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What do you do when you see a van that apparently has no driver? Following reports that a 'Driverless' Vehicle was cruising the streets of Clarendon, Virginia, reporter Adam Tuss chased down the 2017 Ford Transit Connect van and discovered it was being driven by a man wearing a car seat costume.
After multiple inquiries[...] the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute said Monday afternoon that the van and van driver are part of a study they are conducting on driverless cars. The worker was wearing the uniform he was supposed to wear.
"The driver's seating area is configured to make the driver less visible within the vehicle, while still allowing him or her the ability to safely monitor and respond to surroundings," a statement from the institute says.
Virginia Tech declined to make the half car seat, half man -- as Tuss put it -- available for an interview.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by BasilBrush on Thursday August 10 2017, @10:32AM (3 children)
Haven't you been paying attention? There's been much talk in recent years of autonomous cars droping their owner off somewhere and then going to find somewhere to park. And lots of other scenarios for driverless cars without anyone in the driver's seat.
Not that there's much point in making eye contact with person is the "drivers" seat of an autonomous car anyway. The computer has seen you either way. Eye contact with that person doesn't mean anything any more.
But the psychology of how people will react when there is no driver there is important to study. It makes absolute sense that a university would do this.
Hurrah! Quoting works now!
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Gault.Drakkor on Thursday August 10 2017, @06:54PM (2 children)
hmm thats an interesting idea that I have not heard being mentioned before.
Additional feature an autonomous car perhaps needs: a set of eyes to make eye contact with. May or may not have cameras, but are pointed via sensors to indicate to pedestrians and other human drivers, "Yes, I know you are there". Could also indicate that the car is in autonomous mode by having them present and open.
Maybe would act additionally as theft, vandalism deterrent? "The car is looking at me..."
(Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Thursday August 10 2017, @09:23PM
Googly eyes on the front bumper!
(Score: 2) by BasilBrush on Friday August 11 2017, @02:07AM
On the other hand that implies that if the fake eyes are not looking at you then you haven't been seen. When yoiu have, because the car sees 360 degrees at all times.
Hurrah! Quoting works now!