Self driving 1993 Volvo with open pilot

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Steering Column and Structural Safety

  • Major concern over welding the steering column; cited as a single glaring safety weakness.
  • Reference to a famous fatal crash where a shortened, badly welded steering column failed.
  • Some argue welding itself is fine if done to a high standard, and that many factory and race cars use welded columns.
  • Others worry about lack of professional QA/inspection for such critical work and question trusting amateur welds in public-road use.

Throttle, Braking, and Actuator Risks

  • Debate over the accelerator servo being called “low safety impact”:
    • Critics fear a stuck servo at full throttle and limited reaction time.
    • Counterpoints: manual gearbox allows clutch/neutral; brakes are designed to overpower full throttle.
  • Some note earlier “sudden unintended acceleration” incidents mostly involved driver error or floor mats.
  • One commenter views the non-failsafe throttle linkage as inherently dangerous.

Legality, Regulation, and Insurance

  • Multiple comments state such heavy DIY modifications are almost certainly illegal on public roads in Sweden/Finland and would fail Dutch inspection without individual approval.
  • Individual approvals in the EU can allow unusual vehicles but depend heavily on local authority discretion.
  • Concern that insurance may refuse third‑party payouts if the car is not road‑legal; others note some regimes still require insurers to pay.
  • Swedish police reportedly say “autopilot” is illegal, though the boundary with lane assist is unclear.
  • Some see the rally context and “carbage” nature as part of the fun, others stress public‑safety and liability risks.

Drivetrain and Vehicle Details

  • Discussion on whether the car is manual or automatic; evidence from clutch hydraulics strongly indicates a manual.
  • Broader debate on prevalence of manuals vs automatics in Europe vs US, and changing trends with EVs.

Technical Alternatives and Corrections

  • Suggestions that using a later ABS pump could have enabled brake actuation without an iBooster; later clarified this car lacks ABS.
  • Clarification that the engine is fuel‑injected with a cable throttle, not carbureted; factory cruise‑control hardware might have simplified throttle control.
  • Some note modern steering solutions: electric racks, modified hydraulic pressure, or manual racks as safer/easier than column welding.

Openpilot and ADAS Discussion

  • Interest in adding radar to the comma device; openpilot can consume radar input.
  • Forks (e.g., sunnypilot, frogpilot) add speed‑limit control, curve‑speed prediction, stop‑sign/light handling, and tunable driving behavior.
  • One developer is working on a fork to approach modern OEM ADAS quality, noting many remaining shortcomings (e.g., pedestrian clearance, nuanced lane changes).

Car Culture, Risk Tolerance, and Reactions

  • Many readers find the project inspiring, praising old Volvos and DIY engineering.
  • Others are “scared” to share roads with experimental self‑driving garage builds, regardless of builder competence.
  • Side debates on US vs EU modification freedom, decline vs persistence of hot‑rodding, and Sweden’s controversial slow “A‑tractor” cars for teens, which some see as a real safety/nuisance problem.