Self Driving Motorhomes

Plain and simple, no machine will EVER replace a human being. It can come close, but it can never rationalize a situation....it can only respond as it has been programmed....even so-called "learning" computers. On a completely closed track with no possibility of outside influence, a completely uninterruptible power source and uninterruptible communications links to the controller and all vehicles controlled by a master computer with a master program...maybe. But let's face it...we still can't even make a phone call without it dropping from time to time....

powderman426 wrote:
I see no real difference between an rv and a car except size. Autonomous vehicles would greatly reduce the number and severity of accidents as well as reducing the need for more lanes as they could safely travel at close range. It's coming and it's going to be great.

I think this is all true, if all the vehicles on the road were computer controlled. I think if you have a mix of human drivers and computer drivers sharing the same road there will be many problems. For example lets say you're driving along the freeway in your computer controlled vehicle in heavy traffic and a tumbleweed blows across the road in front of you. A human driver can weigh the option of hitting the breaks and potentially causing a rear end accident, or just hitting the tumbleweed that likely won't damage the car anyway. What is the computer going to do? Will the sensor be so good that they can tell it's okay to hit the tumbleweed or are they going to swerve the car or brake it? Now if all the cars were computer controlled it wouldn't matter because they would all sense the tumbleweed or sense the braking car and would all avoid hitting each other.

powderman426 wrote:
I see no real difference between an rv and a car except size. Autonomous vehicles would greatly reduce the number and severity of accidents as well as reducing the need for more lanes as they could safely travel at close range. It's coming and it's going to be great.

That is the theory and several science fiction authors have explored the concept of self driving trucks, of not motor homes.

Google's auto-auto, has been banned in California as CA requires a steering wheel (And in fact I would not want a car without some way to manually take over) and it does not have one.

But.... Something to think of.. Airplanes today have control computers good enough that you can take off, fly and land all under computer control,b(In act most engine control computers are powerful enough to handle this task with a bit of re-programmign and re-sensoring, and planes have better computers) NO pilot is technically needed.. BUT THEY STILL REQUIRE A PILOT.. Why? Because of something a pilot once said. He was ask to describe his job.. He said "Hours and Hours of boredom punctuated with moments of shear terror".

The computer can handle the Boredom part very well, in fact computers excel at that kidn of thing. But the Moments of sheer terror.. That is when a HUMAN HAND at the controls makes the difference between life and death.

This is just to funny, wonder what other sales gimick the MFGs will come up with to sell to the blind public.

Oh, I know what it is now, what Jessie Ventura was talking about when the Buildaburg 7 get the depopulation process cranked up.
What better way, let folks kill their ownself on the highways, nobody to point at then.
Neil

I want one too! No more drunk driving for me! BWAHAHA! I don't drink but I'll start. BTW/My GPS sent us in circles in Pa to find a campground. One turn was 180 degree and 30 ft of room. Wonder if the smart assed engineers thought of having go to the Sheetz and turn around by the fuel pumps, stopping to top off and then going back.

robatthelake wrote:
I'm not holding My Breath!
Although the technology is just about there to make self driving Vehicles a reality there are too many variables to make them totally practical!
As I see it there will always need to be a wide awake and sober Captain in charge of the Vehicle.

But that takes the fun out of self driving.. :C

rgatijnet1 wrote:
My DW can drive the motor home from the passenger side of the coach. :B

x2 - I don't drive it I just sit in the captain's chair. ;)

My DW can drive the motor home from the passenger side of the coach. :B

I already have the ability to mix a drink or watch TV, or work on computer. I guess I am very fortunate.

msmith1199 wrote:

mtofell1 wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
I wonder if the motorhome will be able pull itself into a campsite too?

Can't do any worse than some humans I've seen :) It's scary to think there may be a day when I can no longer watch a husband and wife have a WWF moment while trying "park the rig". That will undoubtedly be the final straw that makes me spring for the mobile Directv so I have something to keep me entertained.

You want to have some real fun go sit and watch a crowded boat ramp for a few hours. I had a friend that had a large cabin cruiser and his slip was right next to the boat ramp. He and his friends would just go sit on the boat and drink beer and watch all the entertainment at the boat ramp.

That is the best part of owning a boat! Watching all the drunks come in late and try loading the boat on the trailer!!! :B