POTHOLES: In Wednesday’s RTS, reader Dick Thomas wondered how driverless cars will react to potholes.
It’s an intriguing question, especially in parts of the United States which go through a distinctive four-season weather pattern and pothole-filling is the norm for the spring months.
Era sports writer Pete Sirianni brought the question up with his former college newspaper editor, Dave Gershgorn, over Twitter. Gershgorn is now an artificial intelligence (AI) reporter for Quartz.
“Potholes are the least of your worries! They’ll probably be able to see/slow down for potholes, but fading paint lines make it difficult for the car to distinguish where the road ends,” he said.
“The first driverless cars will likely make you take control in uncertain situations, so we won’t have to worry about autonomous cars having to decide on their own for some time.”
Gershgorn then shared a Reuters article on the matter, which quoted Volvo’s North American CEO complaining to the Los Angeles mayor after Volvo’s driverless car wouldn’t cooperate at an auto show.
“You need to paint the bloody roads here!”
If driverless cars ever do get in motion in the near future, they’ll likely stick to the highways and avoid the side streets altogether.
Uber did start its driverless car pilot program in Pittsburgh, partly because of nearby researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and partly for its challenging driving conditions.
TALKING TO VETS: A few weeks ago we had a column on the need for volunteers to drive the veterans to medical appointments through the local Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
A volunteer was telling us about the fascinating conversations she’s had with veterans, who enjoy the company as much as they enjoy having a ride.
She called back Thursday to share a couple of things she’s learned in the conversations.
She learned from one veteran, who has macular degeneration, that the red blocks found at the curbs on sidewalks — they are covered with little bumps in a grid pattern — are to help blind people. This warns them that they will be walking from the sidewalk to the street.
Another tip?
A second veteran suggested soaking a dryer sheet in ammonia, then sticking it in a chipmunk hole to keep them out of your yard. He told her chipmunks don’t like the smell of ammonia.
“They’re full of stories, and not just war stories,” she tells us. “They’re so much fun.”
