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Audi Shows Cars Can Play Nice, Talk With Each Other To Save Gas, Lives

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Elhigh
11/14/08

In reply to Audi Shows Cars Can Play Nice, Talk With Each Other To Save Gas, Lives
I'd like to see cooperative cruise controls. Adaptive CC that backs off in reaction to closing gaps is good, but each car is only reacting to what's going on around it. If the front car in the line could also send a signal to the rest of the pack behind it, then instead of having a reaction progress in a wave to the rear, all vehicles could begin slowing upon receiving the closing-gap signal. That could prevent a bad chain reaction accident, and allow closer gaps for high-speed drafting, which would be great for fuel efficiency.
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Boosted Lego Wagon
11/14/08

In reply to Audi Shows Cars Can Play Nice, Talk With Each Other To Save Gas, Lives
Meanwhile, over at BMW, they're still trying to get turn signals to work.
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SRekauqh
11/14/08

In reply to Audi Shows Cars Can Play Nice, Talk With Each Other To Save Gas, Lives
Did a report on this in college years back. It's a great idea, but only on an information-based level. If the data tells the computer to take over the car from the driver, all hell will break loose. Included in that report was the blind spot notifications seen testing by Volvo. I think these safety systems are a step in the right direction for the majority of drivers on the road, though driver competence/awareness/skill should still be #1 in my book.
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beercheck
11/14/08

@SRekauqh: Wow. When I was in college, I did a paper on the folly of 55.

I'm old.
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SRekauqh
11/14/08

@beercheck: The times are changin'! My prof. used to work for NASA and was interested in all technology so I figured it would be a good presentation.
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beercheck
11/14/08

@SRekauqh: I have to agree. Plus, look at you, bustin' it out with authority years later!
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Ash78, tryptophanatic
11/14/08

In reply to Audi Shows Cars Can Play Nice, Talk With Each Other To Save Gas, Lives
Can't be repeated enough: Proper traffic management and light timing COULD be the single biggest, cheapest, and quickest solution to the air pollution issue, as well as global warming (IF it turns out to be our fault, that is) and foreign energy dependence.

But the civil libertarian in me does not like the idea of my car brodcasting anything to the outside world.

My head a splode.
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ROCKYLIFE
11/14/08

@The Name's Ash78, Housewares:

Nope, don't even need high tech to solve the issue.

Simply teach everyone to drive correctly (About 95%+ do not) in heavy traffic.

Leave one car length between you and the car in front of you, no matter what speed you are traveling at.

And here's the one that always puts the balls of the testosterone driven in a knot - EVEN if someone pulls into that space, OPEN it up again.

It's an mathematically and road tested fact that traffic spread out with these expansion spaces will ALWAYS travel faster bthan any other formation of more tightly spaced cars, regardless of the top speed achieved (within the allowed limits on that road).

It's quite simple, but "everyone" thinks that riding the bumper of the person ahead of them and not allowing anyone to pass them or get in the space in front of them will allow them to go faster. Wrong.
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Ash78, tryptophanatic
11/14/08

@ROCKYLIFE: All very true...still no cure for ill-timed traffic lights, though. It amazes me that the laziness of a single traffic engineer is responsible for so much hassle, expense and environmental damage.

(I've only been commuting on surface streets for 8 months and it's been very eye-opening and enraging)
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