Filed under: Transportation

Though we’re hesitant to believe something this fantastic could actually be implemented in real life, word on the pavement has it that Audi is currently running a pilot program that informs motorists “how fast to drive to catch a green light.” Over in Ingolstadt, Germany, 50 traffic lights have been equipped with sensors that beam information to specially equipped whips; the network of “smart” signals not only “adapts to traffic patterns to deliver optimum light switching,” but gives drivers a heads-up in order to get ‘em through lights and cut down on idling / pollution / road rage. We can just hear those red light camera appeals now: “But judge, my car told me to do it!”

[Image courtesy of NOLA]

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Filed under: Transportation

Apparently not everyone at General Motors is toiling away in an attempt to get the Volt ready for its 2010 debut, as another sector of the outfit’s R&D division is busy creating a windshield that will, at its core, enable us to stop running stuff over. The futuristic glass would utilize lasers, sensors and cameras in order to help drivers see the road’s edge better, recognize obstructions and enhance things ahead of us so we’ll theoretically react faster. Truth be told, the device is being designed with older drivers in mind, though we don’t see why younger motorists won’t benefit all the same. Unfortunately, it sounds as if you’ll have to keep those toothpicks in your eyelids for a few more years, but at least we’re one step closer to full-on autopilot.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation

Oh sure, Americans are adamantly against texting while driving (in theory), but that’s not stopping those mischievous Gen Y-ers from getting their SMS on while behind the wheel. According to a new survey of 1,200 people conducted by Nationwide Mutual Insurance (we know, we know), a third of the Gen Y-ers admitted to “always multitasking while driving,” and while the “always” bit does indeed frighten us a tad, the real juice was in the next statistic: 37-percent said they sent text messages while driving. Before you start belaboring the imprudent youth, think long and hard about your own in-car cellphone usage — remember that time you just had to reply “y w pep plz” in order to salvage your friend’s pizza order? Tsk tsk.

[Via About]

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Filed under: Gaming

While most of the cool kids are off whizzing around courses in Mario Kart Wii, the gurus at Force Dynamics are reminiscing about the one that started it all. Apparently the firm has tweaked its 301 motion platform to actually control the kart in the SNES hit, and the rider’s chair even leaps up along with Mario, Peach or any other jumping character you choose. Sure, it’s missing those absolutely brain-melting Wii graphics (but not by much, if you catch our drift), but we’d probably take a ride in this over an hour with the Wii Wheel any day. Check out the full video waiting after the break.

Continue reading Force Dynamics 301 driving simulator takes on Super Mario Kart

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Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation

According to a report from the Boston Globe, a man claims that he was typing a text message into his cellphone when he lost control of his SUV and fatally struck a 13-year-old boy on a bicycle. In a stark and sad reminder of the cause for recent laws put into effect governing texting / phoning while driving, it appears the man was so distracted that he didn’t even realize what had happened until later that night. Ironically, the friend of the boy who had been walking with him attempted to call 911 on his phone, but was unable to get through. The driver is being charged with motor vehicle homicide, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and driving without a license. A tragic story — and unfortunately not the first we’ve seen — but hopefully a cautionary tale for anyone who regularly juggles driving and texting. Don’t.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Transportation

Usually you can’t tell that there’s a problem with one of your tires until you’ve already swerved off the road and crashed into something stationary, but thanks to a group of scientists from Purdue University, the next generation of wheel wraps may be able to detect problems before you’re face-to-face with the base of a telephone pole. Led by Gary Krutz of the school’s Electrohydraulic Center, the team was able to produce a multi-layer design that can sense damage or defects anywhere on the tire, and which immediately alerts the driver to danger via an embedded chip. First up to adopt the new tech will likely be race car sponsors, who have a high incentive to protect their expensive investments against flats; unfortunately, this safety improvement for drivers will come at the expense of the nation’s rabid NASCAR fans, as the likely decline in crashes will only serve to direct their blood-lust at fellow spectators.

[Image courtesy of Purdue University]

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Filed under: Transportation

Simulators similar to the one recently unveiled to the world by Toyota aren’t all that uncommon, but this 4.5-meter high pod is “the first to move laterally and has the longest range of 35-meters front to back and 20-meters from right to left.” Reportedly, the automaker plans to use its newest toy to “analyze driving characteristics under various conditions such as drunkenness and drowsiness” and subsequently decide what new safety features should be added to its fleet of motorcars. More specifically, the device enables researchers to “conduct driving tests that would be too dangerous to perform in the real world or that require specific driving conditions,” and we’re pretty sure the 360-degree concave video screen is quite the draw, too. Unfortunately, we have little faith that you’ll ever see a tamed version of this here simulator at your local arcade, but one can hope, we suppose.

[Via Yahoo / Reuters, image courtesy of Tech.co.uk]

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