'Follow that car'....

[Scrumpy]

Will these words never be spoken again .!!

Driverless taxis are being introduced to the streets of London next year..

[klondike]

I don't think you need a taxi to follow cars in most cities these days. So many calming measures, cycle paths and general congestion you can just do it by walking.

I think I posted a while back that I see the future of electric self driving cars as being all self driving taxis called in minutes by an app with no need to have your own car sitting around doing nothing for most of the time depreciating.

Supermarket run...
Get ready to go out (lippy and toenail paint for some and dressing gown for others)
Open up the app on your phone set destination and press the call button (it will know where you are from the phone)
Cab arrives within a couple of minutes.
Hop in
Travel
Get out
Trip added to your account balance
Cab hangs around but will go if another call comes.

Same when you come out to go home. Same when you want to go anywhere in fact.
Cabs go and recharge, get serviced etc. all by themselves.

[Raven]

Don't know how I feel about these driverless car, sometimes I think hhmmm could be useful then I think accident waiting to happen by trusting AI with no human input in certain situations. 

[klondike]

It is going to improve. Tesla already have it but they do crash or mow down pedestrians if relied on entirely. Just about all new cars have a variety of driver assist features thanks to EU regulations.

Modern cars already have collision alerts. They may brake too if it gets too close to a bump. Mostly they are annoying by sounding off if you just creep up to stationary traffic or don't slow down enough for their liking when a car in front takes a left turn a bit cautiously.

[Scrumpy]

I like the sound of it..
Often a cab to go to the airport does not arrive on time..
I have waited for a cab to go to the train station.. Had to phone them asking where they were..
It can only improve what we already have around here..

Who will help us with our luggage.. ?

[JBR]

Will these words never be spoken again .!!

Driverless taxis are being introduced to the streets of London next year..

I'm glad I don't live in Londonistan, for many reasons.

[Mups]

I like the sound of it..
Often a cab to go to the airport does not arrive on time..
I have waited for a cab to go to the train station.. Had to phone them asking where they were..
If can only improve what we already have around here..

Who will help us with our luggage.. ?

Good point, Scrumpy.
And who is responsible, if there is a crash,  or a driverless car ran someone over?

I don't like the idea.  All I can see is it making even more people jobless.

[klondike]

And who is responsible, if there is a crash,  or a driverless car ran someone over?

Shhh... Don't mention the crash, I may have once earlier but I think I got away with it.

[JBR]

If I, or our car, was damaged by a driverless car, the obvious step I would take is to report the registration plate number to the police.  I would then expect them to let me know who takes responsibility for it, presumably the owner.  If not an individual, but some organisation, the responsibility must lie with whoever owns the car.

[Mups]

If I, or our car, was damaged by a driverless car, the obvious step I would take is to report the registration plate number to the police.  I would then expect them to let me know who takes responsibility for it, presumably the owner.  If not an individual, but some organisation, the responsibility must lie with whoever owns the car.

But what if they said how can they be resposible if they weren't even there??

[JBR]

But what if they said how can they be resposible if they weren't even there??

To be honest, I'd expect that of the police these days.  I think that if I argued, they'd come round and arrest me.
Funny how everything has gone to cock since Labour took over.
If it was not the fault of the driver (perhaps he had not set the thing properly) it could be a fault in the internal processor or computer, or whatever they call the thing that controls the car.  I'd suggest that if the thing had been regularly checked and serviced, it must be the car to blame - or the people who have set it up.
I know I'd never have a self-drive car.  In fact, I'd never get in one.

[klondike]

Ever fly anywhere?
They spend most of their flight time on autopilot.
Mind you not many phone zombies or stray dogs wandering aimlessly about up there and all the planes are tracked.

[Scrumpy]

 Klondike...A pilot told me that they mostly fly on autopilot ..  Take off and landing has to be done manually though..

London also hope to use driverless buses ..

[klondike]

can pasenger jets take off and land on autopilot

ChatGPT said:
Yes, passenger jets can use autopilot systems for both takeoff and landing, but with important limitations:
✅ Landing – Yes (Under Specific Conditions)
Modern airliners can land on autopilot using what's called an autoland system. This is:

• Common in low visibility conditions, such as fog.
• Only available at equipped airports with ILS (Instrument Landing System) Category III capabilities.
• Requires specific aircraft certification (e.g. Boeing 737, 777, Airbus A320, A350 etc. can do this if properly equipped).
• Pilots still monitor and control everything closely and can intervene instantly.

🛬 Autoland handles:

• Final approach
• Flare (raising the nose just before touchdown)
• Touchdown
• Rollout (slowing down and maintaining runway centerline)

❌ Takeoff – No (Usually Manual)
Autopilot cannot perform takeoff from a standstill on its own.
👨�✈️ During takeoff:

• Pilots manually control the aircraft through the takeoff roll, rotation (lifting the nose), and initial climb.
• Autopilot is usually engaged a few hundred feet after takeoff (typically above 400–1,000 feet AGL).
• Autothrottle (or auto thrust) can assist by maintaining the set takeoff thrust, but control inputs are manual.

Summary

[th]Phase[/th]
[th]Autopilot Capable?[/th]
[th]Notes[/th]
Takeoff❌ NoAlways manual; autopilot comes later.Climb/Cruise/Descent✅ YesStandard operation.Landing✅ Yes (Autoland)Only at equipped airports with good systems.

So: autopilot can land, but not take off — and pilots are always in charge, even when autopilot is flying.




June 12, 2025, 02:11:24 PM

London also hope to use driverless buses ..

Luckily I've already given up on London as a day out.

[Alex]

Me too. I won't be visiting London again.