> The only way 100% fully self driving cars will ever happen is for the infrastructure itself to be built to accommodate them.
I think we'll see 100% automation for freeways within a short time. I think the only way we'll see 100% automation for arbitrary point a to point b in 50 years, that a standard human could "safely" do, is if we get flying transport.
I agree with you. I think freeway travel can be 99% automated in the very near future. I also think that's where the MAJOR wins will come from. Long haul trucking can flow 24/7 at that point, with the drivers keeping their jobs and doing last mile delivery.
How do you define 'near future'? If I want to reliably autopilot any significant distance, I do it by camping in the middle lane. Even then, AP isn't any better now than it was a year ago, it still ping pongs, turns late, cuts off merging traffic, etc. The freeway certainly seems like a good first candidate for automation, but I don't feel like we're anywhere near 99% automation of it.
I think we'll see 100% automation for freeways within a short time. I think the only way we'll see 100% automation for arbitrary point a to point b in 50 years, that a standard human could "safely" do, is if we get flying transport.