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comment by mk
mk  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Mercedes Robo-Car That Made Me Want to Stop Driving

You know what would be a real trip? Autonomous motorcycles.

My wife and I were positing a Zip Car like service with auto-mopeds that drive up to your house when you need them, but you must drive them yourself. Since they are so light and slow, they are far less likely to kill people when in autopilot.





kleinbl00  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Fuck everything about that.

Any mode of transport depending on you knowing when to lean will never be autonomous.

mk  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Yeah, it would be a death trap.

But there's no reason they can't drive themselves up to your house.

kleinbl00  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·  

...other than the fact that the weight used to shift stuff around goes where the people go.

mk  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·  

No, check out the video, no shifting weights. It simply leans in when the wheel turns, and acceleration keeps it from falling over.

kleinbl00  ·  3530 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Okay, more precisely put:

They're using weight where the people go in order to use the geometry the way it's intended. Yes, they're dinking with the steering column to accomplish their balance. That's why it's wobbly as fuck at low speeds - they don't have the balance one would get from riding it.

If you take that bike and try to put a person on it, that weight needs to move. It can't stay where it is.

There's an easier way... but it's about as dorktastic as a self-driving Vespa.