July 27th, 2015: Mcity, Michigan
 

There's a new town in town... Mcity, Michigan.
Hey, those buildings look like they belong in Rock Ridge. I wonder if they have a black sheriff?

http://cellar.org/2015/mcity.jpg
Looks pretty new and shiny, sort of anti-Detroit. No litter or bird poop... or people.

Oh boy, suicidal robots. That's more gooder than those sissy humans who aren't willing to jump in front of vehicles for science.

At first glance it would appear the taxpayers of Michigan, via U of M, and MDOT, are financing the manufacturers testing and certification of their products. I guess it's a way for Michigan to keep an eye on these companies so they can't say, Oh yes, we tested everything and it's okey dokey, market ready. No, bitch, bring it here an show us.

They could also use this city to train SWAT teams. You know, in case those vicious Canadians invade. :haha:
Link

[Taggart]Don't you worry. We'll make Rock Ridge think it's a chicken that got caught in tractor's nuts.[/Taggart]

The potholes are missing

Also, it needs robot stoned skateboarders in the middle of the street in the middle of night dressed in black

detroit
 

Since this is near Detroit I think they should have a few drug dealers standing in the middle of the street selling their wares and maybe a car jacker somewhere too.

I get it, but... they painted it to look like a city block to humans. That's so fuckin' funny.

University researcher: "And today we shall see how an automated car deals with our precise simulation that looks and feels exactly like a real city block. I'm switching on the car now..."

Google Car: "That's strange, someone has put up something that looks like buildings but, according to my laser radar, is entirely flat... let's see what else we got. GPS says we're in the middle of an abandoned warehouse... Galileo confirms. Three mobile towers and two known Wifi signals confirm our general location as well. There's a signal light where there isn't supposed to be one... it's not to any code for this area, so we absolutely must assume it's a fake. At the end of this block is an uncontrolled intersection where there can't be one. Mark that as an issue and let's have a human come out and detail it. But worst of all, government records show no private roads and the nearest actual road is 200 yards north. Let's just park and throw an error until we at least get a new map."

It is funny, now that you point it out.

What the car sees:
Attachment 52747

It can't see paint colors.

so, there's no reason to paint it any particular way for the cars, since the cars will have to navigate the environment without the color cues anyhow. it's the people who will be building/training/testing the cars, and the people use color a lot. it makes sense to me to paint it this way.

And make it more realistic for the SWAT teams. ;)

first of all, pretty funny. :)

next, I wonder how far an autonomous car's "vision" for lack of a better word needs to extend to get somewhere... does it need a map for the entire route? That kind of makes sense, but I don't always need a map, I mean, an understanding of exactly which uninterrupted stretch of pavement will take me from A to B. How will these cars handle unexpected obstacles. Duh, this is the kind of environment used to test the algorithms designed to let the car work out such problems.

this is really interesting stuff.

"Self-driving" cars are a total boondoggle and a silly idea from start to finish.
Meeting no need, by the time an even partly functional car (one of millions on the road) the threat of climate change should make them obsolete or actual climate change useless.

Get the fuck outta here, How do I get to the grocery store? How do I get to the doctor? How do I get anywhere? If I lived in an urban environment public transportation would be an option around town, as long as I didn't leave town... as long as I stayed in the camp. :facepalm:

Partly functional autonomous cars are on the road now.

I wonder how the self-drivers do in inclement weather? Like, say, snow and ice? Where actual judgement is required...



Also: When I first saw the picture in the op, I thought "Drivers' Testing Area". I was just thinking about the wrong kinda driver.

Exactly...

Doing a Google Map Search for directions in the mountains can be exceedingly unsafe.

Here is the only route Google Map recommends:

Attachment 52750


But here is the "safe" winter route

Attachment 52751

One hurdle that autonomous cars will have is that even if they have a track record much better than human drivers, they will make mistakes that are not normal human mistakes. One robot car that does something that seems extremely stupid to a human is much more newsworthy than a hundred humans texting while driving.

I like that I can cut them off with impunity. :lol2:
Because they know where I am and what I'm doing they will avoid me, whereas human drivers might not even know what planet they are on.

Sorry, Bruce, I am still the fuck inna here.
When your selfie auto can take you to the doctor while you comfortably recline in the back seat, it might be nice. If it took you to the right doctor, of course, and parked in a legal spot.
On to the store, reconizing your voice command and going to the right one.
I think your best bet will be the "anywhere" one, which is where you will likely end up.

Don't apologize ya pussy. :lol2:
I was responding to...
While I agree my buddy's niece living in Manhattan and owning two cars is excess, personal transportation is not a luxury in most of this country. Actually a Google car would get better mileage and have less environmental impact than I do.

Also as I enter my doddering years, It's comforting to see an alternative if Mothers Against Old Drivers makes them yank my license.
Now get off my lawn, ya whippersnapper. :crone:

I ask computers where my doctor's office is already.

NYTimes: Among the States, Self-Driving Cars Have Ignited a Gold Rush

Includes Mtown... and kinda says this is a cash run.

Google has been using modified cars from manufacturers to work the bugs out of their system for several years. In May they revealed their own car, designed from the ground up with everything needed, integrated into the build. It looks like it was intended for an urban environment.
It's also what many shameless people would call "cute". :eyebrow:

http://cellar.org/2015/googlecar.jpg

It's adorable.

Adorable? ADORABLE! Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh! ......... mutter mutter grumble spit mutter mutter mutter grumble spit mutter ..............SLAM

Was it something I wrote?

they look like British police cars. Not what they actually look like but just like something that would belong with a bobby in a cartoon world.

[drift]

M-City......Am I the only one who is reminded of this when you read 'M-City'?

[/drift]