From Robert Maier, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK
Hecht’s article omits one potential route to fully autonomous level 4 or 5 driving, namely fully interconnected traffic. If every vehicle, be it driving or stationary, would constantly transmit its actions and position to all vehicles around it, one could achieve a level of mass “awareness” that gets around the shortcomings of stand-alone sensors. Traffic islands, lane splitters, lamp posts and so on could also transmit their “presence”. Each car has a more or less predestined path and it shouldn’t be too onerous to avoid conflicts. Without this, I cannot see level 4 or 5 autonomy in the next 20 years.
