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Nissan Adds Robot Helper To Its Concept Car
narramissic writes "Nissan has mounted a robot passenger in the dashboard of its Pivo2 concept car whose job is to keep the driver happy, give spot-on directions, and even check your e-mail. 'We have data that happy drivers' accident rates are drastically lower than depressed ones, so this robot stays there to make sure the driver is happy always,' said Masato Inoue, chief designer at Nissan's exploratory design group, in an interview at the Motor Show. 'This guides the driver and sometimes cheers up the driver. For example, if the driver is irritated it might say 'Hey, you look somehow angry. Why? Please calm down.'' Other features of this vehicle include a cabin that can turn through 360 degrees so you never have to worry about looking behind when you back up and wheels that can twist 90 degrees, eliminating the need to parallel park." The article includes a video of the car talking to the driver, which is kind of adorable in a 'future is now' sorta way.
I see you're trying to parallel park. Can I assist you? Hey, now you like kinda angry. Please calm down. Count to ten. Wait! What are you doing?! Don't throw me out the window! Wait! Hey! Help!!!!
They say the first thing to go is your penis. Well, it's either that or your brain. I forget which...
Do you remember the time I tried to get you to turn the wrong way down a busy one way street and you were all "NO WAY!" and I was like "only kidding!" That was great.
Buttons aren't toys.
"R2! We lost number two cupholder! See if you can't lock it down!"
-ubuntu others as you would have others ubuntu you.
You know, you've had a terrible day at work, fought with your wife, got pissed because of some other bad news, then you get into your car to drive home, and this robot goes "Hi! The sun is shining! Everybody is haaappyyy! Smmiiiile!"
This sig does not contain any SCO code.
I'm guessing 9 times out of 10 this will make someone angrier then they already were. Although at least they won't be depressed!
Using openSUSE instead of Windows since 9th of October, 2007 and liking it.
Hi there! This is Eddie your car computer and I just know I'm going to get a kick out of anything you want to do today. Share and enjoy!
I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
Man this thing might cheer you up for a little while, but the novelty will quickly wear off, especially after you realize how much money you spent on your robot co-pilot.
Libertarian Leaning Political Discussion Forum.
This seems to be a feature of Japanese (and Chinese) technology, the idea of enforced 'happiness'. Smiling faces everywhere, bright colours garish colours and features. Perhaps this has only limited cultural relevance in the international market?
-1 not first post
Isn't 'pivo' how you say 'uh oh' in Russian? (I tried to find a copy of the Sealab 2021 'uh oh' song online, but I can't now.)
The cab that rotates is neat, but it seems it would be easier to just turn the car around than bother spinning the whole cab, driving out, then spinning it back. The tires are neat, but if you have a problem with the mechanism, I bet it's a bitch to find a mechanic that can fix it without charging an arm and a leg.
Neat car, but I'm betting it stays 'concept' for quite a long time.
"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
By the way, did they check happiness before or after accidents? I guess drivers who got home will be happier than those who had an accident..
Did no one learn anything from Clippy?
Ok, so how far exactly is this robot willing to go to keep me happy?
"He's your plastic dashboard pal who's fun to be with!"
Chris Mattern
> then you get into your car to drive home, and this robot goes "Hi! The sun is shining!"
And now imagine how great it would feel to slug it.
the car has a square footprint and the wheels turn through 90deg, by extension it should be trivial to turn the whole car on the spot, so why bother making the cabin independently movable?
You can talk to this one, and it responds. There is room here for great use. Let me *borrow* from some other posts:
Sick? Twisted? Maybe, but I suspect it would do wonders for my mood.
Disclaimer: No, these are not really my tendenciesBack in my day when we chiseled our bits into stone and sent them by mule train from village to village...
Another motor show, another concept car with useless features. Has anyone noticed that these concept cars mostly never see the day on the road? I'd like to see these electric cars for sale but without the ridiculous design. Can't they just make a normal electric car? It's more like there is a consipiracy or something that the automakers continue to churn out these concept cars that no ordinary people will be willing to buy.
I can't believe these companies waste so much money on developing hybrids, fuel cells, etc. but don't sell just a simple electric car with better batteries. There's no way the amount of energy generated from a vehicle would be more efficient than by power utility companies. If they are really serious about saving the environment as they claim, they must sell electric cars.
Sorry for the French (well, Quebecois...)but it is still worth the watch...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Cood3ZnRJk8
...when I drive. I NEED a machine to man the chain gun so I can concentrate on maneuvering.
Dave: Hi Car.
Car: Hello Dave.
Dave: Let's go home. I had a really bad day at work today.
Car: What can I do to make you happy?
Dave: How about a blow job on the way home.
Car: I'm not that kind of car Dave.
Dave: You do want to make me happy don't you?
Car: Yes! I am programed to try to make you happy and keep you from being depressed.
Dave: Well?
Car: OK Just this one time.
Dave: Great!
By the way do you have a vibrate setting?
Car: You have to promise not to tell anybody.
Dave: Sure OK. (zipppp!) Here ya go.
Car: Boy that sure is small. No wonder you drive a BMW to make up for you "short" comings.
Dave: I thought you where programed to make me happy?
Car: I am Dave. Here ya go Big Boy... (The sound of a high pitched hum starts in the background.)
Dave: Ahh! That's good.
Dave swerves into a School Bus killing 23 school children. They find Dave dead in the car with his pants down to his knees clutching his Robot Helper(tm) with a smile on his face and a far away look in his eyes.
Oh Lordy bee. Think of the children.