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EU Approves Anti-Collision Automobile Radar

Posted by timothy on from the flying-is-next-year dept.

Oscar writes "The European Union has approved frequencies for short-range radars that can detect collision dangers and automatically apply cars brakes. The technology should be available by mid-2005. 'Short-range radar can save lives,' said Viviane Reding, the EU commissioner responsible for the decision, which opens radio bands while preventing radio interference to other essential users of these frequencies. Full text of the legislation is available in English, French, and German in PDF format."

15 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. This is how it starts by samael · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There isn't going to be a sudden switchover from person-driven cars to AI driven ones. Instead you'll see the steady accretion of functionality that covers one situation after another, until there's nothing left for the 'driver' to do.

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    1. Re:This is how it starts by DrSkwid · · Score: 2, Funny

      in Korea, only old people know how to drive cars

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      There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
    2. Re:This is how it starts by g0dsp33d · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Welcome to the world of Minority Report. I wonder if some luxury brands will avoid AI systems to let people choose their own way, and how accepting the general population will become to AI driving?

      --
      lol: You see no door there!
  2. backup radar by p38 · · Score: 2, Funny

    My wife needs this on her car.

  3. Warning: I brake for BSODs! by nekoniku · · Score: 4, Funny

    Golly, I can't wait for my Windows OS car to slam on the brakes for no reason whatsoever while I'm in the passing lane on the Interstate!

    --
    "It's a wonderful idea. But it doesn't work." -- Tad Danielewski
  4. women of the world rejoice by cassidyc · · Score: 2, Interesting

    let the stereotype arguments begin here.

    Though to be fair the last study I heard showed that women were more likely to have a shunt in a car park, where said radar might prove useful. Wereas men were more likely to lose control and hit a tree. Radar less useful there.

    CJC

  5. That's all well and good by bairy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    But what happens to the car behind you who's too close and doesn't have this system and your car brakes sharply. There's a reason rear view mirrors exist and there's a reason humans drive cars.. because we know what's happening all around, computers don't

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    1. Re:That's all well and good by alienw · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Here's a simple solution to that dilemma: DON'T TAILGATE. I'd be more concerned about the system doing something stupid, like braking on a sharp turn because it sees a tree or a car on the side of the road or something. That would really be dangerous.

    2. Re:That's all well and good by Nos. · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The same thing that happens now. If I'm driving and you're riding my a$$ and I stop suddenly, you better stop before you hit me. If not, you're at fault, you're going to pay the insurance premiums, you're going to pay the fines, etc. I can't believe you got modded insightful for this.

      Too many people today drive as if they are more important than everyone else on the road. They tailgate while waiting to pass, they cut off traffic because they stayed in the left lane (North America) too long and have to cut over quick to make their exit/turn.

    3. Re:That's all well and good by sarlen · · Score: 2, Interesting
      But what happens to the car behind you who's too close and doesn't have this system and your car brakes sharply

      The idea behind the technology is that the computer knows that most the time the car infront of you stops it's not necessary to *slam* on your breaks. It knows immediately how slowly you can break so as to keep your driving smooth but also slow down fast enough.

      Bottom line, this technology would cut down on sharp breaks.

  6. I'd like to see that in the US by wowbagger · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'd like to see that in the US, along with logic to determine if the car is tailgating and has been tailgating for more than a couple of seconds.

    Along with the integration of a cattleprod in the driver's seat, of course.

    However, since they auto industry doesn't employ BAEFHs (bastard automotive engineers from hell), a simple "Warning - tailgating" or a beeper would be acceptable.

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  7. Not so fun... by stienman · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Think of the cheap availability of radar jammers.

    Apply copiously to a stream of traffic to find the few cars that automatically brake.

    Watch the cars behind them plow into them.

    Profit! (If you're a body shop or tow truck)

    Of course, the signalling is going to be sufficiently difficult that you have to aim it at the car you intend to fool and send a special signal specifically designed to affect just the one car. If the system sees a car 50 feet ahead, then one a few inches ahead it'll probably ignore it is a spurious signal if the changre happens 'instantaneously'. If it sees a car move into its lane from the side the signal would be different, and if the car in front slowed quickly the signal would also be different.

    Still, I can't wait for people to start complaining about accidents that happened because they thought the car would stop, or rear end collision because the car did stop. There's so much liability that car makers are about 15 years behind where we could be.

    -Adam

  8. This is a disaster in the making by MerryGoByeBye · · Score: 2, Insightful

    As well as a form of oppression. Now, we will all have to suffer for the stupidity of others. Just like with cell phone bans and draconian drug measures, we pay for a group of complete morons/socioopaths who can't seem to figure out how to live in society.

    I wonder where the "acceptable" distance from the car in front will come from? Acceptable for whom? A distance that a young adult can stomach and handle is far outside the scope of your average geriatric. So will we force young people to feel like they're on the Wedway People Mover(TM) or will we just polish off the oldest 5% of the driving populace through heart attacks and strokes? What if you find yourself in a "guillotine" situation that requires either a very inefficient and dangerous deceleration or a sharp accceleration and a cut-through? What if the brakes cut in just as you're changing that lane? I could go on and on.

    Sorry, this idea sucks.

    Until someone can demonstrate that a computer can out-think (and I mean out-think, not out-calculate) a human, this is ridiculous.

  9. Road surface conditions, context by degraeve · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It is a particularly bad idea to suddenly apply the brakes if the road is icy. Or if you are in the middle of a turn. Or if you are merging onto a highway.

  10. Remeber Ohio... by Caydel · · Score: 2, Interesting
    This kind of reminds me of back when ABS was new.

    In Ohio, they had alot of troubles with ABS. What happened was that the state troopers got a new radio system. There was a small problem however. Whenever a trooper used a radio beside a newer Caddilac with ABS, the Caddy would start braking hard randomly as the driver was driving.

    When they eventually started looking into this, it turned out that the state trooper radio was tuned to the same frequency as that used to control the Caddilac ABS, therefore causeing these problems.

    Now, I don't know if anyone died from this, however, it seems to me that a new braking technology like this would be subject to alot of assorted bugs. Like an earlier poster mentioned, someone with a radar jammer could really screw you over. It seems to me that anyone with any electronic ability would be able to find someway to make your life miserable.