Disclaimer:
1) This article has to be taken lightly. I do not endorse any of the ideas in this post. So don't start trashing me.
2) I have assumed a few things here based on what I have read. E.g. future cars will be directed by their GPS, sensors etc.
3) Again, this post is intended to be taken in a light manner only.
Pic source:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/r...-keep-you-safe
My dad's very close friend just bought a top of the line passat. You know, with all those fancy features like auto-park, start stop and a million things I couldn't care less.
I happened to sit in the car yesterday, and the one thing that struck me was its auto-park feature. Worked really well in the organized parking lot of his complex, failed miserably in my cramped building.
That got me wondering. I mean it will only be a few years before the cars will be able to park by themselves even in my cramped building. The japanese already have the technology know-how of making cars follow each other, park on their own, and even talk to each other!
Picture this: You have just arrived at a five star hotel for dinner. You get down, and instead of giving the keys (will these even exist?) to the valet, you simply press a button (or if you own a fancy car, you'll just talk to it via phone or something which we don't need). The car just goes and parks itself. Wow, I saved the torture I go through every-time, deciding how much I should tip the valet. Cool.
Bad news for the prospective drivers and valets. Future is looking bleak..
And then I read this:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...rive-cars.html
So, Mr. Schmidt has taken it upon himself to judge what's best for everyone.
To bad, Mr. Schmidt, I am a born rebel.
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So, I am cutting to the chase; Autonomous cars are going to be the future. Crib all you want, but due to our own narrow minded-nes these robots are going to be a part of our daily lives.
What are you going to do about it? Are you a:
A) Whiner and moaner.
People who just crib all day.Then I suggest you keep doing that away from this thread. But there is something in store here for you guys. Fast forward towards the end.
OR
B) Doer's / Go-getter's
Like me. People who want to do something about this.
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Amongst the Group B, there will be a lot of people with different ideas on how to tackle this situation. I have listed out some which I could think of. Suggestions are welcome for different ideas.
What group do you belong to?
1) The Revenge of the Enthusiasts club (ROTEC)
I take this opportunity to invite members to this club. The club's motto is similar to our fore-fathers, the hunters and gatherers. I intend to hunt down these autonomous machines by laying down traps.
It's simple; as soon as the target comes closer, we just lay down obstacles around it (front first obviously, since we need the car to stop, then surround it so that it will have nowhere to go).
Put in a spear and carry it back to our club. Roast the thing over a huge bonfire; spray some lemon, salt, and chilli & savor the beast
Pic source:
http://informfitness.com/blog/going-...ive-evolution/
2) The Prank Club
Pic source:
http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/what...iamsburg-bars/
I am no prankster, but I have some borrowed ideas (courtesy my prankster friend, Rahul)
a) So, for this prank you'll need a few friends. When you spot an innocent car trying to park itself, just surround it in a loose circle. Individual members can then approach the car's sensors one at a time, and force the car to change direction/stop, or just make it run around in circles
(Confession: idea has been lifted from a nissan prototype, which was shown to journalists. I think it will be great fun though, what do you say?)
Pic source:
http://www.dogsdata.com/herding-dogs...nd-energy.html
b) Auto-fights
Organize fights and earn some 'dough' on the side as well;-). All you need to do is enter 2 cars in a ring, set their gps destination just beyond the other car and try to 'herd' them by making them go after their sensors. The car which forces its opponent out of the ring is the winner!
There can be lots of pranks you can do, but you get the idea what I am getting to..
Pic source:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...r-v-v-schmitt/
3) The Ethical Club
Pic source:
http://www.funnytimes.com/playground...m#.UfO0jdI0WuI
The above two clubs sounding too immature and barbarian for your tastes? So, you would like to fight it out the right way?
Fine by me, as long as the end goal is the same.
This club shall include people willing to fight out in our courts, raise public awareness etc.
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AND finally, for the whiners and moaners: I suggest some positive thinking:
1) My brother who puts in 18 hour workdays (while I am lazing around and writing this article
) thinks these autonomous cars will let him catch some much needed sleep during his boring commute.
2) No more worrying about hitching a ride if you are stranded on a highway. Jump in front of the car coming towards you, when it slows down, step away and let it pass. As it picks up speed, just aim a plunger to the bumper and ride along!
3) No more worrying about how much to tip your valet, or whether the valet will drive your car properly while taking it to the parking spot.
4) Traffic related stresses will soon be history. Spend some quality alone time introspecting yourself.
So, What club do you belong to?
Have any ideas other than what I have listed? Share them in this thread..
Thanks,
Simple_car