Here's the reason for the video, as explained by the Los Angeles Times:
Waymo will now put self-driving vans on public roads with nobody at the wheel
http://www.latimes.com/business/auto...107-story.html
Quote:
Waymo, the self-driving car company created by Google, is pulling the human backup driver from behind the steering wheel and will test vehicles on public roads with only an employee in the back seat.
The company’s move — which started Oct. 19 with an automated Chrysler Pacifica minivan in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Ariz. — is a major step toward vehicles driving themselves on public roads without human backup drivers.
[...]
Waymo has long stated its intent to skip driver-assist systems and go directly to fully autonomous driving. It said the Waymo employee in the back seat won't be able to steer the minivan but, like all passengers, will be able to press a button to bring the van safely to a stop if necessary.
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This is actually a
huge step in the self-driving car development. Up until now everyone testing these cars had someone in the driver's seat ready to take over every individual function of the car. Now, while a person will still be on-board for safety, they will only be able to stop the car - not take over the individual actions of the car.
Waymo must have a lot of trust in their cars to do this. I think they are getting really close to launching regular ride-hailing services in warm, sunny places.
And soon after they will start service in snowy areas too, after they learn how to do that:
Alphabet’s Waymo Will Test Self-Driving Cars in Snowy Detroit
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...wintry-detroit
And as always, if you do own a car, and if you also posses a driver's license, you should be able to drive it in certain locations (like fun country roads, not crowded traffic). I think that a driver's license should be much harder to get - akin to a pilot's license. This is not because operating the vehicle is actually very hard, but that interacting with the people and environment around you is unpredictable, and drivers should be much better trained than they are now on how to deal with the unpredictability.
Ultimately, when the technology improves to the point that the 35,000+ road fatalities (in the US alone) are deemed preventable, they should be prevented from happening. Driving a car for therapeutic reasons will continue but be limited to certain agreed-upon times and locations, just like we have certain times and places or horses and carriages to use public streets.
If you like to drive and find this depressing, I recommend you take up driving a bike. (Since you actually provide the power for causing the bicycle to move, it is more accurately described as 'driving,' while steering a car should be considered 'riding a car'.) I find it even more therapeutic and it certainly is much better for your body. And don't worry, self-driving bicycles are technologically far behind the current state of self-driving cars
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