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Toyota Offers Automatic Parallel Parking Option
dstone writes "For drivers who can't parallel park very well, relief is available in Japan. Toyota Motor Corp. is offering a $2,200 option package for its Prius (a gas-electric hybrid car) that includes a computer imaging system which stuffs your car into parallel parking spaces on demand. The driver must manually initiate the process and control the brakes while the car steers in reverse. Some might say if you can't master parallel parking, perhaps you shouldn't be driving. However, the article at Modbee.com points out that in Japan, streets are jammed and parallel parking spaces can be ruthlessly small. 80% of Prius customers have opted for this package. But will the car plug the meter when I run out of time?"
Then Toyota would fight over who was negligent when the thing crashs and the airbags deploy.
What pricks my curiosity is why large cars are such a status symbol. In a city like New York, you have these massive limos that must be impossible to park (I guess that's why you get one with a driver, so they can drive around the block while you entertain yourself). London seems to be riddled with big ol' 4wd monsters that never even see a national route, let alone go off-road. Admittedly the Smart car is a bit uglee, but if you're only going to be averaging 30mph and need to park to a short order, seems a sensible option...
My 2 coppers.
- Lnr
What do manual locks and windows have to do with anything? You can't possible tell me that something is lost with the convenience of pressing a button to lower your window or pressing a button to lock and unlock doors.
-N
I've nothing to say here...
I know nothing about lawsuits in Japan, so this may not be a factor.
But when I read the article (bad slashdotter, BAD!) and came to the part that said 'there is no onboard object recognition, so there is nothing that is going to stop you from running over something in the parking space.' I thought, oooohhhh boy.
I don't think this will make it to the US for this reason. If it does, then the first time someone runs over someone elses dog all hell is gonna break loose. People are gonna be saying that it is in fact Toyota's fault that they ran over the dog.
Stupid lawsuits, stupid people.
Come to think of it wew may never get that feature in the US no matter how good of a job they do.
Lets say a company does make a decent object recognition package for the car, is it possible for them to actually be 100 percent sure that the car will recognize an object in 100 percent of situations that come along?
Cause as soon as that figure moves to 99 percent then some doofushead is gonna argue that the object recognition feature takes the responsibility of running something over out of there hands and into the car manufacturers hands.
Nah, we will never see it on our shores.
The point of having a meter is to keep parking slots open. You have a maximum limit (usually 4 hours or so) after which you are required to move your car so as to free up the parking space for someone else.
Installing a pay-as-you-park meter completely defeats the purpose of the parking meter because it encourages you to leave your car in the space indefinitely with no penalty for failing to yield the space after a reasonable amount of time.
pedestrians
Except, of course, when your faulty car cruise-controls you into a lake and the electronics go out. Now, where's that hammer?
Be wary of any facts that confirm your opinion.
I don't think he was being funny. His posting history doesn't lead one to such a conclusion.
Truth is, a lot of drivers out there are probably a hazard to the rest of us, but anything that assists them and makes them less of a hazard is a good thing in my opinion.
Just because you're good at parallel parking, manual shifting, and using a command line doesn't mean that anyone who can't do those things well is inferior.
The left lane is A passing lane, not THE passing lane. If you're not passing, you should be in the right lane. Middle lanes should also be passing. Don't go slower than the right lane in the middle lane.
If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
One of my friends cant really handle forward parking! let alone reverse it takes about 10-20 backwards and forwards cycles to get in and im not exagerating! (or spell checking) I think slowly bit by bit these minor things will get replaced by automatic systems until it all pretty much goes auto.
This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
Err... no, it doesn't have a traditional CVT. It has what the marketroids like to call an "electrically controlled CVT". What does that mean? No cones, no belts, no clutches, no shifting, no nothing. It is implemented using a single planetary gearset (normal automatic transmission have a few sets of planetary gears), one small (10 HP) motor generator, one large (40 to 60 HP, depending on 2003 or 2004) motor generator, and the internal combustion engine. The small MG is allowed to freewheel sometimes, sometimes it generates electricity, and other times it is actually driven to provide a different gear ratio at the expense of a little electrical energy. Reverse gear you ask? Doesn't have one; instead, it drives in reverse only via electrical energy, which is used to spin the large MG backwards (it is attached to the output of the engine/transmission combo so it can directly drive the wheels while freewheeling the smaller MG).
The Prius (especially the 2004) is really the nerds wet dream come true. It is chock full of technology that can't be had in another car for the same price (some of it can't be had at *any* price). The best thing about the electrically controlled transmission is that it is unlikely to need servicing since it has no parts that transition from being in contact to out of contact and back; this transmission is always engaged and has no friction surfaces that will wear out (like clutches).
It really is a cool car and it probably more complex than you think; you should check it out.
Harold