If you could redesign a cars controls....

[obi_waynne]

Throw away every notion we have about steering wheels, gear sticks and pedals and come up with something you want instead.

I think that technology has come so far we can do away with most of the controls. Here are some of my ideas.

Use the eyes to control direction you will need to blink twice or something to confirm a lane change for example but it will give a good point of reference and is faster in terms of brain to hand.

Speed can be a cruise control style button - you dial in the preferred speed and it will get you up to this (in sport mode it will accelerate to the max!) It will then use cameras and sensors to keep you going with the flow of traffic.

An aircraft style yoke where you push forward to accelerate and back to brake and steer from left to right.

What do you think?

 

[Prince]

A PS3 controller as the main control unit. Monitors to see where you are going, and as mirrors.

 

[Izo Azlion]

Throw away every notion we have about steering wheels, gear sticks and pedals and come up with something you want instead.

I think that technology has come so far we can do away with most of the controls. Here are some of my ideas.

Use the eyes to control direction you will need to blink twice or something to confirm a lane change for example but it will give a good point of reference and is faster in terms of brain to hand.

Speed can be a cruise control style button - you dial in the preferred speed and it will get you up to this (in sport mode it will accelerate to the max!) It will then use cameras and sensors to keep you going with the flow of traffic.

An aircraft style yoke where you push forward to accelerate and back to brake and steer from left to right.

What do you think?

Blink to change lanes? Erm, Blink = Not seeing. If the technology works like other prototype technology, it'd probably malfunction anyway and require lots of blinking.

Speed control/sensors, sounds fine but I'd personally be crapping it all the time, waiting for the computer to kick in and brake or accelerate.

Not keen on a Yoke either. The only reason a plane uses one is because it works on a 3d playing field. To actually turn a plane you use a combination of the Rudder pedals and the yoke, to keep the nose up as you turn on a level plain.

Using just the Yoke, as there would be no need for pedals assuming the Clutch is also gone, would be ridding the use of the two things we were born with. Legs.

However if we're talking about hover cars, then we could adopt flight controls, a mix of the sensors and a radar. Presumably cost might be a factor

I know I've kind of slated you there Waynne, but I dont see much reason *too* change things. You could make things obsolete, like the clutch pedal is to an automatic, though.

 

[obi_waynne]

Some people have no imagination! Personally I like things the way there were but why not turn convention on its head for a while.

To take a fast corner you need to balance the pitch of the car so a 3D yoke for acceleration would be nice?

What about a Heads up display then?

 

[steve09]

damn it prince you took my idea before i could post.
waynne, your idea's could be good but i see one flaw with the eye thing. what happerns if a person of the female persuasion is walking down the road, you eye her up an then the car thinks you want to go that way, you then crash into her lol.

 

[Escapethefate]

HAHAH lmao at the blinking idea, wot happens if u blink twice and realise ur cutting sumone off??? blink twice to swerve back??

Its creative, but maybe too creative.

How about driving wouldnt ever be the same if the controls were to be changed, enthusiasts like my self that like to fight with the steering wheel n work their legs out till there sore will never want a change.... we will just keep buying old cars....simple

 

[obi_waynne]

I was kind of imagining that they had ironed out the creases . (It would need to tell if you had something in your eye as well! )

In answer to Steve09 - when you swerve into the path of Mrs Right you get to blame the car and you are into a conversation. What an ice breaker!

 

[Prince]

I was kind of imagining that they had ironed out the creases . (It would need to tell if you had something in your eye as well! )

In answer to Steve09 - when you swerve into the path of Mrs Right you get to blame the car and you are into a conversation. What an ice breaker!

Because all girls love it when a guy says 'Hey baby, what are your insurance details?'.

What about if you just need to blink?

 

[HDi fun]

Replace the glove box with a brain container - that way we'd all be fighting on the same level.

 

[obi_waynne]

ROFLMHO! Especially on the school run! Do you think that would help the accident rate?

 

[ChrisGMOC]

Replace the glove box with a brain container - that way we'd all be fighting on the same level.

Haven't a lot of drivers out there already done this, I'm sure I've seen some on back shelves

Chris.. :blink1:

 

[Gangsta]

First thing to go would be the clutch, in with a CVT so you could drive it like a go-kart. All cars fitted with transponders, short range vehicle to vehicle. No central computer recording the data. I think about 3 miles range would be fine. That way you could have a quick glance at your screen, which would be similar to satnav screen, before overtaking to make sure of no oncoming traffic. You could identify empty parking spaces, as a gap in the carpack. No unique ID that way no privacy issues. You could foresee conkestion, and take a quieter route. The most impetant thing is that its local and not invading privacy. You could also glance at the screen to see if there was anyone in your blind spot before changing lane. It would allow the roads to be much safer.

 

[HDi fun]

That's called a train.

 

[Gangsta]

Lol - can't be a train. Look up train in the dictionary. I'm sure it says something like- streached sardine can that never goes where or when you want. And would be late in the rare instance that it did go somewhere you wanted. I'm sure there will be a section on how bad it is for the enviroment running an engine the size of a house- and 12 carrages to take 1 single person to see their aunt, whom they will miss at the station because they would be late anyway. An don't get me started on the cost!!!

 

[Tomsolomon]

Definately a flight stick....... with a fire button for the stealth anti twat guns hidden under the wheel arches. And one of those big red buttons between the seats, that you just dont touch, unless you got your seatbelt on......:cheesy:

 

[obi_waynne]

If you have your mobile switched on you can be traced and speed calculated. This could become the basis for the transponder Gangsta suggested.

The kid in the go cart or on a bike would prevent this system from fully working. Oh hang on they have all got mobiles nowadays. (I remember a time when mobile phones weighed 4 kgs and were hard wired into posh cars. They also didn't text - or play music or have cameras, its a wonder that anyone bought one really!)

 

[HDi fun]

Waynne: "I remember a time when mobile phones weighed 4 kgs and were hard wired into posh cars. They also didn't text - or play music or have cameras, its a wonder that anyone bought one really!"

No it's not. They were bought by people who had a requirement to make and receive telephone calls. That, after all, is the prupose of them.