For cyclists, Google’s self-driving car might be more trustworthy than the human-operated variety
Understandably, there's a good deal of skepticism around the idea of a self-driving car. How could a totally automated vehicle possibly respond to traffic obstructions without calamity?
Understandably, there’s a good deal of skepticism around the idea of a self-driving car. It’s precipitous enough to drive one as a human, considering the obstacles that can unexpectedly present themselves on the traffic arteries of any Canadian city. How could a totally automated vehicle possibly respond to the same potential obstructions without calamity?
The apparent answer: pretty well, actually. This video is a good illustration of how Google’s self-driving car might work under those circumstances — and for cyclists, it’s particularly relevant.
At 1:10, you might feel your confidence in the idea grow considerably. “Our cars treat cyclists as a special category of moving object,” Google’s video says. “Watch in this example, when the cyclist holds up his arm. Our software detects the hand signal and predicts his movement into our lane. The car knows to continue yielding to the cyclist passing by, even when he changes his mind multiple times.” Contrast that hyper-alert observation with any experience you may or may not have riding on a street shared with cars. Would you feel the same with a human vehicle operator?
In other news, SkyNet still hasn’t become self-aware — yet.
