Cars With Emotions?
Moderators: neps, Matthew, Michael Pajaro
- Sith
- FLAG Assistant
- Posts: 601
- Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2002 1:01 am
- What year did the original Knight Rider start: 0
- Location: Korriban
- Contact:
Cars With Emotions?
We've had cars that tell you to put on your seatbelt, and cars that beep when you pull out the ignition key and forget to turn off your headlights.
Thanks to David Hasselhoff and that TV series about one man and his trusted pet vehicle, Knight Rider, we have at least imagined a car that can talk, think and change gears without human interaction.
But a car with feelings and facial expressions? That can cry, laugh, nod off to sleep and wag its tail with delight? That may sound like something straight out of JG Ballard's science fiction.
If the top designers and engineers at Toyota have anything to do with it, however, it could soon be coming to a car dealership near you. Toyota has just won a US patent that would use extra lights, eyebrow-like slits on its bonnet, a wagging antenna, adjustable body height and other quirky features to express moods, much like a human or an animal.
Among the proposed features is a propensity to change colours: orange for feeling fine; red for anger, surprise or reluctance; green for sleepiness; and blues and whites for anything from sadness, tears and fear to inspiration, aplomb and sophistication.
The purpose, according to the quartet of inventors behind the patent, is to increase the degree of communication between one driver and other road-users. At the moment, just about the only instrument at a driver's disposal is the horn.
More here:
http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSec ... Id=2166020
Thanks to David Hasselhoff and that TV series about one man and his trusted pet vehicle, Knight Rider, we have at least imagined a car that can talk, think and change gears without human interaction.
But a car with feelings and facial expressions? That can cry, laugh, nod off to sleep and wag its tail with delight? That may sound like something straight out of JG Ballard's science fiction.
If the top designers and engineers at Toyota have anything to do with it, however, it could soon be coming to a car dealership near you. Toyota has just won a US patent that would use extra lights, eyebrow-like slits on its bonnet, a wagging antenna, adjustable body height and other quirky features to express moods, much like a human or an animal.
Among the proposed features is a propensity to change colours: orange for feeling fine; red for anger, surprise or reluctance; green for sleepiness; and blues and whites for anything from sadness, tears and fear to inspiration, aplomb and sophistication.
The purpose, according to the quartet of inventors behind the patent, is to increase the degree of communication between one driver and other road-users. At the moment, just about the only instrument at a driver's disposal is the horn.
More here:
http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSec ... Id=2166020
- TurbomanKnight
- FLAG Operative
- Posts: 1297
- Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2003 11:09 pm
- What year did the original Knight Rider start: 0
- Location: Brooklyn, NY 11208
- Contact:
YEAH! TOYOTA RULES THE SCHOOL!
Check Out the Avatar!
Check Out the Avatar!
Anti-Ford. 'Nuff Said.
1988 Camaro IROC-Z28
5.7 Tuned Port Injection .040 over
700R4
2.77 posi
3" Exhaust with Headers
1988 Camaro IROC-Z28
5.7 Tuned Port Injection .040 over
700R4
2.77 posi
3" Exhaust with Headers
- TurbomanKnight
- FLAG Operative
- Posts: 1297
- Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2003 11:09 pm
- What year did the original Knight Rider start: 0
- Location: Brooklyn, NY 11208
- Contact:
Yeah! Wow, Toyota is leading the way!
Anti-Ford. 'Nuff Said.
1988 Camaro IROC-Z28
5.7 Tuned Port Injection .040 over
700R4
2.77 posi
3" Exhaust with Headers
1988 Camaro IROC-Z28
5.7 Tuned Port Injection .040 over
700R4
2.77 posi
3" Exhaust with Headers
-
- KRO Podcaster (retired)
- Posts: 3333
- Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2004 5:55 pm
Re: Cars With Emotions?
Pet vehicle!!!??? KITT was no pet! LOL!Sith wrote:
Thanks to David Hasselhoff and that TV series about one man and his trusted pet vehicle, Knight Rider, we have at least imagined a car that can talk, think and change gears without human interaction.
There's also the old bumper sticker goodie: "Horn broken. Watch for finger."Sith wrote:
At the moment, just about the only instrument at a driver's disposal is the horn.
My Car Kitt has a more "Herbie" way of communication. He'll sputter when he's cold and wet. Lately he decided that now he'll make me realize what it feels like to be in the rain outside. He makes sure when I get in the car after or during rain that the driver side seat is WET. I have NO idea where the heck that much water is coming from but it's enough to literally soak my pants!
If I talk about another car or have been dremeling the rust off him, he'll refuse to unlock the door when I try to use the key.
Whenever I want to go somewhere, he goes alright - FAST. He especially likes taking off backing out of the parking spot or going through intersections.
If I get sarcastic when his radiator fan goes on and he starts to sputter, I'd go "ok, now I guess you're gonna put the engine light on huh?" Then his light WOULD go on. I can't get him to turn it off and KEEP it off just by telling him though. He ignores THAT request.
Sometimes I think he's looking at me with sad headlights as I sit on the front steps, wondering when I'm going to take him out on the road again.
Cars have quite a lot of personality already. The only "more" personality I could ever imagine would be K.I.T.T.
-
- KRO Podcaster (retired)
- Posts: 3333
- Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2004 5:55 pm
-
- KRO Podcaster (retired)
- Posts: 3333
- Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2004 5:55 pm