Gah, forums won't let me edit my bad video link...
Try this: http://note.taable.com/NFL/Cam-Tuitt-s-Day-Off
2016-10-07 12:53:10
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The Autonomous Car thread (Uber Self-driving cars)
Please post your experiences with the autonomous cars here. We should let Uber know if their cars aren't giving adequate space when passing, etc.... I've heard of close passes, but my own experiences have been good.
I *have* noted them not using turn signals and driving in the dark with no headlamps.
Here's a Steelers video (skip to 2:00 to see the pass of a cyclist) where there's debate as to how close the car came to the cyclist.
http://imgur.com/RTpfbxz
2016-10-07 12:49:14
I originally posted this in a different thread, but this is actually a story that impressed me about the uber self driving car:
I was riding on smallman, heading inbound. i approached a stop sign, and a car on the side street, which happened to be an Uber robot car, got to their stop sign first. I stopped, the Uber started to proceed like they should, then some dude on a bike behind me doesn’t slow down, and blows the stop sign full speed giving a real live test to the Uber car. I was sure he was going to get hit, but surprisingly, the Uber stopped on a dime and the dude ended up fine. straight up idiot, but i’m kinda glad he did that so i could see a robot car do that in a real life situationu
2016-10-10 11:01:45
Which goes to my point about them being too polite. At the very least, it should lean on that horn. They're going to get pushed around. Driving is a social activity.
2016-10-10 11:36:45
I had one pull up beside me while I was stopped at a red in the Penn ave bike lane downtown heading towards the point. I noticed it was signaling left and wondered what would happen when the light turned green. It lurched towards me then stopped as I rode by. It's indeed good that they stop for obstacles in their path. But it's also clear that bike-lane yield rules haven't been uploaded yet.
Still more desirable behavior than a human driver. Ignorant but not Ignorant and belligerent.
P.S. Don't jump in front of one if you're wearing wet black clothing during rain or a wet wetsuit after your morning mon river swim. It will not see you.
2016-10-14 17:58:37
They use LIDAR (infrared laser rangefinding) to detect obstacles, I think, so to be invisible to Uber, dress so that your reflectance at infrared wavelengths is zero.
2016-10-14 20:45:25
See my story above about the shiny Mercedes.
2016-10-14 20:46:54
Our Uber Robot Overlords in the national news:
http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2016/10/19/ubers-robotaxis-still-struggle-with-double-parked-cars-pittsburgh-left.html
2016-10-20 11:39:55
My point was that the lidar wavelengths used (905nm and 1500nm) are selected because they are absorption peaks associated with water molecules. That means the atmosphere absorbs the most solar radiation in those bands and gives you better signal in direct sunlight. But it also means you may not see wet things. So be careful jousting robots in the rain.
P.S. I've now seen robots not yield left turning across the penn ave bike lane in both directions.
2016-10-21 17:01:25
Personally I'm waiting for a snowstorm to see how well the robocars can manage...
2016-10-22 13:00:13
So, they're starting to be useful:
Self-Driving Truck’s First Mission: A Beer Run
2016-10-25 10:38:21
Ha! The truck's name is Otto!
Get it? OTTO? Otto-pilot! *slaps knee*
https://goo.gl/images/mkKFnF
2016-10-25 15:55:54
I had an auto-Über auto follow me along Grant from the Convention Center to Sixth Avenue. It followed at a safe distance, then signaled its intentions and turned. Given what I deal with last week, I felt totally safe by comparison.
2016-10-25 22:18:06