Driverless taking a step closer is somewhat akin to saying that space travel became a step closer when in 1608 a
Dutch company designed the first telescope!
the maoster:
Driverless taking a step closer is somewhat akin to saying that space travel became a step closer when in 1608 a
Dutch company designed the first telescope!
Wishful thinking!
It’s not wishful thinking Luke as it’ll never happen in my career lifetime so it’s not a threat to me. I’m a realist though and there are so many ducks to get in a row that the inate incompetence of our leaders will ensure it’ll never happen beyond extremely limited applications.
I don’t know how old you are but it’ll certainly happen within my lifetime, sadly.
A bit older than you (ok, quite a bit). I turned 60 last month but I still maintain that with the exception of extremely limited applications it won’t even happen within your lifetime.
Agree to differ then. Think of the world I was born into in the 70’s technologically and compare it to now. The world is unrecognisable
Thankfully a driverless grab lorry will struggle to unload itself into a trench of varying depths( in the initial versions at least!)
So I don’t think I have anything to worry about for a while yet.
SWEDISH BLUE:
All the drivers who will not have a jobwill they get a job at a filling station?. I do not think the diesel fairies fill tanks, only empty them
We have over 1 million job vacancies, there’s not a million lorry drivers.
People said the same when the combustion engine replaced horse and cart.
Population is shrinking and the average age of lorry drivers a decade ago was 55. Most are nearing retirement age and will be either retired or knocking on the door of retirement by the time self driving lorries come in in any meaningful number.
Ultimately in my eyes lorry driving as it is with the long hours is a job that like coal mining needs to die because of the impact it has on everything in your life from your physical and mental health to your family and home life.
switchlogic:
I used to think driverless was far far off technology wise. Then Volvo leant me a Dual Clutch 540 demo to take to Italy to review for Commercial Motor. Being from HQ it had every last extra. Adaptive cruise included and retarder. Get it going, set cruise, set distance from vehicle in front, set hill descent speed and just steer. I left it to its own devices 90% of the time. It went over the Alps without me needing to touch pedals unless stopping at a peage. And………that was in 2018. They’ve jumped ever further ahead, Volvos now can deal with slow stop start traffic without touching pedals. And as for electric versions, their hill descent is even better and regenerative, on a hilly route they put enormous amounts of power back into batteries. Only thing left to crack is steering and that’s not far off. I’m conflicted as I love technology, but I’ve also loved being a driver. But fact is it’s coming and none of us will be able to stop it.0
As you well know Luke, driving a truck along a straight road, without any interference from outside happenings, is as easy as , well, steering along a straight road. As you also well know, the driver’s worth is when he or she arrives in a small village in Italy, or a congested town in Germany, or attempts to deliver a load into London… No computer in the world, is going to steer a truck into a building site in Clapham, or even drive through busy traffic, coping with cyclist, pedestrians, other lunatic drivers…
The only way self driving vehicles are going to work, is if they are seperated from the rest of traffic/ the population. And we all know what that means…
the nodding donkey:
The only way self-driving vehicles are going to work, is if they are separated from the rest of traffic/the population. And we all know what that means…
Not that far-fetched. We already have a lot of restrictions on who/what can drive in London. Give it another decade or two and maybe you will have to take a special test and pay a huge fee to steer your own vehicle in a big city.