 10 years from now!
The whole family uses the internet connection spread over 4 computers. We watch Youtube video's and for work I use the net a lot. Yet an average month uses up about 7 GB.
I just cannot imagine how a 250GB cap is a limitation in anyway unless you are a major torrent host.
Software patents are rapidly becoming irrelevant anyway, due to the sheer number of them. I suspect most patents are files just to ensure access to the solution rather than protection of it.
After all, ideas are cheap but turning it into a profitable business is the hard part.
For years I have been imagining this:
7:30 AM I grab my bag and walk out of the house where my Robo-taxi awaits. In this case it is a scheduled pickup and the taxi already knows where it needs to go.
8:15 The Robo-taxi pulls up in front of the office entrance. I just grab my bag and get out. Behind me the taxi slides away to it's next job or some underground garage.
9:00 I am asked to meet a client on the other side of town. I need to be there at 9:30. Outside I walk down the road to the nearest pick-up station. I could have called a cab at work but the public pick-ups tend to be faster. At the pickup I enter the adress of my destination and sit back and wait.
9:01 The automatic door of the underground garage opens as the Robo-Taxi rolls out. After 300 meters it turns left and pulls up at the taxi stand.
9:02 After I get into the taxi the vehicle pulls away smoothly while I spend my time going though some papers. The traffic is busy but since they all run at a precise governed pace there is no delay at all.
9:23 I arrive at the taxi stand near my destination. It is cheaper this way and I still have some time left to walk the 300 meters to the client. As usual the taxi quietly glides away.
9:25 The robo-taxi enters another underground garage and docks into the allocated recharge stand where the batteries are topped up so it's ready for another job.
11:35 A Robo-taxi leaves the underground garage in a residential area close to the central business district. It has not job to do but for load balance purposes it is commanded to boost capacity at station 4 in the CBD ready to handle the increased demand during lunch.
12:10 The client just signed the lease deal. He will be the proud owner of a new personal taxi. Personal taxi's are becoming more popular as they are guaranteed to be available during high demand since they only handle traffic demands of the owner. Added benefit is that you can leave your stuff in the vehicle and the simple fact that you know the cleanliness of your own vehicle. Not a bad option if you care to pay for the parking fees.