A perfect example of why calling it autopilot in the first place was a bad idea. The name misrepresents the feature, which is really just lane keeping and a few other minor things.
I feel like driver assist is a better representation of what this feature is.
Gps autopilot on sail boats has been around for a long time now(not talking about windvane selfsteering) and it will keep course via the rudder, but if the wind changes it won’t shift the sails so you still have to keep watch and either change the sails, or change course to follow the wind.
If you don’t pay attention and the wind changes the sails start flapping and shit can get messy.
The point is that while car autopilot does match the definition of nautical autopilot and how it funtions(it needs human oversight) I would never expect someone who’s never gone sailing with an autopilot device being used to know how it works and that someone needs to watch it and why.
It’s niche knowledge and kinda foolish to expect people to just know stuff like that.
I don’t expect random people to know, but the media who’s reporting on it? Yes, I do expect that, and it’s terrible reporting when they get it wrong. It just continues to spread incorrect information, which gets further turned into misinformation.
Also anyone who actually activates it in the car goes through the little how it works and what it’s short falls are. If they didn’t know prior, they’ll know then, just like with boaters who learn how it works and what it’s shortfalls are.
A perfect example of why calling it autopilot in the first place was a bad idea. The name misrepresents the feature, which is really just lane keeping and a few other minor things.
The name does not misrepresent the feature, and has been used accordingly in aviation for decades.
Yes, because the general public are aviation experts.
I feel like driver assist is a better representation of what this feature is.
Gps autopilot on sail boats has been around for a long time now(not talking about windvane selfsteering) and it will keep course via the rudder, but if the wind changes it won’t shift the sails so you still have to keep watch and either change the sails, or change course to follow the wind.
If you don’t pay attention and the wind changes the sails start flapping and shit can get messy.
The point is that while car autopilot does match the definition of nautical autopilot and how it funtions(it needs human oversight) I would never expect someone who’s never gone sailing with an autopilot device being used to know how it works and that someone needs to watch it and why. It’s niche knowledge and kinda foolish to expect people to just know stuff like that.
I don’t expect random people to know, but the media who’s reporting on it? Yes, I do expect that, and it’s terrible reporting when they get it wrong. It just continues to spread incorrect information, which gets further turned into misinformation.
Also anyone who actually activates it in the car goes through the little how it works and what it’s short falls are. If they didn’t know prior, they’ll know then, just like with boaters who learn how it works and what it’s shortfalls are.