<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small">As a faculty member in a College of Engineering, my primary responsibilities are in the areas of ethics and morality in engineering. Autonomous vehicles are a principal interest of mine. <br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small">All of the crashes of autonomous vehicles that have been publicized, have been as a result of failures not of single systems, but in the intersection of systems in the vehicles. In the case of the Uber crash in Arizona that killed a cyclist/pedestrian, the LIDAR (laser radar) 'saw' the person early enough to brake and to steer around her. However, the system that 'makes sense of' what the LIDAR detects, was switched to a mode that delayed such a reaction -- it was in a very conservative mode where the car's systems would have had to be closer to 100% certain of what was being detected by the LIDAR before automatically responding.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small">In the TESLA crashes, early analysis of the cars' black-boxes indicates that systems were attempting to alert the drivers to take control because the cars' systems were detecting situations that they were not designed to handle. In these cases, the handoff of control from car to human driver was missed.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small">Looking outside the cars and their technology, Arizona has established the most lax regulation on testing of autonomous vehicles, of any state that allows such testing. It was as a side-effect of this lax regulation that Uber was able to get away with only one safety-driver in the vehicle. Other states that allow testing of autonomous vehicles on public roadways require two safety-drivers (one behind the wheel ready to take control, and one who monitors the car's systems in real time). Uber's history of business practices that take large risks may have been a contributing factor somehow.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small">In the cases of Tesla crashes, we know that marketing information has heavily hyped what Tesla calls its 'auto pilot' autonomous driving mode. There have even been television commercials with Elon Musk driving/riding a car with his hands out the window, yelling and boasting of its autonomous capabilities. Compare this with the safety information that comes with the cars that cautions drivers to not treat 'auto pilot' as a safe autonomous mode. <br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small">A lot of what we are seeing with autonomous vehicles has to do with the fact that the companies and consumers are not necessarily prepared to deal with the intersection of so many technical and social systems that we are suddenly faced with. In fact, no engineering innovation is ever 'only technical'. Every engineering innovation pushes small or large impacts on us in terms of how we know and behave in the world. Those who adapt to the new limits of technologies are able to benefit, but those who do not understand those limits will run the risk of the failure of these multiple systems.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small">There is absolutely no question in my mind that successful development in the technologies of autonomous vehicles will occur. However, successful social adaptation may not be so clearly possible for everyone. This is why every stakeholder group -- including and perhaps especially those with visual impairments that prevent them from getting a driver's license currently -- has to be active in the latter. This listserv is a touchpoint for all of us who are stakeholders in this particular way. Your involvement locally, in your State policy-making branches, and even more broadly, is very needed!<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2">_don</font></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"></font></span><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"></span><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><font size="2"><div style="display:inline"><br></div><div style="display:inline"><div style="display:inline"></div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br>Don Winiecki, Ed.D., Ph.D.<br><i>Professor of Ethics & Morality in Professional Practice</i><br>Boise State University, College of Engineering<br>Dept of Organizational Performance & Workplace Learning (OPWL)<br>1910 University Drive, Mail Stop 2070<br>Boise, Idaho 83725-2070 USA<br>E-mail: <a href="mailto:dwiniecki@boisestate.edu" target="_blank">dwiniecki@boisestate.edu</a><br>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~d</div><br></font></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">On Wed, Jun 6, 2018 at 7:50 AM Ali via AutonomousVehicles <<a href="mailto:autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org">autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Probably just because I'm extremely afraid of accidents LOL.<br>
<br>
----- Original Message -----<br>
From: Daniel Perry via AutonomousVehicles <br>
<<a href="mailto:autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org</a><br>
To: "autonomous Vehicles Discussion" <br>
<<a href="mailto:autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org</a><br>
Date sent: Wed, 6 Jun 2018 08:18:18 -0400<br>
Subject: Re: [AutonomousVehicles] hello from a very interested <br>
and excitednfbmember<br>
<br>
me too, but I've been told not to wurry since everyone seems to <br>
be behind<br>
them. I think the crashes are all just a part of the process <br>
morbid as that<br>
sounds.<br>
<br>
--------------------------------------------------<br>
From: "Ali via AutonomousVehicles" <<a href="mailto:autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org</a><br>
Sent: Tuesday, June 5, 2018 11:13 PM<br>
To: "autonomous Vehicles Discussion" <br>
<<a href="mailto:autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org</a><br>
Cc: "Ali" <<a href="mailto:aliherky@gmail.com" target="_blank">aliherky@gmail.com</a><br>
Subject: Re: [AutonomousVehicles] hello from a very interested <br>
and excited<br>
nfbmember<br>
<br>
I have high hopes for the future, but right now am too worried <br>
about the<br>
multiple crashes that have been had.<br>
<br>
Ali<br>
<br>
----- Original Message -----<br>
From: Daniel Perry via AutonomousVehicles <br>
<<a href="mailto:autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org</a><br>
To: <<a href="mailto:autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org</a><br>
Date sent: Tue, 5 Jun 2018 14:59:30 -0400<br>
Subject: [AutonomousVehicles] hello from a very interested and <br>
excited<br>
nfbmember<br>
<br>
Hello everyone, my name is Daniel Perry and I found this list <br>
and<br>
immediately signed up because I'm extremely excited about the <br>
prospect of<br>
autonomous vehicles being a reality as well as we the totally <br>
blind being<br>
able to use them. I can't wait to own one as soon as they're <br>
afordable<br>
enough for your average blind person to purchase and own. I'll <br>
be very<br>
excited to see how Waymo progresses after its launch later on <br>
this year.<br>
What's the latest in our efforts to make these vehicles <br>
accessible to the<br>
blind? have a wonderful day and I look forward to hearing from <br>
you soon.<br>
<br>
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</blockquote></div>