Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuzz
It's a really really hard problem to solve. The idea that we will have enough autonomous vehicles capable of driving in Alberta winters in short enough timeframe that we will add a lane and make it exclusive is ridiculous. Sure, add a lane, but making it antonymous only sounds like the idea of a group of people who don't quite understand how things work. It's also discriminatory against people who cant' afford the fanciest newest vehicles that will have these features.
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You're tackling two issues here.
I think given time, the ability to navigate through rough weather will be solved. Right now driverless cars are based on a system of radar and camera recognition. In the future, such technology could be expanded to include GPS positioning (when radar fails in bad weather), embedded radar "tracks" to keep a synced and positioned vehicle on track, and on-demand communication between adjacent cars (through broadcasted signals) to manage proximity and speeds. It may take a partnership between governments and private sector and setting international standards (eg. ISO) to ensure it happens, but it will absolutely get done.
It may be hard now, but it probably won't be in the future. Again, there is an upcoming large market for autonomous cars - especially in wealthy Western nations with cold weather patterns. It will happen. This will not be ignored.
Adding a lane ensures the transition is supported and gradual. Not doing so may compromise a growing market and a general movement towards more personal lifestyle automation that Alberta may have to play catch up on well after other major centers have done it. It's not a matter of if, but when IMO.