QOTD: Why Hasn’t Anyone Out-Gas Mileaged The Prius?

They also have cute little BEVs now.

 

In 5 or 10 years many cars will be "talking" to each other for traffic flow and to prevent accidents. Airliners have been doing that for many years. It's called (TCAS) Traffic Collision Avoidance System.

It's like the two car computers saying to each other, "you turn left and I'll turn right, and we won't hit each other"

Maybe that would help with texting and driving.

 

That assumes that the driver who is texting has also properly used his/her turn signals.

Mike

 

That's quite optimistic. How many new cars sold today don't even have a screen? And how that do also have internet?

Sadly, it always takes an extra generation just to establish enough of a base for the "new" to get accepted.

 

Vehicle-infrastructure Cooperative Systems Using Dedicated ITS Communications Bandwidth

Cars "talking" to each other, that's exactly what I was talking about. At some point in the future all cars will have this as standard equipment, just like air conditioning is.

 

In the US its proposed as a short range wireless system, it could probably be rolled out first at dangerous intersections. It could be accererated with smart phone apps before it gets built into new cars.
NHTSA V2V Communications

 

To me this sounds like a hacker's best friend. What is to stop someone from just building all the proper electronics into a small box that then emits whatever signals the designer wants? It could mimic being multiple cars. There are now 6 cars wanting to merge left...and the whole lane opens up for you to pass through. Or, I am a large firetruck, slow and move to the side of the road.

IMO, this is a very dangerous concept. I'm all for computer vision and laser-based self-driving and computer-assisted driving. But there is no way to make V2V communications secure enough. Anyone can get a hold of a bunch of wrecked cars and do whatever they want with all the "official" and "secure" transmitters...and they will. Let me repeat that. They will.

Mike

 

These are collision detection warnings. You can still go if the car tells you there is danger. V2V is not the same as self driving cars. The more dangerous is the smart following feature. you could hack the box so that a radar cruise control unit benind would get told you are speeding up when actually slowing down. If you added some stealth gear to the rear of your car, you win the insurance money when that distracted mercedes or cadilac driver lets his car crash into yours.

Yes more realistically you could hack a ambullance mode, where you could skate by on the left and pass people. Not sure if this is worse than the db doing it today, but there is less chance of a collision.

 

by the time these cars get here, will anyone have out mpg'ed the prius?

 

Nissan claims they will have a car that drives its self by 2020. The experts disagree exactingly what that means. Most experts say a car that will drive someone that does not know how to drive a car, or one that will take your kids to school is decades away.

 

google is far along on testing. They do have more work today. I was entertained that they still are figuring out bikes.
A Cyclist's Track Stand Befuddled One of Google's Self-Driving Cars

Tesla is far along on autopilot. That is a much easier level. The driver is still involved, but the car assists, by slowing or warning to avoid accidents. I'm not sure what level nissan is shooting for now. Apple is also working on it.