Virtual drivers may be the key to developing trust in autonomous vehicles, so long as those drivers are quicker on the draw than Johnny Cab in an emergency.
A study published in the Human Factors journal posits public concern regarding the safety of autonomous vehicles could be mitigated with a humanoid robot behind the controls, Edmunds reports.
The study by Eindhoven University of Technology in Eindhoven, Netherlands introduced over 100 volunteers to such a driver, named “Bob.” The virtual driver’s appearance, movements and driving style were programmed to match those belonging to each participant, who allowed Bob to do the driving in a simulator on a route pre-selected by said test subjects.
The goal was to assess trustworthiness levels in the virtual driver, finding the more Bob looked and drove like a given subject, the more trust the subject would bestow in regard to their safety. Said strategy is in place with other forms of technology already, such as Siri and Cortana in Apple’s and Microsoft’s smartphones, where if the tech in question has a slight bit of humanity — human voices, sociability et al — end users would respond as if the tech actually was human.
Whether there will be a Johnny Cab in the future to help one escape from baddies because they’re actually a spy who may or may not know too much about Mars, or a Hatsune Miku recolor to drive you to her next performance is up in the air for now. Not even Google has placed a Nexus 6 behind the non-existent wheel of its autonomous bubble pod in its testing thus far.
[Source: mrbillyt/Photobucket]
I’d much rather have a smooth computer interface tablet with data on it in place of the driver, than some fake robot. That’s just silly.
But I’m a thinking Android user, so what do I know.
I’d want mine to be that little Boston terrier stretching on tippy-toes to reach the wheel and asking “How’s my driving?”
I want my parents to get one of those as their next dog, once our old Lhasa goes. He’s 14 or 15 and going blind and grumpy, but hanging in there.
Friend has one and it’s the most manic and loving pet I’ve ever seen.
I think they’re very cute. And they fit with my parents requirements of semi-small dog that doesn’t really shed.
The most caring/loving dog I think I have seen is my sister’s beagle. She’s always watching from the sidelines, and constantly checks on people to see if they’re okay.
Any religion I could stomach would have to admit animals have souls, too.
I had a friend with a drive-on-the-left car here in the USA. As a joke he put a life-sized German shepherd toy and fake steering wheel in the passenger seat. He said it was great fun watching drivers coming the other way but ultimately he decided to remove it for fear of causing an accident.
As for a fake human driver, I think the smooth silent actions of a computer would be less startling than the never-quite-human look of an animatronic doll. At least a computer might (eventually) do a good job of driving a car; the computer industry is much farther from being able to properly simulate a human’s facial expressions and speech. I find such attempts creepy.
Toonces the driving cat
https://wwwDOTyoutube.com/watch?v=l_hwerqogzQ
oy vey
It’s too bad I can’t post a photo response because I’d just like to remind you that Johnny Cab shortcircuited, turned homicidal and tried to kill the Governator.
youtu.be/IjRXyWFLkEY
Somebody downloaded “2001-A Space Odyssey” into his database.
HAL 9000.
HAL actually went nuts because he was ordered to lie about the mission and that wasn’t in his programming.
For fun, if you have an IPhone, ask Siri to “open the pod bay doors, HAL.”
@FreedMike – “HAL actually went nuts because he was ordered to lie about the mission and that wasn’t in his programming.”
+1. Few people remember that part about HAL. But, based on your avatar, I am not surprised you knew.
Trust doesn’t Rust
The automated car “Karr” decided to turn homicidal:
Upon completion of the vehicle, KARR’s CPU was installed and activated. However, a programming error made the computer unstable and potentially dangerous. The project was put on hold and KARR was placed in storage until a solution could be found.
Unlike KITT, whose primary directive is to protect human life, KARR was programmed for self-preservation, making him a ruthless and unpredictable threat. He does not appear as streetwise as KITT, being very naive and inexperienced and having a childlike perception of the world. This has occasionally allowed people to take advantage of his remarkable capabilities for their own gain; however, due to his ruthless nature he sometimes uses people’s weaknesses and greed as a way to manipulate them for his own goals. Despite this, he does ultimately consider himself superior (always referring to KITT as “the inferior production line model”) as well as unstoppable, and due to his programming the villains don’t usually get very far. KARR demonstrates a complete lack of respect or loyalty – on one occasion ejecting his passenger to reduce weight and increase his chances of escape.
How about a lifelike Juan Manuel Fangio driver borg? Or A.J. an Foyt dual purpose driver/personal security borg? And all of you NASCAR fans could select the “Intimidator” to pilot your Google car. All these options and more @ Eternally Out Front Chauffeurs LLC.
OK I’ll take a Jeri Ryan
Ahh yes – “7 of 9”.
She and T’Pal kept me watching the Star Trek spinoffs – and now again on Netflix.
Wouldn’t that be more of a backseat option?
YOU BLEW MY COVAAAA
The 1980’s were the greatest moments in the history of mankind.
Get Yur Azz 2 Mahz
See you at the party, Richter.
I got four kids to feed!
Open your mind, Quaid…open your mind…
Tony the deformed mutant: You’ve got a lot of nerve showing your face around here, Hauser.
Quaid: Look who’s talking.
Screw you Benny.
youtube.com/watch?v=AkcuV0_xt-w
Oh that pretty Mexican woman in there – she was the hooker. She was in many big movies in the early and mid 90s, and then just went away! The other thing I recall her from was Falling Down (detective there).
She was a decent actress! Wonder why she gave it up.
Which woman?
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001797/?ref_=tt_cl_t4
Her! I guess she has been acting regularly, just in absolutely nothing I’ve seen or watched. Seems like she mostly got out of movies after 1997 and Con Air (haven’t seen).
Ah. I see she was in Man on Fire I didn’t even realize it.
The actress (Lycia Naff) who played the three breasted hooker on Mars also appeared in Star Trek TNG and Baywatch.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0619031/
I didn’t either – though I saw that in 08, guess she had changed enough in those years for me not to notice. She was a pretty main character in there.
I saw that movie in 08 because I found a DVD in my apartment of it, “MAEN ON PAYAH” as it said in Korean, ha.
I’ll blow this place and be home in time for cornflakes.
Considuh dat a divause
I can’t see the practical purpose of filling valuable cabin space with a creepy complex animatronic robot…
You probably didn’t much care for Clippy either, I am guessing…
He was always tapping on the damn screen. GTFO of here.
You are so right.
@Veee8 – “I can’t see the practical purpose of filling valuable cabin space with a creepy complex animatronic robot…”
My thoughts exactly. The robot would occupy a seat that would otherwise be used by passengers. But I suppose if no one trusts these autonomous vehicles, there won’t be many passengers anyway.
I would be ok with a computer panel and the voice of Majel Barrett.
“I would be ok with a computer panel and the voice of Majel Barrett.”
“My love is a fever, longing still, for that which no longer nurseth the disease.”
You’re in a Jonnycab!
(Voice was Robert Picardo, who went on to play the hologram doctor in “Star Trek – Voyager”)
Eh, I’d rather have the Cannonball Run 2 scenario with the chimp chauffeur.
Well this article finally convinced me that today is April 1st. Too many jokes for the one day.