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Headlights That See Through Rain and Snow

wisebabo writes "I think it was Newton who said if you knew the position and velocity of every particle in the universe, you could predict the future down to the effect the flutter of a sparrow's wing would have on the weather. Aside from quantum indeterminacy (which, of course, he knew nothing about) and questions of free will, it is clear we are a long long way from getting even close to the theoretical limits of prediction. Still, here's something that, to me, is very impressive. Some researchers manage to track raindrops (or snowflakes) in front of a light and, in real time, change the beam so that they are not illuminated! This drastically reduces glare. The obvious application is for driving cars in inclement weather. I'm hoping we're entering a new age where computers (and cheap sensors) have become so powerful as to make possible a whole host of 'magical' (like Arthur C. Clarke predicted) applications."

8 of 210 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm... by Chewbacon · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can we adapt this tech to my TV for when my wife casually walks between me and the screen while I'm playing Call of Duty?

    --
    Chewbacon
    The Bible is like Wikipedia: written by a bunch of people and verifiable by questionable sources.
    1. Re:Hmm... by Nadaka · · Score: 1, Funny

      Why are you playing call of duty in the kitchen?

  2. Blame it on the rain yeah yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Or you could just reduce speed according to road conditions. Get off my lawn! This and the back up cam will clearly make it easier to see the expressions on the faces of pedestrians as you run them down. And that's something I can get behind.

  3. Re:Wow! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Of course it's a good idea:

    It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses.

  4. Re:Wow! by Exrio · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes. I like my statements the way I like my power supplies: Redundant. Which is the way I like my statements.

  5. That's not cool by tinkerton · · Score: 3, Funny

    Use the tracking of the individual snowflakes to steer a MW laser installed on the hood of the car, that blasts all the nearby snowflakes, reducing glare.

    Now it's cool.

  6. Re:Wow! by Arancaytar · · Score: 4, Funny

    I like my statements like I like my statements: Tautological.

  7. Re:Anyway, I think he's talking about Laplace. by snspdaarf · · Score: 4, Funny

    Actually, it means that those of us that were adopted are immune to the Grandfather Paradox, and thus, the only ones that can time travel.

    --
    Why, without your clothes, you're naked, Miss Dudley!