Robot at the Wheel? Drivers Aren't Ready to Give Up Control

[Hamartia Antidote]

Robot at the Wheel? Drivers Aren't Ready to Give Up Control - NBC News

Though technology for self-driving cars is quickly being developed, a new survey has found that most people want the industry to pump the brakes on production, or instead roll out vehicles that aren't fully autonomous.

The survey of 505 people, conducted by SurveyMonkey and the University of Michigan, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent and comes as the school prepares to open M City, a research center where autonomous-drive vehicle technology will be tested and developed.

According to the results, 43.8 percent of respondents have no interest in self-driving cars, while 40.6 percent said they prefer models with partial autonomous-drive technology. Just 15.6 percent of those questioned said they would prefer a completely self-driving car.

Though this snapshot did not address exactly why so many are people opposed to the technology, it's clear that those questioned are concerned about being in a vehicle in which they have no control.

Among those surveyed, 35 percent said they would be very concerned riding in a fully autonomous-drive vehicle. When asked about riding in a partially self-driving vehicle, however, the amount of people who said they would be very concerned dropped to 14 percent.

That desire to feel in control helps explain why 96.2 percent of those surveyed said they want fully autonomous-drive vehicles to have a steering wheel, as well as gas and brake pedals.

The study's results come about one month after a NerdWallet survey found that women, in particular, are concerned about the safety of autonomous cars.

For now, even self-driving prototypes have steering wheels and pedals. Google, which is currently test-driving autonomous-drive vehicles in Mountain View, California, and Austin, Texas, has controls in the cars it's testing, along with employees who are ready to take control if a problem arises.

Several other automakers and tech companies are researching and developing autonomous-drive vehicles and technology. Among these firms are Tesla, which in a matter of weeks will start pushing auto pilot software to Model S vehicles that are on the road. The technology will assist drivers in certain conditions, but also require them to stay engaged behind the wheel.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Following behind a self driving car...seems to handle stop signs...needs better signaling.

 

[VCheng]

It is not the self driving car, that just might work, it is all the other fools on the road:

Google's Self-driving Car Gets Into Another Crash

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Google expanding testing of self driving cars in more cities.

Google’s Self-Driving Cars Take The Safe Road To Austin | TechCrunch

Whether they’re actually fully safe or not yet for your own joyriding, Google’s self-driving cars are pretty damn cool. It looks like people other than Googlers and journalists will get to take a look, as the company has shared that Austin, TX is first to get a visit.

Why Austin?

– BBQ.
– It’s pre-prepped with Googly infrastructure thanks to its Fiber project and multiple offices
– It’s a smallish city
– The mayor is stoked: “We welcome the Google self-driving car team for this next phase of their testing and look forward to seeing them around town.”
– BBQ
– Austin is pretty open to new tech
– It has no heavy press presence to scrutinize the sexy cars.

According to the link that Google sent usAustin American-Statesman, the company already sent a car (a Lexus RX450h) to Austin to drive the city streets with two “safety drivers” monitoring its route, to make sure everything is hunky-dory. Another car (a Lexus hybrid) is on its way to ride around for testing purposes.

What’s cool is that the safety drivers are filling up Google’s database with tips like how high a curb is or whether there’s a “keep-clear” zone or other situation that Google Maps or Streetview hasn’t picked up. However, if they have to send a team out a few weeks in advance of unleashing a car in a city, how long will it take to “micro-map” the whole country? Anyways, progress is being made.

Jennifer Haroon, head of business operations for Google’s self-driving unit asked the city for help:

Keep it weird for us, Austin, and visit our website to let us know how we’re driving.

This should be interesting. I propose the hashtag “#lookmomnohands” for Instagram, Austineers.

Where will the cars pop up next? Maybe in other cities where Google Fiber lives: Atlanta, Charlotte, Kansas City, Nashville, Provo, Raleigh–Durham and Salt Lake City.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

This future is not that far off....