Self driving truck - licensed to drive

[Islandman]

LAS VEGAS -- Truckmaker Freightliner's newest commercial big rig can steer and drive itself, while the driver relaxes and enjoys the ride. No, I'm not talking about Autobot Ultra Magnus. It's the Freightliner Inspiration Truck, the first ever self-driving commercial truck to receive a road license plate for autonomous operation on public highways.

http://www.cnet.com/news/freightline...iration-truck/

[Don1]

Oooops...one nex robot application. It cyaan dun eeeh.

Some vehicle breakdowns will soon be fixed by a software update downloaded in real time via a Satcom link...from one next robot in geosynchronous orbit

Ok now I can release my National High School STEM Ed Program model

[Tilla]

This is not new, only that the technology is being employed to automobile navigation. It is basic control and automation system using cameras in a close loop feedback set up. For those people who have some knowledge of automatic controls, this is good application of an old technology in a new setting.

[Tilla]

I have to admit thou, where the technology is heading is exciting.

[Don1]

This is not new, only that the technology is being employed to automobile navigation. It is basic control and automation system using cameras in a close loop feedback set up. For those people who have some knowledge of automatic controls, this is good application of an old technology in a new setting.

I follow tech developments keenly so I agree that this is not "new" tech. It is another example of the START of the transfer of tech that was previously restricted to high science/military apps...to COTS tech. Even the Russian Buran shuttle (in the 1980s) maneuvered autonomously in space and landed down the center line of a runway without human control

What is most interesting for me is not really the vehicles or their (pretty basic) sensors & info processing capabilities... It's the Roadway Environment that will be built to support robotic vehicles. There will be so many vehicle-interactive interfaces in the road environment that it will be quite amazing.... once the COTS robotics/computing/telemetry mature. Space is already part of the "road environment" with NAVSTAR type services etc....but that will accelerate to many, many more apps aimed at vehicles on the ground

Star Trek tings ah gwaan whe wi affi get di pikney dem ready fi master ....or remain stuck with the VAST MAJORITY of our peeps as part of the domestic support workers, manual laborers, trinket sellers & taxi driver crew...yuhzimi??

[Tilla]

You know, some of this technology was being used in the production process control environment from way back in the 80s. Even Jamaican companies were on board. Before I left Jamaica in 1989, I worked for a few years with D&G, and they were using machine vision control systems extensively in their production processes. At the time, it put a lot of low skilled workers out of work, as instead of 12 humans monitoring a line, you have one system using high speed cameras providing feedback to a control module which would activate a robot arm to remove products which did not meet quality standards visually. I mean, a line could then run at rate of a 1000 bottles per minute, 24/7 if needed and not have to worry about human error, fatigue, illness etc.

I am expecting to see image based observation by automobiles soon, where information is fed by cameras to a computer and analysis and decision making is done by the computer to guide the vehicle. I am sure with the combination of telemetry and sensors, they will aid making the vehicle more autonomous.

These are exciting times ahead.

[Islandman]

Indeed Tilla they are. Some of the big challenges will be in the autonomous decision making process though. The technology will clearly be able to measure things more accurately and act accordingly but there are mroe complex issues from an ethical or cultural standpoint. For example does the technology make decisions to protect the car riders over a large crowd of people in the street? That is typically what a driver would do instinctively but should software have the same type of moral compass? Who is liable for that decision?

There will almost certainly need to be a lot of legistlation and litigation required to figure some of this out.

[Tilla]

Valid points boss! You know, as a STETHS man, I only look at the technical side.

But yes, those are valid concerns.

[Mosiah]

Sass, jump on board, or get the hell out the way!