Slashdot Mirror
Vehicles of Tomorrow?
Human Factors Guy writes "We've seen here before car manufacturers putting more and more technology into cars, but what are the cars of tomorrow going to look like? Driver monitoring through head and eye tracking (which Volvo is already
implementing), Adaptive
Cruise Control systems, maybe even pedestrian recognition systems. With
cars becoming more like semi-intelligent robots every year, what do /. readers think will and won't make it?"
Unless there's some really radical new method of powering vehicals, I just don't see anything really new in the future for vehicals. We've had over 100 years of powered vehicals and they all pretty much follow the same pattern 4 wheels and some doors, slathering on new features or electronic controls is just a new way of marketing the same design over and over. Also speaking as a pedestrian I don't think "pedestrian recognition systems" is a good idea.
"It's so convenient to have a system where everyone is a criminal" - A. Hitler
I just wish that they will be powered by something, anything other than the internal combustion engine. It's time for something new. But then again, maybe you already knew that I feel that way.
Do not read this sig.
Unless it has zero pollution and runs without petrol I don't see anything innovative.
UNIX/Linux Consulting
Cars of tomorrow are going to be as disposible as cell phones.
Especially when there's no more fuel left to power them.
If I could make one small request to the car making industry, it would be: Please do not dumb down driving.
Driving is a learned exercise that requires experience to become good at. The introduction of things like traction control, and anti-lock braking systems have caused much of the driving public to ignore time-tested techniques for maintaining control over a vehicle.
Case in point: A cousin of mine was recently endowed with a driver's license. However, nobody thought it necessary to tell him how in certain vehicles under certain conditions, pumping the brake pedal is necessary to stop. They assumed anything he drove would have anti-lock brakes.
Things like smart cruise control are going to make us become complacent about things like safe following distances and paying attention to the conditions ahead of the vehicle you are following.
Until we're ready to turn over 100% control to the robots (which shouldn't happen for a very long time), please make vehicles safer by encouraging driver experience, not by doing things for him/her.
I think the largest obstacle to getting more advanced daily transportation (flying cars, etc) is the *human* element.
We need to take *out* the human element in *most* of the flight controls and make it so that a person gets in the vehicle, says where they want to go, or types it in, and the vehicle does pretty much everything else.
We need to build these flying or driving cars to be so smart that in the event of an emergency, they have built-in, completely separate, autonomous controls to shut or bring the vehicle to a *safe* stop. Barring a completely unforeseen disaster, the vehicles would almost maintain themselves, their electronics and controls as well as their operation.
Much like computers today, they do what we *tell* them to do, right or wrong. But that's the way I see it, humans (on average and without special training) aren't likely to handle the complexities of stable, controlled flight without hurting themselves or those around them either in training or in the daily routine of getting in a flying car and going to work.
It's what I drive. FYI it lacks the following:
Anti-lock brakes
Air bags
Crumple zones
emmissions controls (well, beyond a o2 sensor anyway)
5 mph bumpers
fuel injection
What it DOES have is the following:
300 RWD HP
Manual Transmission
Limited Production
Triple Weber Carbs (a conversion from the original dual Strombergs)
Straight pipes
LOTS of sex appeal
IMO this is what the world needs more of, loud fast *sexy* cars. Down with Toyota Echos!
(note, for those of you who do not get this post, I do drive this car in reality, but the post is for humor)
So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.
I have to ask you why flying cars would be good? It requires a lot of energy to lift, say 3000 KG, 500 m in the air. If this would be done millions of times each day, it seemes as a huge energy waste.
I do not believe in flying cars. Heavily congested areas could be helped by computerized driving, where computers synchronious drive the cars in high speeds and verry close to each other.
I believe there was some example on this but on rail. So ie, there would be a "monorail"-network thruought the city, you drive your car yourself (if you want), until you reach any of the on/off ramps to the monorail net. On which your car gets controlled by a decentrialized computer network, or something like that, and each vechile is driven in huge speeds extremely close to each other (say a few hundred kph).
I wish better instrumentation became ubiquitous. Every car should have an instantaneous and average MPG indication, tire pressure indicators (and self-inflators), oil pressure, and so forth. This would help improve fuel efficiency for the country, and help reduce fuel and maintenance costs for individuals.
Automated freeway cruising.
Nope. 99 out of 100 drivers would NOT use it.
Why?
Because 99 out of 100 drivers just have to be in front of whoever's ahead of them. Many are so er.. driven by this
need to be first that they'll die trying. And
really don't care how many others they take with
them.
I'm still waiting for foam to fill the car when you have an accident...
What's to stop you from sucking it into your lungs while in it's liquid state or being able to breath after the foam has hardened? The nice thing about airbags is they deflate right away or you would probably suffocate.
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everybody agrees that it is old enough to know better." - Unknown
I think this is a cool feature in terms of gadgetry, but I would rather my car not respond according to the way some yahoo in front of me is driving. I tend to change lanes if someone in front of me is slowing down, rather than slow down with them.
You are EXACTLY the right type of driver for this gadget- the car starts slowing down, you change lanes, and as soon as you do, the car returns to the pre-programmed speed. Standard defensive driving dictates that you speed up while changing lanes- and this device mimics the behavior.
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
Since I drive ~500 mile trip a few times a year I would really like to have adaptive cruise...and it sounds like Infinity has gotten it right with the FX35...but can I get it on a car that gets 30+ mpg and costs less than $20k? I'm not really in the market for a $40k SUV....
If God had had a computer it would have taken him 7 months to create the earth...if he even bothered to do it at all.
Every driver gets a moron gun. When someone cuts you off, is speeding like a maniac etc. you "tag" their car with a moron bullet. If they get enough of them it's a ticket...
Introducing Microsoft Vacuum 1.0 The first Microsoft product that doesn't suck.
Thanks, but no thanks.
I've seen how people treat public parks, public restrooms, public sidewalks, and public transportation.
What would happen here is that you walk up to the car, hear the door unlock so you can get in, and find out that somebody broke the rearview trying to manually adjust a little too far. The seat doesn't adjust, because someone else poured coffee into the seat and shorted out the servos. The radio display is cracked, and has chewing gum stuck to it. But you won't need to adjust the radio, but the someone has done you the favor of blowing out the cones on the car speakers. You might have one side mirror, but the climate control will be stuck on 'heat'. In July.
Did I mention that the seat is sticky because the nimrod who spilled their drink into it didn't clean it up? Or that someone else has been scrawling dirty limericks on the dashboards, and phone numbers with exhortations of a 'good time' to be had? But be glad you didn't get the Com-U-Car next to it, because you saw the guy get out, and it looked like he'd thrown up in the passenger seat.
All things considered, I think I'd rather the bus, taxi, or just drive my own. At least my own car doesn't have any odors I don't already know about.
Canthros
The private automobile and the infrastructure needed to support house and maintain it is already a climax technology and all the new gadgets and alternative energy sources aren't going to make any difference in the long run. The true future of transportation is feet. This of course is after the collapse of western civilization which is already groaning under it's own weight.... but seriously... The near(er) future in urban areas should be mass transport not individual automobiles. In a densly populated area such as a city where most of the vehicles are individual automobiles are an absurdity. Do a small spacial dislocation exercise and hover over a large city, say Houston, or L.A. or Paris or Hamburg and look down at the roads and vehicles and the absurd waste of materials time and energy and on and on. Mostly for people to move around for very little reason while moving tons of material around, using huge amounts of energy to move one or two people and and an occasional bag of groceries. And then remember that the raw material for fueling and more importantly building the vehicles is in increasingly short supply. Now you should realize that all the new tech being tucked into automobiles is there for marketing and for nothing else. A sane society would be designing transportation systems not building more of the same krap with extra toy value. So go and buy your way cool toys but don't fool yourself into thinking that is anything more than that. Any utility gained by your new features is of marginal significance. You may as well by spinny rims...
"My automatic breaking system failed"
"My distance detention system was faulty"
"The Xtreme Cruise Control X-5000 messed up"
While you might be able to proove/disprove such claims, I can see the suits now. I also worry about people thinking it's ok to be LESS attentive (or worse, sober) because their car will protect them, and other drivers, from their own poor driving.
I'm very much a believer that you should be doing one thing while you in a car - driving; which means 2 hands on the wheel unless you're shifting, and watching the road and other cars - NOT having a business meeting on a cell phone, combing your hair, having dinner, watching a DVD, etc. etc. Cars a big, powerful, fast machines that require full operator attention, at all times, period. [Ok, unless parked, while you're in the backseat with your gf/bf]
I think too many gadgets of convienence will only make driving less safe as drivers become lazier and generally less attentive, if not less skilled.
'The unexamined life is not worth living' - Socrates
I concur! I've got an FX35 as well and it's been a sleeper feature for me. I got the Tech package only for the nav system and DVD entertainment system and it turns out the Adaptive Cruise is the one I use the most now!
It's especially useful during my commute where I'll end up stuck behind some grandma on a 3 mile road who can't keep a constant speed. I just set it on smart cruise and I find I get less aggravated at following someone who can't keep a constant 40mph.
And while it won't brake to a stop, it will hit the brakes pretty hard and take you down to around 25mph. All the while it's beeping like crazy and you should have enough time to react since it's already started the braking process for you.
Tomorrow's cars will be the same cars as today's cars. They'll just put in a few more gadets so you'll think you have to have a new one.
Realistically, your next car should be your feet or a bicycle. Walk to get your groceries. Bike to work. Get fitter. Live longer. Pollute less. Get big things delivered. Talk to your neighbours. Smile at strangers.
---
ECHELON is a government program to find words like bomb, jihad, plutonium, assassinate, and anarchy.
My personal wish is for a cruise control that's intelligent enough to recognize that it has to apply more gas to the engine when going uphill, rather than my current one that first slows down by 10 mph, then finally tries to speed back up.
Have you read my blog lately?
Proper starting
This will never happen for the same reason that proper corrosion protection will never happen. There has to be a reason to make you buy a new car when you get to the end of your five year loan.
Disconnect your television. Do your own research. Draw your own conclusions. They're probably lying. Don't be a sheep.
Here's a story for ya: While driving over to pickup an iTrip at the Apple Store for my new, free, 4G iPod, my brother and I ended up behind a guy who, coincedentally, had an Apple sticker, a Newton sticker and also a big ol' "Hand Up And Drive!" bumper sticker on the back of his Jeep Wrangler.
:P
Well, we were on a 2 lane road and he was in front of us and was tailgating the car in front of him pretty badly and I could tell it wasn't your normal, this is how I drive all the time, style tailgating. Obviously, this guy was pissed at the person in front of him. Suddenly he swerved into oncomming traffic and passed the car he was tailgaiting, popped back over onto our side into a second lane that had just opened up and then proceeded to scream and yell at the person, who was driving beside him now, while we all slowed and stopped at a stoplight.
My brother and I were dumbfounded! What did this person do to make this guy drive so dangerously?
What we saw through the back window of the tailgaited car, now in front of us, we saw that the woman in the car had been/was on a cellphone! Ohnos! Makes you wonder who the truely dangerous drivers are, doesn't it?
PS - Just to figuratively give the guy the finger over this whole incident, I used my cellphone while driving too! But I didn't use it to talk. Instead I used it to take a picture of his road raging ass: http://flickr.com/photos/celerityfm/312722/
IN YOUR FACE CELLPHONE NAZI!!!
...unfortunately no one can be told what The Mat^H^H^HGoatse is...they must experience it for themselves...
it works so well on the sites with moderating systems...
Okay, assume everyone converts to small autopiloted passenger aircraft.
What happens when the autopilot fails, and remember, it always will have SOME nonzero failure rate? Are you okay with a handful of miniplanes falling out of the sky and killing a dozen passengers at a time every year? Do you think anyone will want to ride the miniplane knowing there's nothing they can do to save their lives if something goes awry?
Part of the reason air travel is safer than car travel right now is that there are a lot fewer vehicles in the air than on the roads, and the pilots of those aircrafts are much more highly trained and regulated. Putting thousands more small craft in the air and putting all our faith in fallible technology pretty much erases those advantages.
Hey, when comfort can be had without:
1) Destroying the ecosystem
2) Unnecessarily causing huge wars over scarce resources
3) Setting up an economy based on a non-renewable resource which is doomed to crash
then I'm all in favor of it. However, using fossil fuels to go everywhere is a short-sighted solution to an problem that can be solved without causing any of the problems like the three above.
So, yeah. If you don't wanna occasionally ride a bike or pedal a car, even though it's better for everyone on the entire planet, then you are lazy as well as selfish.
---------The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
As anyone who has ever strayed from Vault 13 would know, the car of the future is 100% analog, no computer of any kind.
Simple vehicles weigh less, last longer, and have greater cool factor. Seriously, my favorite transportation is the mostly 1979 Harley Sportster I built with my own two hands. It has 3 circuits, a headlight, a breaklight, and an ignition coil.
Trying to use sarcasm in text-based forums does not work.
It's the next logical step. Then you have a car which can drive itself...
P RT/
But if cars can drive themselves it doesn't really make sense that everyone has one, after all, it isn't really a good use of resources to have a car or three sitting idle in office/mall garages for an individual when it can be off transporting your children to school and your wife to the shops or her own job. There's no longer a need for a 3 car family, you simply call the car and tell it when and where you want to be picked up. Why spend 80 grand on multiple cars when you can spend 30 grand on one car and the other 50 on something more enjoyable?
But wait, we can take this a step further, why limit it just to private transport, the same applies to public transport. Why own a car at all when you can simply call an autotaxi and it'll pick you up when and where you want and deliver you when and where you want. Instead of investing 80 grand in hardware which depreciates by 30% the second it rolls out of the showroom and then continues to cost you 2 grand a year in fuel, servicing and insurance. Simply call an autocab.
Course there's still the problem of traffic, just because most of the cars are driven automatically doesn't reduce the numbers on the road and there are still going to be normally driven cars on the road so you're still going to get stuck in traffic jams during rush hour. You could take the public autotaxis off the road and put them on separate raised "roads" which allows full computer control and which bypass the normal roads, thereby bypassing the traffic jams.
e.g.
http://www.skywebexpress.com/
and
http://www.atsltd.co.uk/
and
http://www.yorkprt.com/
and
http://www.austrans.com/
The concept is called Personal Rapid Transit and is basically a packet based mass transit system. It's perfectly possible to implement today.
More info:
http://faculty.washington.edu/~jbs/itrans/
http://www.cprt.org/
http://www.acprt.org/
Government of the people, by corporate executives, for corporate profits.
No way I am going to ride on a train. You people scare me.
If I could have a compartment all to myself where I could take out a book or my laptop and read on the way to work.
I tried taking the Metrolink train here in So. Cal. to work for a few months. It was miserable. All of the people would talk to each other about nothing important at all. They would proceed to do this loudly, sometimes they would try to involve me in the conversation.
Here is a hint, just because I have to sit next to you doesn't mean I want to have anything to do with you, at all, EVER. Let me read my book and leave me alone.
So now I am back to driving for 2 to 3 hours a day to and from work on the crowded 91 freeway.
Yes I am polluting but at least I am in a car by myself.
The bad thing about "Public Transportation" is the public. Take them out of it and I am all for it.
Those who can do... Those who can't get a certification from Cisco or Microsoft.
You clearly don't understand how planned obsolescence works.
So the manufacturer installs pre-oiling equipment to its engines. Do the engines last longer?
No. The manufacturer will cut corners somewhere else (less expensive cylinder materials, for example), so that the whole motor costs less to make, and still wears out as fast as motors do today, even with the pre-oiling gear.
That's commuting.
:)
This is driving.