FARK.com: (7371805) Toyota has envisioned a future where your car refuses to open until you flap your arms like a bird

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		Toyota has envisioned a future where your car refuses to open until you flap your arms like a bird (wired.com)		46
		More: Stupid, Toyota, face detection, facial recognition technology, Wired magazine, Indonesia, eruptions, cars, speech recognition

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3844 clicks; posted to Geek » on 09 Oct 2012 at 9:27 AM | Favorite | share:

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ZAZ		2012-10-09 09:04:18 AM

I have enough trouble with automated sinks that require your hand to be in exactly the place I would never put my hands. I would end up running myself over as I tried to get the car to unlock.

After syncing with the driver's smartphone, the INSECT links with a cloud system that provides each vehicle with its own virtual agent.

"Cloud" = the car doesn't work without a fast network connection.

Like when Sun introduced RPC in the 1980s. Suddenly your computer had to be in touch with all the others. Some computer on the other side of the company goes down, your computer gets lonely and freezes.

RatOmeter		2012-10-09 09:33:47 AM

Well, at least the presenter's butt is pretty nice

www.wired.com

DerAppie		2012-10-09 09:36:47 AM

That's going to cause a lot of drunk driving. No sober person would keep doing that after the novelty wore of.

/Novelty lifespan = (amount of friends * time per friend) / ridicule

Lunaville		2012-10-09 09:39:25 AM

All I can think is "How fast can I NOT buy this car, ever?"

BunkoSquad		2012-10-09 09:45:32 AM

Wellon Dowd		2012-10-09 09:49:11 AM

RatOmeter: Well, at least the presenter's butt is pretty nice

[www.wired.com image 660x480]

I'd like to rear end her, if you know what I mean.

Nickninja		2012-10-09 09:50:03 AM

The car's top speed and one-man capacity means that, if it makes it to production, it'll be reserved for urban delivery fleets.

Delivering what? Unless you can fit it in your pocket, I'm not seeing much space. Certainly not enough for a pizza to lay flat.

Hoopy Frood		2012-10-09 09:51:01 AM

Finally, a car suitable for Morris Day.

MrKoon		2012-10-09 09:52:37 AM

If this is the case they will all be gone in 60 seconds

meanmutton		2012-10-09 09:54:52 AM

I don't want to live in a world where this is a "car".

This Looks Fun		2012-10-09 09:56:27 AM

ZAZ: I have enough trouble with automated sinks that require your hand to be in exactly the place I would never put my hands.

God, this.

These are the bane of my existence. It baffles me that after all of these technological advances, we can't muster the engineering capability to get a single-function machine to detect a state of "something is under me."

The Muthaship		2012-10-09 10:02:54 AM

Head designger, Morris Day approves.

xenovalent		2012-10-09 10:03:05 AM

This Looks Fun: ZAZ: I have enough trouble with automated sinks that require your hand to be in exactly the place I would never put my hands.

God, this.

These are the bane of my existence. It baffles me that after all of these technological advances, we can't muster the engineering capability to get a single-function machine to detect a state of "something is under me."

I'm glad to learn that I'm not alone in this. My difficulty in using these types of faucets has bothered me for years...

Maybe we should start a club.

tricycleracer		2012-10-09 10:07:38 AM

How do you honk the horn?

4.bp.blogspot.com

grokca		2012-10-09 10:07:41 AM

Sounds like a great idea, I can't wait to toss my groceries across the parking lot so I can get in my car.

Hebjamn		2012-10-09 10:11:50 AM

I commute to work on a scooter. On rainy days, I'm a little envious of Smart Car drivers. But I wouldn't trade my Piaggio for this rolling cellphone in any weather.

Like Mike and the Bots, I'm still struggling to figure out what the hell the deal is with the Japanese. Even the Chicken Men of Crankor would be embarrassed riding in this thing !

TyrantII		2012-10-09 10:37:23 AM

ASIANS!

RatOmeter		2012-10-09 11:16:07 AM

Hebjamn: I commute to work on a scooter. On rainy days, I'm a little envious of Smart Car drivers. But I wouldn't trade my Piaggio for this rolling cellphone in any weather.

Like Mike and the Bots, I'm still struggling to figure out what the hell the deal is with the Japanese. Even the Chicken Men of Crankor would be embarrassed riding in this thing !

I've got a scooter too, 150 cc, and I love it. Tops out at around 45 MPH but riding in light-to-light traffic in town is a real hoot. Plus the ~70 MPG beats the hell out of my 21 MPG "small" truck.

I could see value in more aggressive cowling or even 3 wheels with a shell, but why pile on all the bullshiat features and avant garde styling?

MindStalker		2012-10-09 11:22:42 AM

meanmutton: [www.wired.com image 660x480]

I don't want to live in a world where this is a "car".

Its not, it is an ATV, it can't reach highway speeds, it is intended for neighborhood travel only.

grinding_journalist		2012-10-09 11:30:44 AM

xenovalent: I'm glad to learn that I'm not alone in this. My difficulty in using these types of faucets has bothered me for years...

Maybe we should start a club.

When water becomes the most precious resource, our grandchildren will be baffled by the fact that when we were young, we could take as long of a shower as we wanted! Sometimes, we'd fill a huge tub up with water just for the purpose of sitting in it for a while, then throw all the water away!

Than again, we'll have a hard time convincing them there was a time when the internet didn't exist, or that you could eat meat 7 days a week, or you could drive your own car and control the speed and direction, or you could walk around an urban center without being observed, monitored, and scanned remotely from a dozen viewpoints.

Sylvia_Bandersnatch		2012-10-09 11:51:15 AM

FTFA: "According to the product demonstration, the driver approaches the car and flaps her arms like a bird. The car recognizes the motion, and opens the gull-wing doors"

That should be useful when I've got my arms full of groceries. Oh, and not a single flat surface to set anything down on? Shut up and take my Monopoly money.

wildcardjack		2012-10-09 12:19:47 PM

The headline got the chicken dance song running in my head... Damn you.

Oliver Twisted		2012-10-09 12:38:55 PM

meanmutton		2012-10-09 12:41:53 PM

WelldeadLink		2012-10-09 12:51:14 PM

You can turn on the air conditioning when you don't need it, and there is air conditioning in a car with half a door.

MindStalker		2012-10-09 12:57:36 PM

Oliver Twisted: MindStalker: meanmutton: [www.wired.com image 660x480]

I don't want to live in a world where this is a "car".

Its not, it is an ATV, it can't reach highway speeds, it is intended for neighborhood travel only.

You might want to verify what the "A" and the "T" stand for there.

/I'm saying this won't cover it.

Ok, ok, its a PowerWheels.

BizarreMan		2012-10-09 01:35:24 PM

Flapping your amrs to unlock the car and open the doors because pushing a button on the fob is too difficult?

I need to join the can't get the damn faucet to turn on club. Its especially bad when its a trough sink that has no discernible faucet to begin with. And what about paper towel dispensers that you have to wave in just the right spot?

way south		2012-10-09 02:00:58 PM

MindStalker: meanmutton: [www.wired.com image 660x480]

I don't want to live in a world where this is a "car".

Its not, it is an ATV, it can't reach highway speeds, it is intended for neighborhood travel only.

Sad fact is that an atv is a better street vehicle than this thing.
It's just a biatch to license for road use.

grokca: Sounds like a great idea, I can't wait to toss my groceries across the parking lot so I can get in my car.

And, this...

stanhapsburg		2012-10-09 02:16:42 PM

Plus if you make a "sit, bad car" gesture it will drive to the workshop by itself on Toyota's next product recall.

the_sidewinder		2012-10-09 02:48:35 PM

I'm an albatross! I'm an albatross! I'm flap flap flapping my albatross wings, flap flap flapping my albatross wiiings!

Lego_Addict		2012-10-09 03:14:20 PM

BizarreMan: Flapping your amrs to unlock the car and open the doors because pushing a button on the fob is too difficult?

I need to join the can't get the damn faucet to turn on club. Its especially bad when its a trough sink that has no discernible faucet to begin with. And what about paper towel dispensers that you have to wave in just the right spot?

The paper towel dispensers are a PITA but I guess they are difficult for a reason....save paper.

Professor Science		2012-10-09 03:32:01 PM

Once authenticated, the car flashes its headlights and says, "Hello."
...a cloud system that provides each vehicle with its own virtual agent.

Is it named Eddie, by any chance?

/Looks like we're going to have to outsource the revolution to China.
//They're the only ones with a wall big enough.

ZAZ		2012-10-09 03:45:19 PM

The paper towel dispensers are a PITA but I guess they are difficult for a reason....save paper.

Paper towel dispensers have generally been easier for me to deal with than faucets. When building maintenance replaced one recently the new dispenser finally got it right. Basically they reversed the polarity of the photon flow. Instead of (IF SIGNAL THEN ACTIVATE) the logic is (IF NO SIGNAL THEN ACTIVATE). As far as I can sell the sensor is aimed at where the paper hangs. If there's nothing down there somebody took the paper away and it's time to deliver more. No, I have never seen the entire contents of the roll on the floor. The sensor works, and it works reliably and quickly, and it doesn't care what you do with your hands because it isn't looking for your hands.

jtown		2012-10-09 04:20:19 PM

Lego_Addict: BizarreMan: Flapping your amrs to unlock the car and open the doors because pushing a button on the fob is too difficult?

I need to join the can't get the damn faucet to turn on club. Its especially bad when its a trough sink that has no discernible faucet to begin with. And what about paper towel dispensers that you have to wave in just the right spot?

The paper towel dispensers are a PITA but I guess they are difficult for a reason....save paper.

Yep. A 4"x10" sheet of pressed wood chips is all any reasonable person needs to dry their hands. I dislike having to stand there doing the wave-wait-wave-wait-wave-wait-wave-wait-wave crap until I have enough paper to dry my hands. I've only seen a few of those things calibrated to give a proper amount of paper and only one that used decent, absorbent paper.

way south		2012-10-09 04:30:07 PM

jtown: Lego_Addict: BizarreMan: Flapping your amrs to unlock the car and open the doors because pushing a button on the fob is too difficult?

I need to join the can't get the damn faucet to turn on club. Its especially bad when its a trough sink that has no discernible faucet to begin with. And what about paper towel dispensers that you have to wave in just the right spot?

The paper towel dispensers are a PITA but I guess they are difficult for a reason....save paper.

Yep. A 4"x10" sheet of pressed wood chips is all any reasonable person needs to dry their hands. I dislike having to stand there doing the wave-wait-wave-wait-wave-wait-wave-wait-wave crap until I have enough paper to dry my hands. I've only seen a few of those things calibrated to give a proper amount of paper and only one that used decent, absorbent paper.

I dry my hands on my pants.

/Been doing it wrong all these years, apparently...

Mentalpatient87		2012-10-09 04:30:47 PM

grinding_journalist: When water becomes the most precious resource, our grandchildren will be baffled by the fact that when we were young, we could take as long of a shower as we wanted! Sometimes, we'd fill a huge tub up with water just for the purpose of sitting in it for a while, then throw all the water away!

Wasn't there a Star Trek episode like that? I feel like there was a Star Trek episode like that...

Russ1642		2012-10-09 05:19:30 PM

MindStalker: meanmutton: [www.wired.com image 660x480]

I don't want to live in a world where this is a "car".

Its not, it is an ATV, it can't reach highway speeds, it is intended for neighborhood travel only.

Saame as my complaint about the ForTwo. People buy them with the intention of downtown driving only yet I see them on our highways where the speed limit is 110 km/hr and many people do 130. They should not be allowed out there.

MindStalker		2012-10-09 06:24:06 PM

Russ1642: MindStalker: meanmutton: [www.wired.com image 660x480]

I don't want to live in a world where this is a "car".

Its not, it is an ATV, it can't reach highway speeds, it is intended for neighborhood travel only.

Saame as my complaint about the ForTwo. People buy them with the intention of downtown driving only yet I see them on our highways where the speed limit is 110 km/hr and many people do 130. They should not be allowed out there.

But it WILL go that speed. Though it may take a while to get there, versus this car that's top speed is 35mph

Kanemano		2012-10-09 06:33:33 PM

Do it with style

criticalmassesmedia.com

Enemabag Jones		2012-10-09 07:00:29 PM

Remember the top gear where the ireal was driven. It looks like a lazyboy designed from stormtrooper armor with social features.

I guess Toyota stays on top by sometimes going cutting edge gonzo.

/Kind of sad that cars are getting more complicated when they have the opportunity to get simpler and more dependable.

GranoblasticMan		2012-10-09 07:04:04 PM

way south		2012-10-09 10:05:21 PM

With all thats been said, I think I can still fix this.

Focus on it being a single seat commuter vehicle cross between car and motorbike.
Maybe give it leaning suspension and a decent sized power plant, while stripping out all those useless electronics.
Make it cheap and there you go.

/Still a death trap, but at least a purposeful one.

stewbert		2012-10-09 10:12:47 PM

BizarreMan: Flapping your amrs to unlock the car and open the doors because pushing a button on the fob is too difficult?

I need to join the can't get the damn faucet to turn on club. Its especially bad when its a trough sink that has no discernible faucet to begin with. And what about paper towel dispensers that you have to wave in just the right spot?

Worse are the manual dispensers. I always end up with a half a sheet

Tainted1		2012-10-10 12:55:26 AM

FEED ME A STRAY CAT

Russ1642		2012-10-10 01:23:20 AM

MindStalker: Russ1642: MindStalker: meanmutton: [www.wired.com image 660x480]

I don't want to live in a world where this is a "car".

Its not, it is an ATV, it can't reach highway speeds, it is intended for neighborhood travel only.

Saame as my complaint about the ForTwo. People buy them with the intention of downtown driving only yet I see them on our highways where the speed limit is 110 km/hr and many people do 130. They should not be allowed out there.

But it WILL go that speed. Though it may take a while to get there, versus this car that's top speed is 35mph

They slow down on hills, can't handle properly at those speeds, have zero acceleration at speed so they can't pass, etc. There's much more to highway driving than barely being able to maintain the speed limit.

OK So Amuse Me		2012-10-11 05:26:42 PM

THAT is NOT a car, not sure what it is but it's not a car. I've seen dune buggy's and 4 wheelers bigger than that. And yeah, I want to be driving a 'car seed' with only HALF a door in a winter snow storm with temps at 24 and howling winds!

I can't see this being practical, really anywhere. How the hell am I supposed to carry more than one or two bags of groceries to say nothing of other people!

And the whole "Wing Flapping" idea is so far beyond stupid I can't quite wrap my head around it. This is the silliest means of locomotion I've seen proposed in a while.

"Car Seed" that's what the thing is, if it's left out in the rain will it grow up to be a car after a few sunny days?

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