So the future is here... As a non-driver who has no interest whatsoever in cars, I'm not particularly excited, but I'm looking forward to seeing those self-driving machines in action.
One thing I don't understand is:
- one sentence in your articles says, "with automated driving systems, the new technology could help ease traffic congestion."
- But according to another paragraph, "Although the separate signal system contributes greatly to safety, the waiting time for both vehicles and pedestrians is fundamentally longer because they have to wait for two traffic signal cycles before they can pass. Depending on the location and time of day, the line of cars waiting for such a signal can be quite long."
This is really one of my hot-button issues with Japan. Since arriving here, Japan's traffic management systems have been the biggest source of dismay to me. My principal complaint is that the systems seem to be based on something other than common sense and public health and safety. Giving a green light to both vehicles and pedestrians at the same time at intersections is a good example. Allowing or tolerating cyclists to ride on sideWALKS is another, and so is the complete absence of sidewalks on most side streets. The list goes on and on and on.
I also think autonomous vehicles are a bad idea. I guess the jury is still out on whether they kill/injure more people than vehicles driven by humans; but the reason I object to them is that they are another example of humans becoming reliant on machines/technology. It may make life easier and more "cool" in some ways; but it also means we become less self-reliant. There are those who wish to see humans and machines merge. I can't think of anything worse. Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian thinker, was already warning about these dangers more than a century ago:
Great article. Every time I see a picture of Shibuya crossing at night I think about my visit a month after the great earthquake. They were still having issue with the electrical grid and I got to see the crossing area in the dark. Quite a stunning difference.
I am also interested in developments in autonomous vehicles, especially for 18 wheeler transport trucks which are currently being road tested (with a human still in the cab). If they had dedicated highways or at least dedicated lanes with trucks communicating with each other and with a central control office, they could run almost bumper-to-bumper at 160 km/hr on a 24/7 basis. High speed trucks might not be as important in Japan but it would be nice here to pick up a container in Long Beach and run it quickly over to Boston.
On a personal note, I started following the Conbini Boys on Twitter. Every time they posted I would start dooling on my keyboard thinking about Tamago Sando from Lawson Station. I finally found a recipe online, got some Kewpie mayo and shokupan bread from the Japanese market in Arlington Heights. Worked out pretty good if I say so myself. I did struggle to cut off the crusts cleanly so I couldn't get those perfect right angle isosceles triangles. I'm guessing they use high speed punch dies and the specification limit on the length of each side is around +/- 1 mm.
This was fascinating. I haven't driven since I gave my car away in 2008 and let my license expire, but it was really interesting to learn about how this kind of issue is measured in terms of loss rate, etc. and to see the cross-cultural comparisons. I can't imagine the Shibuya crossing without the pedestrian-only lights!
So the future is here... As a non-driver who has no interest whatsoever in cars, I'm not particularly excited, but I'm looking forward to seeing those self-driving machines in action.
One thing I don't understand is:
- one sentence in your articles says, "with automated driving systems, the new technology could help ease traffic congestion."
- But according to another paragraph, "Although the separate signal system contributes greatly to safety, the waiting time for both vehicles and pedestrians is fundamentally longer because they have to wait for two traffic signal cycles before they can pass. Depending on the location and time of day, the line of cars waiting for such a signal can be quite long."
They seem to contradict each other.
This is really one of my hot-button issues with Japan. Since arriving here, Japan's traffic management systems have been the biggest source of dismay to me. My principal complaint is that the systems seem to be based on something other than common sense and public health and safety. Giving a green light to both vehicles and pedestrians at the same time at intersections is a good example. Allowing or tolerating cyclists to ride on sideWALKS is another, and so is the complete absence of sidewalks on most side streets. The list goes on and on and on.
I also think autonomous vehicles are a bad idea. I guess the jury is still out on whether they kill/injure more people than vehicles driven by humans; but the reason I object to them is that they are another example of humans becoming reliant on machines/technology. It may make life easier and more "cool" in some ways; but it also means we become less self-reliant. There are those who wish to see humans and machines merge. I can't think of anything worse. Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian thinker, was already warning about these dangers more than a century ago:
https://www.waldorflibrary.org/images/stories/articles/WJP19_steiner.pdf
Great article. Every time I see a picture of Shibuya crossing at night I think about my visit a month after the great earthquake. They were still having issue with the electrical grid and I got to see the crossing area in the dark. Quite a stunning difference.
I am also interested in developments in autonomous vehicles, especially for 18 wheeler transport trucks which are currently being road tested (with a human still in the cab). If they had dedicated highways or at least dedicated lanes with trucks communicating with each other and with a central control office, they could run almost bumper-to-bumper at 160 km/hr on a 24/7 basis. High speed trucks might not be as important in Japan but it would be nice here to pick up a container in Long Beach and run it quickly over to Boston.
On a personal note, I started following the Conbini Boys on Twitter. Every time they posted I would start dooling on my keyboard thinking about Tamago Sando from Lawson Station. I finally found a recipe online, got some Kewpie mayo and shokupan bread from the Japanese market in Arlington Heights. Worked out pretty good if I say so myself. I did struggle to cut off the crusts cleanly so I couldn't get those perfect right angle isosceles triangles. I'm guessing they use high speed punch dies and the specification limit on the length of each side is around +/- 1 mm.
This was fascinating. I haven't driven since I gave my car away in 2008 and let my license expire, but it was really interesting to learn about how this kind of issue is measured in terms of loss rate, etc. and to see the cross-cultural comparisons. I can't imagine the Shibuya crossing without the pedestrian-only lights!