Slashdot Mirror
Smart Cars Tell You About Road Signs
Roland Piquepaille writes "There are many systems designed to help car drivers and to improve safety. In this article, New Scientist focuses on a system developed by the National ICT Australia lab (NICTA). This new driver assistance system uses three cameras, one to look at road signs ahead and two to check what the driver is looking at. The images are transmitted to a computer which decodes the road signs and the driver's reactions to them. If you're driving above speed limits, you will be alerted. Same thing if you're about to pass a stop sign without reducing speed. You still can choose to ignore the warnings, but if you're caught speeding, you'll have to tell the police officer why you refused to slow down. This system is currently being tested and appears to perform well especially in poor lighting conditions. Read more for other references about similar helping systems and to see how the road signs are analyzed."
...my mother already does this when I drive her anywhere... do I really need the car to do it as well?
Find out about the Lexus Rx400h Hybrid!
does it also read the secret markings on the back of the signs used for tactical planning in the case of a UN invasion?
Officer: You were doing 100 in a 50. Do you have anything to say for yourself?
Speeder: The voices in my head. I was trying to get away from the voices...the voices...make it stop.
Car: I see that you are stopped on the side of the highway. Do you want me to call the highway patrol and alert them?
Speeder: Ahhhhhhhhh!
"I don't want to pay an extra $5k for junk I don't need. "
Don't worry. Next years cars will not have brakes.
and, Stupid Cars tell you about the Extended Warranty
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
" ...my mother already does this when I drive her anywhere... do I really need the car to do it as well?"
Son! What did I tell you about talking to strangers?
For those old enough to remember Firesign Theater, yet immature enough to read /. (which apparently includes me):
"Antelope Freewway, 1/2 mile"
"Antelope Freewway, 1/4 mile"
"Antelope Freewway, 1/8 mile"
"Antelope Freewway, 1/16 mile"
"Antelope Freewway, 1/32 mile"
etc...
I was doing 120 km/h in a 100 kmm/h zone near the Sunshine Coast and a cop pulled me over. When he asked me why I was doing 120, I said "Mate, it's a beautiful day, great and straight road and I was just speeding." He gave me the ticket and I thanked him for doing a great job.
:-)
I think he nearly arrested me for excessive happiness
When they came for the communists, I said "He's next door. Take him away. Goddam commies."
Once this becomes a standard feature in cars, I can see the future youth hacking it and customizing it to say things like "woman with child, 50 points".
Meh.
Yer, it should cost closer to $10,000 by then.
liqbase
It's only $5,000 right now. Things will get better in a decade or so.
... we'll have flying cars by then
pfft
I like the idea. I like it more if you can give it a familiar voice like, say, your Dad when he taught you how to drive.
.... STOP!!! Jesus Christ, what the hell are you doing?"
"stop... stop
If Nalgene water bottles are outlawed, only outlaws will have Nalgene water bottles.
You actually expect people to get over that early?
Sheesh, I don't get over until the last 400 meters (or when I see the quarter-mile sign, since I live in the U.S.). This assists other commuters by forcing them to slow down suddenly and spill their morning coffee down the front of themselves, thus resulting in burns in very sensitive places, which helps them stay awake at the Friday morning status meeting. Everyone knows how boring those are, so, really, I'm doing everyone a great service. On Monday, I try extra hard to do my duty, and close the gap to about 100 meters.
I'm a Masshole and I'm proud. It is my God-given right to cut you off. Long live the Commonwealth!
Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
I don't want anything I use to be "smart" or smarter than me, or approaching as smart as me.
It's just too easy...
Seriously though, why do you have a problem with stuff you use being smarter then you or nearly as smart as you? Are you that insecure?
How freaking hard is it to learn to drive yourself anyways?
"You know how it is, it's quite easy to accidently speed"
"What stop sign? I was too busy watching that jack-ass in front of me."
"I got lost. I forgot which road I'm suppose to turn down, hey give me a break, I've never been here before."
"What's the speed limit again?"
All those are close approximations to actual quotes I've heard from numerous drivers. This technology or other technology helps in making sure those situations don't happen. If everyone was such a perfect driver as yourself must be, there obviously wouldn't be any speeding cameras, people wouldn't get booked for going through a stop sign, etc. But seeings how not everyone is as perfect as you it does happen on a regular basis. This technology helps curb that.