Waymo doubles down on driverless cars — but Americans are still scared
Can Waymo win over those scared of autonomous vehicles?
The brain in the computer is Waymo Driver
Technology called Waymo Driverpowers the company’s autonomous vehicles. The hardware includes lidar, cameras, radar, and a powerful AI computing platform. The software collects information to answer questions in split-second like:
This enables the cars to navigate the roads safely. Waymo contends that the cameras and lidar can spot traffic lights changing at a distance, sprinting pedestrians, and roadworks.
The cars possess the reasoning to handle less common scenarios like a pedestrian carrying a Christmas tree. The company explains its ability to reason:
Waymo’s making all the right noises but has to convince the fearful
The problem blocking autonomous vehicle progression is that a good chunk of the general population is scared of autonomous vehicles. Even semi-autonomous cars with a driver behind the wheel have donea poor show of converting peopleto the cause,crashing into blind Paralympiansand emergency vehicles. Perhaps rightly so, seeing as how we have yet to truly attain Level 5 autonomy, which essentially translates to a car able to drive without any human interaction.
Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE)is a coalition of industry players and nonprofits that aims to improve the public’s understanding of autonomous vehicles. Theysurveyed 1200 adults in the USin 2020 and found that48% of Americans surveyed say they “would never get in a taxi or ride-share vehicle that was being driven autonomously.” Only58% think safe AVs will be available in 10 years, and 20% believe they will never be safe.
The numbers aren’t getting much better. A March 2021Morning Brew-Harris Poll surveyof just over 1000 people found that 52% said they would feel unsafe riding in a self-driving vehicle.
However, those who would feel less than very safe riding or “driving” in a self-driving vehicle say they would feel safer if the person in the driver’s seat could take over control of the vehicle in the event something went wrong (79%).
Confusion about autonomous vehicle progress
Interestingly, the survey also reveals a fundamental lack of understanding of the progress of autonomous vehicles like Waymo.
The Morning Brew Poll found that 62% of respondents believe that self-driving vehicles are already available to buy anywhere in the world. This is despite only a few Level 4 autonomous functions enabled in some cars, making them far from autonomous.
I can’t say I’m surprised. Autonomous car companies have promised so much, for a long time.
We kinda have the technology, but what about the rest?
The Morning Brew survey respondents are already thinking about autonomous cars in action. 75% said they would like to have a clearer understanding of who would be legally responsible in the event of an accident with a self-driving vehicle.
I wrote an article in 2017 which noted things to resolve beforeautonomous vehiclesroar out of the starting blocks. For example:
These questions are still unanswered. Looking forward, I think we’ve reached a critical impasse. We know autonomous vehicles are technically viable –— or at least, we’re steadily heading in that direction. We have proof of their functionality.
But many people aren’t sure of their safety. They lack confidence without the necessary infrastructure and regulations. Waymo PAVE, and other autonomous vehicle companies need to spend a lot more time dealing with these roadblocks to get their cars anywhere near mainstream.
Do EVs excite your electrons? Do ebikes get your wheels spinning? Do self-driving cars get you all charged up?
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Story byCate Lawrence
Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart ci(show all)Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart cities, and the future of alternative energy sources like electric batteries, solar, and hydrogen.
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