'Talking' Cars Are Coming Soon to Keep Us Safe

Looks like another "Delete Option" I'm going to tick alongside airbags and stability control...

If Car manufacturers spent more effort getting the primary perfomance dynamics right then there wouldn't be a want (not need) for this extra lawer salving ballast.

I think I'm going to keep my 2000 Toyota Tacoma pickup with 115K miles and go ahead and buy a new catalytic converter. It'll probably still be running when the government finally decides that they don't want me driving any more.

Sounds OK to me .......EW

Hmm, how about this for an idea. I wonder if I could build a transmitter to put on my car that tells all of these smart cars that they are much close to my vehicle than they actually are. That way, other people would stay away from me when I am on the road?

Just a thought

I actually think there would be a market for something like that. But doing it with audio would never be accepted in our culture much as some of us wish it would.

Some years ago I imagined a product that could be placed in the rear window of car. It would display whatever message you would choose. The hangup was the fiddling around that a driver would have to do to change the message while driving. Also the cost of the display. Now that the software is mainstream technology for voice recognition and there are much better displays this begins to look practical.

A display of that type could well face forward from the top of the windshield with text shown as a mirror image.

It's interesting to speculate whether such visual communication devices would increase or decrease the level of civility on the highways. I do think they might be useful for highway patrols and could be made part of the light bar in top of the car.

Ed Weldon

I'm so pis--d off at the goons who programmed MY car [everything from the LOUD "yelping" , just in case I did not hear the locks THEMSELVES either engaging or disengaging, and the "unstoppable-screaming" , if I accidentally push the wrong button on the remote, while doors are open ... to the side-window actuator switches: "You-toucha-that-switch-anna-the window is goin' DOWN...all-the-way DOWN, whether you just wanted it cracked a bit, or whether it is torrentially downpouring outside!"]

I can just see these goofusses programming a talking car:

"Key has been inserted." "Turn key ninety degrees clockwise."

"Lift door handle." "Before pulling door open, insure that no vehicles are traveling a path toward the zone in which you are standing."

"Congratulations!" "You have successfully opened your door. You may now enter the vehicle."

"Please adjust your seat to your physique, such that you can operate the pedals appropriately." "When you are finished, engage your seat belt, such that proper operation of other functions can be enabled."

"Ignition key has been inserted." "Seat belt remains unengaged...please fasten seat belt."

"Headlight switch is in the 'Off' position." "Light levels outside measure less than four lux...please place headlight switch in either the 'Auto' position or the 'On' position as soon as the engine has been started."

"Where would you like to go today?" "The last place you visited was (searching last entry in database) the Barber Shop at 1803 Montana Way. Would you like to go there again?"

"No? Are you certain of that? We can get you there easily, with no additional programming required."

"Would you like to save that waypoint as a 'Favorite'?"

.......... ........... .......... (you get the point...on-&-on ad nauseum).........

Instead of all this "development", why don't they simply issue a trained "nagging-wife" with each car purchased...!?

Sheesh...!

Very funny, but also not remotelly what the article was about.

From a car driver perspective, I chafe at the idea of intrusive technology "assisting" me.

From a motorcycle driver perspective, I welcome any technology that will help prevent idiotic car drivers from running over me!