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Re:The latest chapter for the self-driving car: mastering ci... by mikeash on Monday April 28, 2014 @01:13PM (#7661332)
What do you think the odds are that a human will be able to handle it properly?

90% of the time, a human will either 1) not notice the debris at all, and plow into it 2) brake to a sudden stop, causing a massive hazard for all around or 3) swerve dangerously into another lane.

Just this morning I watched a car come within inches of plowing into a gigantic orange traffic barrel. He was going 30MPH on a quiet residential road but he simply was not paying attention, and braked just barely in time to stop before hitting it. And this is not some unusual thing, this is how people drive. I've nearly been run down in a crosswalk at a four-way stop sign by drivers who simply decided that they did not need to look forward while going through the intersection. And you think that humans are going to have a good record at spotting and handling small debris when cruising at 70MPH? Good luck with that.

One thing I will say about humans: when they're about to run over you at low speeds, you can usually get them to stop by shouting at them. I doubt computers can manage that yet.

Re:The latest chapter for the self-driving car: mastering ci... by gfodor on Monday April 28, 2014 @02:27PM (#7661921)
if there is a large object in the middle of the highway in broad daylight i am pretty sure humans navigate it pretty well since their eyes can see it far ahead due to color contrast, pattern recognition etc. the human visual system seems to excel in this situation and it seems to be a one where LIDAR may be at a disadvantage, where the stakes are high.
Re:The latest chapter for the self-driving car: mastering ci... by konstruktor on Monday April 28, 2014 @02:52PM (#7662080)
The program driving the car is aware of the limits of its perception, though. My grandma probably isn't.
Re:The latest chapter for the self-driving car: mastering ci... by mikeash on Monday April 28, 2014 @03:08PM (#7662178)
The visual system does well, but the decision-making system behind it often does not. I'm sure that guy this morning had no trouble seeing the orange barrel he nearly rammed, but actually noticing it is another matter.