If using Pilot Assist, can you legally use your mobile?

[Yelper85]

Evening all.

Many replies, so cheers to everybody, much appreciated, especially DaveNP who no longer has any fingers left

I completely agree that the computing power and algorithms required to teach a car to be fully autonomous are immense and I've been in loads of situations where I just don't see how an autonomous car would know how to react, both for safety reasons and general operation.

I have heard that Volvo were looking to implement a system whereby if the car didn't know what to do, it was stop, contact Volvo central and give them control of the car. How true that is, I'm not sure, but you could also argue if that's going to happen, why not let the person in the car do that. Then again that's assuming the person in the car is legally allowed to drive and compos-mentis.

The new models apparently come with Lidar as well as Radar plus the standard optical cameras, it needs this as the camera can't distinguish if an image has depth. Think of a picture of a long straight road mounted on a brick wall. As far as the camera is concerned you can continue driving at 70mph as it can't tell there's a brick wall waiting to say hello behind it.

Here's a link to the fully autonomous XC90: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/fut...ous-volvo-xc90

I also thought a few London based firms already have fleets of autonomous vehicles running around as the last post seem to imply as well? Might be wrong. Maybe I’m thinking of USA based cities?

[DaveNP]

Looking at ovlov04v's link reminds me of the dear old G-Wizz electric car, it may be wonderful and technical, but who would want to be seen getting out of one? Why is it that virtuous and clever people build such fugly vehicles?

In terms of already operating autonomous vehicles Milton Keynes was approved as a location to test them out and there was a lot of media razzamatazz about it but in the end I think it has amounted to a few passenger vehicles being tried on the Redway (cyclepath) network, and some little 'bots doing home delivery in limited areas.-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbQN-a2d1s0
The 'bots seem reasonably successful, it's quite amusing seeing them around, sometimes waiting like a small child to cross the road, I believe they still have some human oversight from a control centre. A colleague at work told us how his son when walking home from school came across a 'bot that had become stranded on a kerb, he and his mates pushed it back onto level ground at which the 'bot said thankyou Of course the tech which is being used in the 'bots can once proved be transferred to larger vehicles.

As a truck driver I could envisage a time when trucks may well drive themselves over long distances by motorway and then a real driver will take over for the final miles using remote control much like the US military use of drones half way around the world.

[skippyfox]

Originally Posted by ovlov04v

Don't look now but the future may be closer than we think.

But never mind the tech issues, what about the style issues?😁😁

https://www.gordonmurraydesign.com/n...y-vehicle.html

just had a look. I'd sooner hand back my licence...

[Yelper85]

I just think there's an unbelievable amount of situations where the car just won't know what to do as the situation can change dynamically and it won't know what to do. The amount of vehicles in these situations would far exceed the number of operators sat in the Volvo control centre!

I also wonder about things like weather. If I want to drive in 6ft of snow, I can attempt to do that. If I get in a fully autonomous vehicle (FAV) and I ask the same thing, can it refuse? Who makes that decision? What if it stops halfway to the destination, or it turns around? What if the journey is to the hospital as I've chopped my arm off, would it refuse or again Volvo control centre decide?

The other thing is if you buy a FAV and you have a crash or a prang etc, who is liable, you as the driver even though you were not driving or Volvo? Surely if they sell it as a self driving vehicle, you can't be liable?

[Wagon Sailor]

Originally Posted by Yelper85

The other thing is if you buy a FAV and you have a crash or a prang etc, who is liable, you as the driver even though you were not driving or Volvo? Surely if they sell it as a self driving vehicle, you can't be liable?

I'd have thought that if you're responsible for a machine and it goes wrong, you're responsible for the outcome. An FAV that makes a wrong decision is not at that moment fit for the purpose, yet you're still using it. No matter that the mistake could not be predicted by you.

How do programmers prioritise, given the choice of two bad things? Does the automated vehicle opt to drive over a cliff, thus killing its occupants, or does it decide to run into a bus queue of small children?

[Yelper85]

Originally Posted by Wagon Sailor

How do programmers prioritise, given the choice of two bad things? Does the automated vehicle opt to drive over a cliff, thus killing its occupants, or does it decide to run into a bus queue of small children?

Very good point made there Wagon Sailor, especially given Volvo are saying that any car made from this year should not kill or seriously injure the occupants or pedestrians.

Regarding liability though, if Volvo sold it as a FAV with the clear stipulation a legal occupant is not required, surely that then becomes Volvo's responsibility?

I suppose what it doesn't cover is if somebody hits you as that's not Volvo's fault, even if the car tried it's best to avoid the collision.

[abdiel]

Originally Posted by skippyfox

just had a look. I'd sooner hand back my licence...

Me too! Can we share the postage?

[abdiel]

Originally Posted by Yelper85

I just think there's an unbelievable amount of situations where the car just won't know what to do as the situation can change dynamically and it won't know what to do. The amount of vehicles in these situations would far exceed the number of operators sat in the Volvo control centre!

I also wonder about things like weather. If I want to drive in 6ft of snow, I can attempt to do that. If I get in a fully autonomous vehicle (FAV) and I ask the same thing, can it refuse? Who makes that decision? What if it stops halfway to the destination, or it turns around? What if the journey is to the hospital as I've chopped my arm off, would it refuse or again Volvo control centre decide?

The other thing is if you buy a FAV and you have a crash or a prang etc, who is liable, you as the driver even though you were not driving or Volvo? Surely if they sell it as a self driving vehicle, you can't be liable?

If your body is high mileage or out of warranty, Volvo isn't going to be bothered helping you!

[Yelper85]