# May Mobility autonomous electric shuttles start service in Detroit



## Notch Johnson (Dec 17, 2016)

https://www.autoblog.com/2018/06/26/may-mobility-detroit-autonomous-electric-shuttle/

"The partnership between real-estate firm Bedrock and Ann Arbor-based startup May Mobility will see the deployment of five autonomous shuttles on downtown Detroit streets starting Wednesday, the first commercial fleet to hit public streets in Michigan. They'll be available to transport the roughly 18,000 employees of the Quicken Loans family of companies, of which Bedrock is a member, between offices, parking sites, events and other destinations, starting with a one-mile loop. It replaces a bus-shuttle route previously driven by a human, _The Detroit News_ reports."

I wonder how well they will handle the winter weather later this year. It is going to have to work in rain, snow and on icy roads, right?


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## transporter007 (Feb 19, 2018)

Notch Johnson said:


> https://www.autoblog.com/2018/06/26/may-mobility-detroit-autonomous-electric-shuttle/
> 
> "The partnership between real-estate firm Bedrock and Ann Arbor-based startup May Mobility will see the deployment of five autonomous shuttles on downtown Detroit streets starting Wednesday, the first commercial fleet to hit public streets in Michigan. They'll be available to transport the roughly 18,000 employees of the Quicken Loans family of companies, of which Bedrock is a member, between offices, parking sites, events and other destinations, starting with a one-mile loop. It replaces a bus-shuttle route previously driven by a human, _The Detroit News_ reports."
> 
> I wonder how well they will handle the winter weather later this year. It is going to have to work in rain, snow and on icy roads, right?


This can't be true iheartuber and jocker12 claim SDC is a non starter, that the horse & buggy are only way to travel


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## iheartuber (Oct 31, 2015)

Notch Johnson said:


> https://www.autoblog.com/2018/06/26/may-mobility-detroit-autonomous-electric-shuttle/
> 
> "The partnership between real-estate firm Bedrock and Ann Arbor-based startup May Mobility will see the deployment of five autonomous shuttles on downtown Detroit streets starting Wednesday, the first commercial fleet to hit public streets in Michigan. They'll be available to transport the roughly 18,000 employees of the Quicken Loans family of companies, of which Bedrock is a member, between offices, parking sites, events and other destinations, starting with a one-mile loop. It replaces a bus-shuttle route previously driven by a human, _The Detroit News_ reports."
> 
> I wonder how well they will handle the winter weather later this year. It is going to have to work in rain, snow and on icy roads, right?


Bedrock is the kind of company transporter007 works for. Maybe it IS the company he works for.

This will be the disaster I've been predicting. Just watch. One of three things will happen: lukewarm reception, bigger responsibility than they planned, or technical difficulties. Or maybe all theee.


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## Notch Johnson (Dec 17, 2016)

A disaster? This is in Detroit. How much worse could things get in Detroit? 

A shuttle bus is a good fit for the first effort of automation, the fixed routes limit the variables.


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## iheartuber (Oct 31, 2015)

Notch Johnson said:


> A disaster? This is in Detroit. How much worse could things get in Detroit?
> 
> A shuttle bus is a good fit for the first effort of automation, the fixed routes limit the variables.


As I said, it will be a disaster for one of three reasons:
lukewarm reception, bigger responsibility than they planned, or technical difficulties. Or maybe all three

Now, to be clear, if it turns out to be a hit and people use it a lot but it loses money (kinda like public transportation), in one sense it won't be a disaster for the riders, but it will be a disaster for the company that loses money.


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

Notch Johnson said:


> A disaster? This is in Detroit. How much worse could things get in Detroit?
> 
> A shuttle bus is a good fit for the first effort of automation, the fixed routes limit the variables.


Walking is FASTER. And much much healthier.

You need to watch this - A race with a self-driving vehicle in Las Vegas - VIDEO - "No contest. I clocked 16.73 seconds on the clock. It took the shuttle 48.63 seconds to arrive. That got me wondering &#8230; could I walk faster than an autonomous vehicle? Race-walking *took me 42.08 seconds. The vehicle crossed the line at 54.39 seconds."*


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

It's all fun and games until someone dies and/or the 40 ton bus goes out of control and there's no way to stop it or shut it down.


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## iheartuber (Oct 31, 2015)

uberdriverfornow said:


> It's all fun and games until someone dies and/or the 40 ton bus goes out of control and there's no way to stop it or shut it down.


I don't think anyone's trying to stop it. It's just that these things are about to roll out and some people are of the opinion that within 3 seconds after lift off they will be as successful as the iPhone, while others are ... not


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

iheartuber said:


> I don't think anyone's trying to stop it. It's just that these things are about to roll out and some people are of the opinion that within 3 seconds after lift off they will be as successful as the iPhone, while others are ... not


This is how the immediate future looks for SDC's.

Scooter companies tried to barge into San Francisco and got kicked out. Now they're making big promises to get legal. - https://www.recode.net/2018/6/26/17490378/scooter-sharing-companies-san-francisco-legal-permits


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## transporter007 (Feb 19, 2018)

uberdriverfornow said:


> It's all fun and games until someone dies and/or the 40 ton bus goes out of control and there's no way to stop it or shut it down.


Like an airliner ?
End all flights?
Sad


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

transporter007 said:


> Like an airliner ?
> End all flights?
> Sad


all airlines still have pilots


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## transporter007 (Feb 19, 2018)

uberdriverfornow said:


> all airlines still have pilots


They are called pilots, however not flying the plane
Care to take a guess what flys the plane, what takes off the plane, what lands the plane.
It ain't pilot error, that's for sure


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## jocker12 (May 11, 2017)

"The attempts to reduce the human:robot ratio without considering the principles of HRI appear to be a form of the *Air Traffic Control Metaphor Fallacy.
*
The air traffic controller (ATC) metaphor is as follows: UAVs will become sufficiently autonomous such that a single person can manage multiple platforms in the same manner as an air traffic controller manages flights within a region, and since an ATC can handle multiple aircraft safely, a single human will be able to handle multiple platforms safely. The ATC metaphor is *fallacious because it ignores the pilot in-command role*, which is unique to unmanned vehicles. If a manned air vehicle encounters difficulties, the ATC does not assume control of the aircraft; the pilot on board remains in charge of each individual aircraft and responds to the local problem. In unmanned systems, the operator is expected to be the de facto pilot-in-command of each vehicle and to take over operations in case of a problem. In terms of perceptual viewpoints, the human is expected to go from a broad, external view of ``dots on a screen" to directly operating the platform in a degraded and possibly unknown state."

from Autonomous and Semiautonomous Weapons Systems page 61

That's why the *Department of Defense* considers the human CANNOT be removed from any automated or autonomous systems.

Also

"An *autopilot* is a system used to control the trajectory of an aircraft without constant 'hands-on' control by a human operator being required. Autopilots do not replace human operators, but instead they assist them in controlling the aircraft. This allows them to focus on broader aspects of operations such as monitoring the trajectory, weather and systems."

"Disadvantages of using the FD/autopilot include the following:

1.Forgetting to maintain manual flying skills. It is important to practice flying without the FD/autopilot often enough to maintain proficiency in basic flying skills and the instrument cross-check and scan. One common pitfall of advanced avionics is the pilot's tendency to forget to maintain hard-earned skills for instrument flight. All equipment will fail at some time. The competent pilot is ready and prepared to make a transition to aircraft piloting at any time. 
2. Turbulence. The pilot's operating handbook (POH) and FD/autopilot flight manual supplements for many aircraft discourage or prohibit use of the autopilot's altitude hold function during moderate or severe turbulence. Some FD/autopilot systems may default
or disengage if certain trim or control limits are encountered during turbulent conditions. You should consult the flight manual to ensure the aircraft is not operated outside specified limits. The aircraft's flightpath and mode indications should always be monitored to ensure what modes are active.
3. Minimum altitude. Autopilots are certified for use above a specified minimum altitude above ground level (AGL). Some higher performance and higher service ceiling aircraft require autopilot control above certain airspeeds and altitudes. The flight manual and operations manual (if any) should be consulted to ensure that the pilot does not operate the aircraft outside specified limits. For higher safety standards, commercial operators must observe restrictions in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) sections 121.579, 125.328, and 135.93, according to their regulatory classification. Adoption of these limits
by private operators would add a safety margin to flights conducted under 14 CFR part 91 regulations in many cases.
4. Possible malfunction. If at any time the pilot observes unexpected or uncommanded behavior from the autopilot, he or she should disengage the autopilot until determination of the cause and its resolution. Most autopilot systems have multiple methods of disengagement; you should be immediately aware of all of them. Also be aware of the methods to cancel the FD display to avoid confusing information."

https://www.faa.gov/regulations_pol...advanced_avionics_handbook/media/aah_ch04.pdf - page 14


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

transporter007 said:


> They are called pilots, however not flying the plane
> Care to take a guess what flys the plane, what takes off the plane, what lands the plane.
> It ain't pilot error, that's for sure


pilots take off, pilots land the plane, and autopilots tend to fly the plane when cruising


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## transporter007 (Feb 19, 2018)

uberdriverfornow said:


> pilots take off, pilots land the plane, and autopilots tend to fly the plane when cruising


Whenever The FAA wants confirmation on flight technology and procedures they always consult an Uber driver
Bwahahahahabwahahahaha

Capt uberdriverfornow pilot of the ping & drop off


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

transporter007 said:


> Whenever The FAA wants confirmation on flight technology and procedures they always consult an Uber driver
> Bwahahahahabwahahahaha
> 
> Capt uberdriverfornow pilot of the ping & drop off


Would you like to admit that you were wrong about saying that autopilot takes off and lands a plane ?


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

uberdriverfornow said:


> pilots take off, pilots land the plane, and autopilots tend to fly the plane when cruising


Pilots take off but only because that's the law. There's no reason for it, modern planes are more than capable.

Pilots only do the landing if they choose to, many do not.

"Yes a *plane can land by itself* using a system that is often referred to as "autoland". The pilots *can* program the auto pilot to carry *out* the landing automatically whilst the pilots monitor the *aircraft*."

Are any of your opinions based on facts?



iheartuber said:


> Bedrock is the kind of company transporter007 works for. Maybe it IS the company he works for.
> 
> This will be the disaster I've been predicting. Just watch. One of three things will happen: lukewarm reception, bigger responsibility than they planned, or technical difficulties. Or maybe all theee.


Shuttles like these have been in service since May of 2016 and have enjoyed a popular reception.


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

Notch Johnson said:


> A disaster? This is in Detroit. How much worse could things get in Detroit?
> 
> A shuttle bus is a good fit for the first effort of automation, the fixed routes limit the variables.


Are you saying Detroit is so bad they deserve to be punished further??!!


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## uberdriverfornow (Jan 10, 2016)

RamzFanz said:


> Pilots take off but only because that's the law. There's no reason for it, modern planes are more than capable.
> 
> Pilots only do the landing if they choose to, many do not.
> 
> ...


I love how you only reiterated what I already said, then acted like I said something wrong. Only newer planes are capable of landing a plane on their own but only if visibility is good.

Getting back to the original point. All planes have pilots just like all cars should. And planes don't have any variables in the sky, like pedestrians crossing the street, stop lights, etc etc.

But this is only common sense.


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