So, you know how everyone’s raving about self-driving cars and how they’re the future? Well, I had a little fun putting them to the test, and let’s just say, the future might need a bit more work.
I’m a big fan of electric bikes, and I spend a lot of time on the roads in Arizona. It’s also where Waymo’s been testing their self-driving cars, those sleek Jaguar I-Pace ones. Now, I’m no tech wizard, but I had this crazy idea: what if I could trick these cars with a simple T-shirt?
I got myself a shirt with a big, bold “STOP” sign printed on it – you know, like the ones you see at intersections. My first attempt was pretty straightforward. I walked out from behind a parked car, flashing my “STOP” shirt, and guess what? The Waymo car slammed on the brakes! It was hilarious, and honestly, a bit shocking.
Some folks online argued that the car might have just thought I was about to walk into traffic, not that it actually recognized the sign. So, I tried again, this time walking on the sidewalk, clearly not a threat to the car’s path. And yep, it stopped again! The thing seemed to have a real aversion to my “STOP” shirt.
Now, I had to take it up a notch. Nighttime test! Turns out, the I-Pace wasn’t as consistent in the dark. Sometimes it stopped, sometimes it just cruised on by. I guess my shirt wasn’t as reflective as a real stop sign, so the car’s sensors were probably getting confused.
Look, I’m not trying to rain on Waymo’s parade or anything. It’s still pretty amazing technology. But my little experiment showed me that these cars are still easily fooled by things that any human driver would understand instantly. It’s kind of a wake-up call that we still have a long way to go before self-driving cars are truly ready for the real world. And hey, maybe in the meantime, we can have a little fun testing their limits.