Ford Patents Removable Steering Wheel/Pedals for Self Driving Cars

[OX1]

Heck, how will it handle parking in a lot that's covered with snow? Or the stoplight on the west end of the US77 bridge across the Canadian River that is currently disabled to keep traffic from backing up onto the Bridge Of Doom? The lights were disabled by covering them with plastic and they set stop signs on the cross street, but the plastic recently came off one of the lights--a human can look at that and reason out that the light is disabled, but what about a self-driving car? The rules of the road say that a stoplight that's out is supposed to be treated as a 4-way stop, so will it follow the lead of the humans and blow through the intersection, or will it follow the rules of the road and stop? Even if the people behind it stop (despite knowing that there's no reason to do so), it will still back up traffic onto the bridge, which is what ODOT is trying to avoid. (The bridge was closed for about a year while they performed emergency repairs, but that bridge is in dire need of replacement.)

 

Any paved (and hence probably mapped out with GPS) I think they would have a reasonable chance in the snow.

The scenerios like your second example, even if all the cars talked, so the second car (or 10th) knew about that problem,

what about the first?

 

I still use a 79 bronco to tow my 24 foot boat. It is the only vehicle ever made that has the combination of

short length, short wheelbase, super tight turning radius, and can easily tow 5500 lbs (with severe upgrades

on braking , axles, and suspension).

 

We use a boat ramp that is a paved road that ends in the water. The precision required to get this package

http://luxjo.supermotors.net/BOAT/BRONCO%20AND%20BOAT/20150905_181442.jpg

 

Turned around at the end of this road

http://luxjo.supermotors.net/BOAT/ramp1.jpg

 

Only comes after doing it. Couple times early on,

we had to disconnect boat to make it.

 

Requires NOT driving into the water, driving off side of road

to start (but in a perfect spot where top of boat won't hit trees),

essentially jackknife trailer, drive onto wrong side of road

and then stop directly in the middle of the street.

 

Then you drive back until boat is in water, but you have to watch

how level the trailer is. "ramp" is not paved and changes all the time

with holes and grading due to usage and tide. Sometimes you have

to pull out and move over a bit to get to a more level spot.

 

Then add in 5-10 other people with boats and trailers waiting in various

spots (all over that road to come in or out). It's absolute Chaos. I'd like

know how the auton vehicles would even decide where to park while waiting,

when you first get there, let alone negotiating all that for the first time.

Edited August 19, 2017 by OX1