[ripvanrando]

The real challenge, says Pratt, a former academic and government program manager in robotics and intelligent systems, is developing a vehicle that can drive in "very difficult domains," such as rainy weather or crowded roads. That's level five, and Shladover, for one, says he wouldn't be surprised if it's 2075 before we get there

Shladover believes AV companies need to be much clearer about the "operational design" of their vehicles—in other words, the specific set of conditions under which the cars can function without a driver's assistance. "But most of the time they won't say, or they don't even know themselves," he says.

Congress is now considering legislation that would allow AV-makers to deploy the cars so long as they are deemed as safe as current vehicles. Even that is a high bar, Shladover notes

How much less safe than a driver operated vehicle is good enough?

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/...riverless-cars