daimler-to-test-truck-platooning-technology-on-u-s-roads-idUSKCN1C027D

Ehh...I'm decidedly skeptical-not "anti", just skeptical. Perhaps the best, closest autonomous driving solutions will be in the OTR transport industry or in military convoys, but there's a lot about autonomous technology that just isn't there yet if it ever will be.

Technology wise there are some considerations. Are we even at the point where the technology can handle light rain or snow? All too often, autonomous driving technology is field tested in optimum environments. What happens to such technology in a dust storm; even a mild one? What happens when its -15 degrees, the wind is howling at 20 or 30 or 40 mph, and heavy snow is a-fallin'. I guarantee those who are developing this technology don't even think about these things, probably because they themselves aren't exposed to such environments when they create these technologies.

Then their ethics and decision making. Decisions required for any number of scenarios that cannot be programed for, humans can much easier adapt to than a computer (Picture Will Smith's character in I Robot). Suppose--and this is a decisioning scenario I read about--a tree limb stretches across the road, if there's no oncoming traffic, a human will simply cross the line and go around; will an autonomous vehicle? Most people swerve to avoid an animal running into the road; will a computer? Will a computer make the safety assumption that a ball rolling near, towards or into the street may have a child following it and prepare accordingly? One scenario ethicists have postulated is what decisions will a computer make if having to chose between hitting couple of bystanders and plowing into a school bus packed with children? Type in "ethics of autonomous driving", and there's already a lot of consideration being given to that.

For the military, how does the technology handle hostile situations requiring tactical solutions? Can or will such systems handle dynamic situations such as being surrounded by human drivers not acting in predictable ways? Cars will have to be able to communicate with one another to mitigate that, but what about vehicles that don't have that technology sharing the road? What happens when precious college kids step off the sidewalk into the street without looking up from their damn iphone (as I see happen every day I'm going to class) or bicyclists who really feel themselves above the rules of the road and do what they want; will automation technology be able to handle that? I'm not convinced.

And last but not least, what if despite all the pie-in-the-sky predictions for the technology and positive press buzz, the public actually doesn't want to BUY it? There's often a disconnect between what people say they want, and what they actually do, assuming people have actually said they want this. Maybe marketing research is off base...it happens. If the market turns out not to be there for the new technology, will government or the insurance industry strong arm the public into adopting it despite their wishes, thereby using artificial means to dictate who the economic and societal winners and losers are?

I myself won't be giving up the steering wheel too much when the technology comes around. If it comes around. If I get comfortable enough with the idea, on routine runs, I might do it once in a while--I'm not a hater--but I like being behind the wheel and in control. Besides, its where I find my Zen.

p.s....damn that's a lot of words I used! LOL!!!