Cutting Edge Computing

Tragically, Once Again Self-Driving Cars Aren’t August 28, 2021

Two stories crossed my attention today that once again, tragically demonstrate that we are likely decades away from self-driving cars, if at all.  The first, and stupidest, was with the largest and most arrogant auto company, Toyota, which for some inconceivable reason decided to test-drive its autonomous buses at the Paralympics.  One hit an athlete in a legal crosswalk, injuring him and knocking him out of the Games.

Toyota’s CEO posted an apology on YouTube (not even referring to the athlete’s name, which is simply insulting), which is not so much an apology as a brazen PR stunt.  I know people who swear by Toyota cars; I swear at them, and this level of arrogance makes it worse.  Make it right with the athlete, which Toyota will not do, lest they damage their brand.

The second is, of course, a Tesla, which advertises a “fully autonomous mode” which is anything but.  A driver who admits he was not paying attention, instead watching a movie, hit two police cars with lights flashing on the side of the road, attending to another motorist.

Of course, despite the marketing names Tesla gives its driver-assist technology (and that’s really what it is), they have plenty of caveats in the fine print.  Those caveats are to keep it out of legal trouble even though the marketing names strongly suggest otherwise.  This was the eleventh police car displaying flashing lights that Teslas have hit.  While Tesla may end up being a long term success, it is doing itself no favors in the interim.

So what happened to all of the predictions?  This is how Anthony Foxx, former U.S. secretary of transportation, envisioned the future of autonomous vehicles in 2016:

“By 2021, we will see autonomous vehicles in operation across the country in ways that we [only] imagine today. … Families will be able to walk out of their homes and call a vehicle, and that vehicle will take them to work or to school. We’re going to see transit systems sharing services with some of these companies.”

Auto executives were no less effusive.  Elon Musk is by far the worst of the group.  I strongly believe that these so-called predictions were/are criminally wrong, because they encourage people to misuse today’s technology.

I personally believe that fully autonomous vehicles are at least decades away, and possibly completely infeasible.