The only thing going for the hot air balloon is that it is, in a very practical sense, the only full autonomous vehicle in actual use around the world.
This is in sharp contrast to the fantasy world the motor industry wants us to believe exists, one in which autonomous vehicles are constantly whizzing up and down the street in a well-ordered, tidy, clean and in no way dystopian future-present (dative-perfect).
Yet another heap of well-meaning nonsense has been slid off a shovel onto my shoes this week, as if to remind me that self-driving cars are a real thing even though they are quite obviously not. It was funny at first but the pretence has now accelerated from fantasy to insanity, on its way overtaking even the most hopelessly idiotic claims that have been trundling along the tech vapourware fast lanes in sixth gear for decades already, such as the ‘paperless office’, ‘intuitive scripting language’ and ‘self-serve checkout’ – you know, the ones that require a frantic member of staff, sometimes two, running from machine to machine to help you persuade the fuckers to work.
h/t Sean
The writer has quite an entertaining style…. if you can tolerate the incessant whining. I have read more quality commentary from my fellow SDA’ers.
First he bitches about his phobia of hot air balloons, then autonomous vehicles a little, then he goes off on a bizarre tangent about how only Brits know how to brew tea properly, then back to a bit more on autonomous vehicles.
BTW, hot air balloons ARE NOT ‘fully autonomous’ vehicles. You REQUIRE an operator to control height which in turn controls the direction, among other responsibilities. Maybe if the twit understood this simple fact, he wouldn’t come across as such a brutally techless ‘tech guy’.
I have a phobia about Hot Air Balloons meeting high voltage power lines.
Once again…he’s right about the tea.
Straw man argument to say that proponents of developing autonomous cars say that the technology already exists.
It doesn’t. But it will.
And the inference that self-checkouts don’t work is also wrong. They do and consumers and the tech are getting better at it every day. I Look for them often as I am able to get through them far faster than a manned checkout when I have only a couple of items.
I’m surprised that Kate agrees with such Luddites…
“It doesn’t. But it will.”. Perhaps…but not in your lifetime. It has a very, very, very, VERY long way to go. Trying to compare self-checkouts to self-driving cars is ludicrous beyond belief.
HE made the comparison – not me.
and I think it reasonable – dare i say likely – that autonomous vehicles will be prevalent in most areas within 25 years.
Certainly in mining and ag they will common within ten years.
I have a standing $500 bet over at Tim Newman’s place that the technology will be on a par with human drivers within seven years.
I’m not going to argue the technology with mouth-breathing Luddites who can’t figure out which end of their iPhone to talk into; I’ve put my money down. Do the same or pipe down.
You’ve always struck me as a red tory. It’s no surprise you shill for self-driving autos and the leftists that push to take away our freedoms.
We saw about a dozen hot air balloons take off last Fall in Big Sky country! As well, we tried to keep track of where they went. It was a fantastic photo op, and is a great memory! What a joy!
A hot air balloon ride is still on my bucket list but I share some of this guys sentiments regarding the frantic pursuit of making the world safe for morons. More gadgets and reliance on them can be at odds with the development of life skills necessary for some self actualization. I don’t like paying for gadgets that I have no intention of using. Like others, I fear the nanny statists will, when autonomous vehicles are “deemed safe”, outlaw their predecessors.
A Lexus television add ends with writing across the screen that says, “Enjoy the thrill while you still can.” Me thinks they know that it looms; and governments wants it ASAP as it fits in with their controlled, surveilled and enthralled society.
If it rids us of middle-aged peoplekinds with tans driving luxury cars like three-wheeled Honda Fits it will at least lower my blood pressure.
If we are that close to technology that can drive cars for us on the open road, why isn’t it already working on closed systems like railways?
the labour savings on trains are miniscule compared to hwy trucks – 200+ trailers-worth of cargo being operated by one person (with a significant autopilot assistance). Ditto container ships.
It does. Do you think that subway conductor is actually doing anything?
It must exist, the sentient personal transporter is just a technological breakthrough from reality..
Any day now.
This technology must exist,how else could the media be telling us all about these wonder weapons,the “Assault Rifle”.
Politicians want to ban them,therefor they must exist.
If the autonomous killing machine is real,surely such technology can be adapted to transport people safely.
Whats that you say?,there is no automatic killing machine,the stupid semiautomatic rifle still needs to be,carried,cocked,aimed and a live finger on the trigger.
But surely our Progressive Comrades wouldn’t lie to us?
There must be a self driving car,safe,reliable and faster than man…
Unicorns will be on sale sooner.
They already are safer per mile driven. The big challenge is making them able to operate in far more adverse conditions than they currently do.
What?
Like real world conditions?
Or those “Oh shit moments” when you encounter an utter moron at another wheel?
Anybody can drive most of the time, it is those deadly moments when instinct or terror make or break you.
What evidence exists that a programme can perform better?
Safer/mile by what measurement?
Carefully choreographed milage is not much value.
Wait, this retard can’t figure out self-service tills? And he’s writing about tech? And people are taking him seriously?