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The Mercedes-Benz 'Cloaking Device'

cold fjord writes "As part of its marketing campaign for the new hydrogen fuel cell powered F-Cell, Mercedes-Benz has equipped one with a cloaking device. They covered one side of an F-Cell with LEDs and used cameras on the other side to capture the view, which is then displayed on the LEDs to effectively remove the vehicle from the line of sight."

5 of 163 comments (clear)

  1. Terminology by subreality · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A proper cloaking device isn't just a flat image of the surroundings; it would need to be holographic so it would look right from any angle.

    I would call this "adaptive camouflage", and it's doing a damned good job at that.

  2. Hydrogen centralizes the pollution for remediation by perpenso · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Until our electricity comes from renewable sources hydrogen power is worse than fossil fuels.

    I don't think it is quite that simple. Hydrogen moves the pollution from many mobile sources, cars, to a very small number of non-mobile sources, power generation stations. With all pollution coming from these stations there is the opportunity for remediation, capturing the pollution to prevent its entry into the environment. Doing so is expensive and technically challenging but plausible.

  3. Re:Hydrogen centralizes the pollution for remediat by perpenso · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't think it is quite that simple. Hydrogen moves the pollution from many mobile sources, cars, to a very small number of non-mobile sources, power generation stations.

    You know what also does that? Electric cars. And without the extra, extremely inefficient electrolysis step.

    Again, it is not that simple. You forgot about the batteries. Import lithium from distant lands, manufacture batteries, use batteries, recycle/dispose of batteries in the proper manner, by expensive new batteries, ...
    Now ad downtime for charging.

    All electric is not a panacea. It has its own set of issues and requires some technical advances.

    Hydrogen has an advantage in that it reuses existing internal combustion technology. Minor modifications plus greater power output. Its issues are more infrastructure related. Of course all electric will need new infrastructure as well, chargers in parking lots, etc

  4. Re:All My by mjwx · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Luxury cars are cloaked too - which is why it looks like I drive an old minivan

    Bah, I dont need a cloaking device, most drivers act like the cant see my car already.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  5. Re:What's point? by gl4ss · · Score: 4, Insightful

    the point is to get eyeballs on the car, it's an advertisement device.

    --
    world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.