[LINK] Cars, again

[David]

On Thu, 16 Nov 2017 21:03:07 David Boxall wrote:

> I'd say if the autonomous system performs marginally better than the average driver, then that's a good start. Average includes those who are drunk, drugged, tired, distracted or stupid.

That won't work because you're asking people to place the lives of themselves and their families in an opaque piece of technology with the vague assurance that, on average, it will be good for the accident statistics.  I don't think so!


On Thu, 16 Nov 2017 20:17:27 Karl Auer wrote:

>> If you don't like my benchmark for an autonomous system designed for vehicle control in any circumstances where a domestic or commercial vehicle would now operate, would you like to propose one?
> 
> I just think your benchmark is confused - in some ways unreasonably high and in some ways laughably low. But worst, you can't measure it.

The practical question of implementation only becomes relevant when there's agreement about the goal.  And the goal needs to be expressed in ethical terms because the technology is so opaque and human lives are at stake.  We need to put aside the fascinating techie stuff here.


> Easily said. Why don't you outline how a vehicle purporting to meet your benchmark could be tested against it.

In principle, a set of use-cases could be developed which would demonstrate whether a vehicle met the benchmark.  For example:

(1)  The vehicle is to be able to climb a (given) mountainous road with no safety fence to mark the edge on a rainy night at a speed of at least 'v' kph, and must do so successfully on 100 consecutive attempts.  That might test the vehicle's sensors.

(2)  The vehicle is to come to a complete stop from a speed of 'x' kph in 'y' seconds when an obstruction is suddenly placed 'z' metres in its path, and must do so on 100 consecutive attempts.

...that sort of thing.  What else would you expect an expert driver to be able to do?  We need another use-case to test the vehicle in an environment where there are many vehicles doing erratic things at high speed, for example in a multiple vehicle accident where a truck suddenly diverts into an oncoming line of traffic.  I'm thinking of the accident on the Hume Highway a little time ago when a truck did just that.

David L.