Game changer - self driving cars....

Been doing a bit of reading on self driving cars and they have the potential to completely change how we think about cities.

It's a given now that self driving cars are coming, but I think there's more to it.

Once they become the norm (10-20 years) they will all be interconected. Every car will know where every other car is at all times. So things like traffic lights may no longer be necessary.

It may also no longer be necessary to own a car. There is a damn good reason Google bought uber. If Google can make uber cheap enough, the economics of car ownership won't make sense for a lot of people.

This all has huge implications on property. What will you do with that double garage? Do you need that CBD parking spot anymore? Could living next to a main road be bareable if all the cars are electric?

There's heaps more that we haven't even thought of yet but seeing as property is a long Game it could well be worth a ponder?

 

I want self driving cars so people like my boss don't need to drive for 2 hours to get to work. Also it will make blind and elderly people more independent.
There was an accident on the M1 this morning causing a huge traffic jam... self driving cars will eliminate most accidents. Accidents are generally "user error".

Car spaces will be less important.
But I think it will be quite a while before mass adoption happens. If you want to go for a weekend trip away, I think people would still rather take their own car, rather than use a hired self driving vehicle. But this answer might well be completely different in 20 years.
I think people still want to own a vehicle, at least in the short term. The new generation of young people growing up and not currently owning vehicles are more likely to be inclined towards always renting a car on demand. Not the people who currently own.

 

Exciting times but people love their cars. Completely self driven only roads and highways will be long after my lifetime (over 40 years away). Plenty of unforeseen disruptions will occur before then that will have a greater impact on property. And you can bet the oil producing powers of this world will have their influence on ensuring demand for their product continues as long as possible.

I mean - where was that ubiquitous hoverboard that Marty McFly promised us?!

 

I reckon it will all happen faster than we think. Lots of companies with influence are spending Billions on this.

Follow the money.....

 

Show me a people who will comfortably sit in a self driving car (that costs a LOT of money) and I will consider buying one. They will be concerned about lack of control, safety and even speed (is it too slow or too fast ?). And there is always the other idiot....

Car companies may be looking at cars that can drive themselves but nobody yet knows if consumers will buy it or be able to afford it.

Airplanes and cars are not greatly different. Would you board a plane with no pilot ? Why would you sit in a car doing the same ? Computers and robots etc have all been predicted to "do things" but reality is people want to have input.

 

Indeed. Anyone who's a subscriber to Engineers Australia's magazine will have seen some interesting articles lately. There's going to be some pain as they get introduced, but they're coming

Aircraft perhaps, but not initially; car definitely, it's more I'll be frustrated there are non-automated cars out there endangering me

 

I wouldn't be so smug if I were you. I saw a doco the other day about the Qantas flight where the Airbus malfunctioned and nearly crashed. Basically one flight computer went haywire and and started fighting the other 2 flight computers. The pilots had to fight the computers to stop the plane from crashing.

What you need to remember is that while computers drive the self-driving cars, people program the computer code that runs the computers. If the programmers make a mistake, it potentially puts your life at risk. Basically you are putting your life in the hands of computer programmers. Do you trust them that much? Just sayin'

 

There is a trial of a driverless bus in Perth. Already 6000 passengers. This link addresses safety from actual passengers of a driverless vehicle.

RAC Intellibus | Automated Vehicle Trial | RAC WA

 

Meh - We had driverless buses in the City of Sydney and surrounding suburbs last Friday.

 

Smug? Interesting, I don't think I am being smug. I work in the aviation industry, I'm well aware of the issues with computers, but you're also conveniently ignoring the multitude of crashes caused by pilot errors (like Tenerife and Guam); however, I still wouldn't trust aircraft without a pilot for a while yet, because the safety factors in software aren't quite where they need to be IMO, and I feel the potential for malicious action without impacting the perpetrator is too great an opportunity/temptation.

And yes, I trust computers and programmers to get it right far more than I trust the idiots who text while driving. Some people on the roads did their driving tests over 40 years ago, and are not subject to reviews and catches to make provide a level of assurance that the car can be operated safely, and similarly there are plenty of people who drive while suspended or unlicenced. A computer could probably drive a car better than I can, as it's not subject to distraction or frustration.

 

I just found out today that my car slams on its own breaks if I get too close to something and don't break quick enough.
Very cool, but this is just the beginning.

 

3000 posts - yay!!!

 

From what I read about the effects of driverless cars: Less coppers (yee-hah more smokey tyres!), less doctors and nurses, decimate many insurance companies, professional drivers and motor vehicle trades eg mechanics, panel beaters, car dealers, service stations and last but not least ...brothels (includes the legal profession lol).

 

Fair points. I guess it cuts both ways, doesn't it?

 

The more important factor is that more jobs will be automated/done from home. Almost everything you buy will also be delivered with these vehicles. Then when UBI hits there is no need for work. There is no need to live close to the city.

 

Exactly, this is the first step and things such as adaptive cruise control, crash avoidence, lane assist, park assist are no longer exclusive to high end models either.

 

Don't forget the personalised number plate industry. I'm guessing yours is da770!

 

The funny thing is that for most of the time the pilot isn't flying the plane! And it's not just for cruising either, there's even an autoland feature.

Personally, I would much rather entrust my life to a self driving car than to a driver or myself.
Here are some examples why and bear in mind that this is the earliest generation of self driving, the capabilities will increase exponentially.

 

It's coming.,.
Although this still has restrictions,it's a sign of the future

 

Yeah, good old radar. I do wonder at the impact of walking in front of a moving car with this system activated... though walking in front of a moving car is probably dangerous enough

ahhhh, you're one of the three people on this forum who drop comedy gold with every post. I don't think it will decimate mechanics, it will just mean they have to have either higher skills levels (for all the systems), or running a mechanics will cost a lot more in diagnostic systems which will cost heaps.

Too right, examples on both sides. Like I said, on the road I'd rather trust a computer and take my chances with the programmers having had a bad day.

Debatable. There's a lot of amenity built into large cities, both in terms of events and activities as well as ports and airports. As perthguy says, not everything will be possible from home, or even automated. Happy for everyone to flock to the country though

Shush, don't tell people that. Pilots definitely earn their $300 000+/yr and I won't hear a word said against them