Reported at IEEE Spectrum is the news that Holland has just allowed self driving cars onto the roads, although only approved cars as part of test programs:
As the government's announcement makes plain, only manufacturers, universities and other recognized research outfits will be allowed to play, and then only if they've already tested their vehicles under controlled conditions. There's a lot of paperwork to fill out, and as the announcement notes, "Please expect an average 3-to-6-month-turn-around time from sending in your application to executing the test."
The government announcement is available here.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday July 01 2015, @06:29PM
Would Nikola Tesla have been recognized as a researcher?
Many researchers work in secret, and have done so for thousands of years.
While I recognize the need for safety I am dismayed that any government would concern itself with who was a researcher and who was not.
Pierre Fermat wasnt really a mathematician, in reality he was a judge. Disprove his theorem and hed send the headsman your way.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by RobotMonster on Wednesday July 01 2015, @06:47PM
I'm sure if he filled out sufficient paperwork, he'd be fine.
Don't want to fill out the paperwork? Then you can't test your robo-car on public roads. As much as I hate bureaucracy, this seems fair to me.
(Score: 2) by skullz on Wednesday July 01 2015, @06:49PM
If you read the www.rdw.nl it lists "research institutions" as possible candidates. That could be a one person shop.
I think this is mostly about the liability of allowing these on public roads. I assume the reason for restricting to larger, more established groups is that they likely have well established test protocols and have done most of the grunt work already. Not saying that one person can't do it but it is a LOT of paperwork and prep. This is moving the "I got my great idea working in my garage!" product to the "we can sell this without killing people!" stage. You really do need a full time team.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday July 01 2015, @08:33PM
Many researchers work in secret, and have done so for thousands of years.
Jeepers! You mean they figured out how to removing the aging gene several millenia ago?
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Wednesday July 01 2015, @10:48PM
Many researchers work in secret, and have done so for thousands of years.
Jeepers! You mean they figured out how to removing the aging gene several millenia ago?
Sometimes is just happens by accident, like being bitten by a radioactive echidna that has been dosed with carbon nanotubes. But in any case, when you have been doing research for a couple thousand years, it is best to kind of keep quite about it. On the other hand, researching for a couple of thousand years makes you really appreciate how profound human ignorance is, how slow the uncovering of truth can be, and how bogus most claims of breakthroughs are.
Aristarchus of Samos