Matrix Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Ford will test its vehicles in even the most impoverished areas Autonomous cars are beginning to sweep across the US, despite a few PR disasters cropping up over time. Companies like Uber, Google, and even GM are all testing self-driving vehicles in cities like Phoenix, Los Angeles, and now Washington, DC. As reported by The Verge, carmaker Ford announced today that it's partnered with Argo to test self-driving vehicles throughout DC beginning in 2019. Though Ford is perhaps best known for its heavy-duty pickup trucks, it sounds like the company will be using ordinary cars for its tests. Ford's approach to autonomous car testing seems to be a bit safer than some of its competitors. Instead of having one mostly hands-off driver, Ford will require all of its self-driving cars to have a company safety driver and a "second engineer" in the vehicle at all times. Eventually, if the technology becomes mature enough, Ford hopes to lift those restrictions. The most interesting aspect of Ford's DC-based testing is the company's emphasis on "equitable deployment." Unlike other companies which traditionally test their vehicles in safer, more well-off areas, Ford wants to send its fleet of cars out throughout the entirety of DC - even in impoverished areas. "Whether it’s transportation to work where they didn’t have that ability in the past, or actually operating businesses in those areas that could help other businesses grow," Ford's autonomous vehicle chief Sherif Marakby said in a statement to The Verge. "Those are the factors that could help the people that live in those areas." With a little luck and a lot of testing across the country, Ford could launch its own automated taxi and delivery services within the next few years. source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K7108 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Quote Ford announces plans to test self-driving cars in Washington, DC great place to work out the bugs! I hope they kill a congress man or two before they perfect it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luisam Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 To use self-driving cars on standard roads sounds to me a very unpractical, I would even say, a stupid idea. This idea will only work safely on specially conditioned roads and the onboard computers with transponders forming a network between cars an a central computer operating road controls. The system should de limited to self-diving cars, avoiding human interference, and of course, without pedestrians. Well, this is just my idea about REAL safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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