Quote:
Originally Posted by stevej37
I like the idea of just using your phone/remote to call your car to pick you up.
|
I do too. But instead of the mind-boggling complexity of autonomous cars, and the even more complex infrastructure needed to run them, why not encourage the further development of services like Uber & Lyft? A ride is just a few phone clicks away and cars can remain free of all the complicated hardware and software that'll be required to make an autonomous system work. Ride services like these also provide jobs for their human drivers in an era where technology is already displacing workers at a rapid rate.
Many believe that autonomous cars will reduce the accident & death rates on the highways, and this might very well be the case. But so would eliminating wi-fi, text readers, internet connectivity and all the other distracting fluff from new cars. So would requiring drivers to demonstrate a higher level of skill before handing them a license.
I can only imagine what a maintenance nightmare that a fully-automated transportation system would be as well. Manufacturers already have their hands full trying to keep the current fleet of already overly-complicated cars up & running. If a truly autonomous transportation system ever does come about in some future time, it may very well be the final nail in the coffin for the American auto industry. I can't help thinking that the Japanese (and maybe the Koreans and Chinese) will be the only ones who are able to provide cost-effective vehicles with the necessary levels of reliability required to make such a system viable.