What problem are autonomous vehicles solving?

[jesse_the_k]

The Access Board has this to say about itself:

The U.S. Access Board is a federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in inclusive design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards.

Starting in March of next year, they’ll be holding ZOOM hearings re: autonomous vehicles and disabled people.

If you’d like to chime in with your thoughts, sign up here:

https://www.access-board.gov/av/

My thoughts:

AV pizza robots have already blocked curb ramps.

AV navigation depends on a deep understanding of the typical streetscape. But "typical" is a notion, not a reality. Every streetscape has atypical elements. For 50 years, I’ve observed the corner of Park and University Avenue. When UW-Madison is in session, the typical behavior is chaotic.

Color me doubtful and dubious. What problem are AVs solving?

Comments

[lilysea]

not the perfume or deodorant, but I think I did have someone report faint worthy BO

I would always, always, ALWAYS prefer the BO.

BO can be gross, but it doesn't give me migraines that can last one to seven days...

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Yeah, dispatch rarely hears about migraine triggers. Excessive property damage is more standard complaint, but the Fear wasn't negligible. And I never got sufficient buy in about the Fear issues.

May you avoid migraines.

[lilysea]

but the Fear wasn't negligible. And I never got sufficient buy in about the Fear issues

I'm assuming the Fear was legitimate -

eg the driver made homophobic/racist/misogynist/transphobic remarks; the driver sexually harassed the client; the driver deliberately intimidated the client

and not illegitimate - eg the client objected to Black/Latinx drivers and just generally claimed to feel unsafe around People of Colour?

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Installers sexually harassing people in their own apartments.

The system didn't make it easy for women to be installers and made it very attractive to men that wanted to make their own rules.

Customers could be bad too, and I could deal with some of those issues within the rules.