The whole idea is pretty ridiculous really.
In these test simulations they never have people crossing the road/fallen trees/other non-computer simulated perfect scenarios.
Imagine the complexity of programming a simple T junction.
Car A come up to the T junction and wants to go right. In order to do this it has a coupe of options:
1. External cameras that detects objects 'resembling' cars e.g. bigger than a child going from left to right and right to left. If the camera detects no issue it pulls out, skipping past the wrong side of the road lane and then fitting snuggly into the left lane.
2. All cars are on the same network within a "cell" of roads. The car uses the cell to monitor all cars within 1/2 a mile. The cell informs the car that the roads are clear. It pulls out as per 1.
There are many problems with these scenarios.
1. Is there a combination of camera and technology good enough to detect and understand a safe distance to pull out? I guess we have speed cameras already - but how much will these cars cost fitter with about 4 sophisticated cameras and infrared speed detectors or a system monitoring all moving cars?
2. Just like mobile phones reception can sometimes fluctuate. It would only take a blip in one car to cause an accident.
I don't think it will happen as there are too many roads that would need re-doing - all the same size to aid guidance of the cars to 'fit'. Everytime there were roadworks the database of roads would need constant updating so cars knew what they were doing.
Simply down to cost it wont happen, let alone a lack of technology and human capability to adapt to change.
In these test simulations they never have people crossing the road/fallen trees/other non-computer simulated perfect scenarios.
Imagine the complexity of programming a simple T junction.
Car A come up to the T junction and wants to go right. In order to do this it has a coupe of options:
1. External cameras that detects objects 'resembling' cars e.g. bigger than a child going from left to right and right to left. If the camera detects no issue it pulls out, skipping past the wrong side of the road lane and then fitting snuggly into the left lane.
2. All cars are on the same network within a "cell" of roads. The car uses the cell to monitor all cars within 1/2 a mile. The cell informs the car that the roads are clear. It pulls out as per 1.
There are many problems with these scenarios.
1. Is there a combination of camera and technology good enough to detect and understand a safe distance to pull out? I guess we have speed cameras already - but how much will these cars cost fitter with about 4 sophisticated cameras and infrared speed detectors or a system monitoring all moving cars?
2. Just like mobile phones reception can sometimes fluctuate. It would only take a blip in one car to cause an accident.
I don't think it will happen as there are too many roads that would need re-doing - all the same size to aid guidance of the cars to 'fit'. Everytime there were roadworks the database of roads would need constant updating so cars knew what they were doing.
Simply down to cost it wont happen, let alone a lack of technology and human capability to adapt to change.
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