Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Individual Presentation of SARTRE -- Safe Road Trains for the Environment
After asking everyone in the class whether they would trust this system, I was surprised that the majority of the class would not trust the SARTRE system. Although the SARTRE system is not completely developed, many car manufacturers such as Lexus already adapted a similar system in their own cars. For example, the Lexus LS 460 was unvelied at the 2006 Detroit's International Auto Show to exhibit the ability to parallel park itself without any help from a human. And that was a long time ago! Since then Ford, Lincoln, Toyota, and BMW jumped on the bandwagon to create a parallel parking system like the one used on the LS 460 and in the SARTRE system. Thus, with the system already existing it was surprising to me that people still would not trust it. Some of you might own a self parking car! So I am curious...if you have one do you still self park it or trust the car just enough to self park?
I think the main problem with distrust in the SARTRE system is that we are not ready to let technology take over every aspect of our lives. We also cannot trust a computerized system to make judgment calls on whether or not to swerve left or right if debris falls onto the road. For this reason, I can understand why some people may distrust the SARTRE system. Again its the issue of man v machine.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
In many cases, people like to be in control when driving. My dad, for instance, insisted on driving the whole way on most of our family road trips in my childhood. I think it had equally to do with, like I said, the control he was given by choosing the route we took, the speed we went, and when to make pit stops and his ability to trust. Not that my mom is a bad driver by any means, but my dad does not trust OTHER drivers on the road, and probably felt that he had a role to carry out of protecting his family, his car, and his belongings.
ReplyDeleteA wreck with the SARTRE system would not be anyone's fault, but someone would have to pay! That is the biggest fault I see with the system. I don't want to have to pay to repair a crash that was out of my control!
On the idea of a parallel-parking system - I have been waiting on such an invention since I got my license! I think there is more control with a parallel parking system in that you could line your car up front to back, and the car can just slide right up to the curb (at least that is what I am picturing). Also, going 3 miles/hour into a parking spot as much different than going 60-65 miles/hour on the highway between two other cars!