Volvo's first self-driving car has a big edge over the competition — and it's coming sooner than you think

[RoosGirl]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/technologyinvesting/volvos-first-self-driving-car-has-a-big-edge-over-the-competition-%e2%80%94-and-its-coming-sooner-than-you-think/ar-BBtCFcg?ocid=spartanntp

Volvo plans to roll out its first self-driving in just four years, and the company claims it’s going to be way more advanced than what other automakers will have to offer.

“The thing that is unique is that we are really trying to deploy the technology in reality. And when I say that, I mean self-driving cars that allow drivers to do something else behind the steering wheel,” Erik Coelingh, Senior Technical Leader for Safety and Driver Support Technologies, told Tech Insider.

In other words, the company’s first self-driving car won’t require a human to supervise it at all while the car is in control. The driver will be able to do another activity while the car does all the driving. What’s more, it will be designed to deal with just about any situation.

Currently, there are a few automakers that sell cars with semi-autonomous systems, meaning the vehicles can drive autonomously under certain circumstances. However, all cars with self-driving features today still require a human to supervise the driving in case they need to intervene to avoid an accident.

Tesla’s Autopilot feature, for example, enables its cars to drive autonomously on the highway where there are clear markings on the road. The driver, though, must still pay attention in case there’s a situation the car doesn’t know how to handle.

Volvo plans to roll out a system similar to Autopilot in 2017, but by 2020 Coelingh said Volvo’s self-driving technology will be so advanced that no supervision will be needed, and the driver can instead do something else while behind the wheel.

While many automakers have vowed to have an autonomous system available by 2020, not one has yet promised that no human supervision will be needed.

To help Volvo reach this ambitious goal, Volvo is launching its DriveMe program next year in Gothenburg, Sweden, London, and in select cities in China. The research program will place 100 normal customers in each city behind the wheel of its self-driving cars.

Participating customers will still have to supervise the car while it’s in autonomous mode, but the data collected during the test period will help the company move towards developing a truly autonomous vehicle.

“What is unique with DriveMe, is that we are not only building a concept car or doing demos, we are really doing research to help us understand how we can bring self-driving cars to the real world, to public roads with ordinary customers behind the wheel,” Coelingh said.

“And by accomplishing that objective, we will learn about the reality of self-driving cars, that it’s not just a fantasy. We will learn about technology, we will learn about the human factors, and how self-driving cars will impact society.”

[Oceander]

Oh for the days of a good 5-speed stick and no power steering.  And no engine cut-outs.  If you're a big-boy driver, you're old enough to deal with the consequences of red lining it.

[RoosGirl]

I had never driven a manual transmission until my husband got a Pontiac Solstice.  I was very glad for it have automatic prevention of redlining in first gear. :)

[Oceander]

I had never driven a manual transition until my husband got a Pontiac Solstice.  I was very glad for it have automatic prevention of redlining in first gear. :)

Probably not a bad idea when learning the first time around; however, just popping the red line briefly shouldn't blow the engine; it's when you keep it over the line that you risk blowing it.

[RoosGirl]

When he first got it I joked that he loved it more than me.  It was a relief knowing that I couldn't kill his baby. :)

[truth_seeker]

Probably not a bad idea when learning the first time around; however, just popping the red line briefly shouldn't blow the engine; it's when you keep it over the line that you risk blowing it.

I blew up the engine in a 912 Porsche 5 speed, by incorrectly shifting, from 3rd into 2nd instead of 4th and seriously over reving. It had an unusual shift pattern. It was not my car. My bad.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I'm skeptical that the technology is as foolproof as they say. A computer is really able to correct navigate the road in every condition? There are plenty of roads where there is no white line in the road, computers will handle that? Even on highways this often exists. What if it starts snowing? What if water reflections and bright sunshine temporarily blind the computer?

Computers are buggy as well as glitchy, and one small glitch here could be instant death for the drivers. What happens in that case? Does the technology survive? Does the government allow it? The media would love to find their next bad guy.

I could be wrong but I don't feel that this is the "next Iphone" because this could actually kill a sizable number of people, based on how many people drive in the US.

But of course they probably said personal computers wouldn't take off, blah blah. I'll believe this when I see it.

[Leto]

I had a Porsche 356 C, when I left the Af in 75, met my wife it was wither rebuild the engine and car or get married, married 40 years this Spet. never got a Porsche.

[Suppressed]

I blew up the engine in a 912 Porsche 5 speed, by incorrectly shifting, from 3rd into 2nd instead of 4th and seriously over reving. It had an unusual shift pattern. It was not my car. My bad.

Funny you say thst... I got a job as a parking valet before I knew how to drive a manual. My new boss told me he'd have someone teach me.

It got busy and he tossed me the keys to a Porsche. I said, this is probably a stick.  He said, That's why I gave a Porsche to you...just give it lots of gas and you won't stall it!

Whew, I almost blew that engine!

[Oceander]

I blew up the engine in a 912 Porsche 5 speed, by incorrectly shifting, from 3rd into 2nd instead of 4th and seriously over reving. It had an unusual shift pattern. It was not my car. My bad.

That is a messed up shift pattern.  I assume you were going up rather than down; wasn't it hard to get the gears to mesh?

[RoosGirl]

I had a Porsche 356 C, when I left the Af in 75, met my wife it was wither rebuild the engine and car or get married, married 40 years this Spet. never got a Porsche.

Sounds like a good trade-in. :)

[truth_seeker]

That is a messed up shift pattern.  I assume you were going up rather than down; wasn't it hard to get the gears to mesh?

Volkswagens and Porsches of that era had cable operated shifting. I was probably doing 6000 rpms when I tried to go from 3rd into 4th. When I got 2nd by mistake it probably revved the engine to 8000 or more rpms, and instantly smoke came from the engine in the rear.

There was also a flashing red light, and I was cited for a big speed violation. The car belonged to a soon to be (not) friend who had just returned from serving in Germany where he picked up this nice 912.

Ironically I was home on leave at the time of my mishap, leaving shortly to serve in Germany. People with sporting cars drive very aggressively in Germany. A 3-5 year old Porsche was likely the car of a rich kid, and he had beat it hard.

A nearly bought a BMW 1600 (or 2002). But the wait after ordering was too long, so I settled for a Fiat 124 sport coupe. I regretted that for years and years.

I eventually got a Porsche 912 of my own, and didn't blow up my engine. By then I was used to comfort, and after the novelty wore off, I wanted a car with a/c and normal creature comforts, and my wife said the Porsche had to go. Replaced by BMW 5 series. The Ultimate Driving Machine. (Until I owned a Saab, and two Audis)