h a l f b a k e r yNo, not that kind of baked.
add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random
news, help, about, links, report a problem
browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
register,
|
|
|
The main horn would remain the same noisy apparatus that everyone hates. In an emergency, your hand would go there.
But: when the guy ahead is asleep, you would press a button on the dash and a very weak radio signal would sound an alarm in the car ahead. Make it as focused as possible, so that
it would be unlikely to bother more than the people just in front of your car. (Maybe infrared would be better, but could you keep the transmitter and receiver clean enough in all weather?)
Make the signal more of an 'ahem' than a 'blat'. You want only to lightly remind your fellow driver that it is indeed time to proceed through the intersection.
1) Make it a legal requirement that the thing cuts the other car's sound system (and yours, to be fair) for the duration of the signal.
2) Put a one- or two second delay on it so idiots wouldn't use it to harrass all drivers who aren't used to driving dragstrips on weekends.
3) Perhaps add a standard set of signals that drivers could transmit: "Green light" would be standard, but maybe you could quickly reset it to transmit "Lights out" or "Trunk open" or "Baby still on roof" or whatever.
This would be a boon to non-drivers in the area -- residents, workers, pedestrians -- who would not have to listen to the horns of drivers who just want to communicate with other drivers.
Voice of GOD on the road
http://www.halfbake...D_20on_20the_20road
sounds about the same as this [FarmerJohn, Oct 04 2004]
Please log in.
If you're not logged in,
you can see what this page
looks like, but you will
not be able to add anything.
Annotation:
|
| |
FarmerJohn > "sounds about the same as this " |
|
| |
Not really. Throwing your voice into other cars through car radios offers potential for all sorts of intrusive abuse. The description says: "Aim the snooper scope at the offending cars windows... pull the trigger and the microcontroller sweeps the FM transmitter over the broadcast spectrum until the poor guys car radio picks up the tone..." etc. etc. |
|
| |
I'm talking about something that would be standard equipment on cars, like a horn but without of the external noise of a horn. The idea is to let you sound your horn inside the other car, to alert the driver immediately in front of you, and not to bother anyone else. It might blink a small message on the dash, but mainly just trigger an unthreatening tone from you dash. Sort of an "idiot light" triggered by the guy waiting behind you. |
|
| |
And if I have the radio off? |
|
| |
> And if I have the radio off? |
|
| |
The regular radio is not a necessary part of it. In fact, it is better if the regular radio is turned off, and it would be good to have the radio automatically turn down to zero if the 'ahem' radio signal comes through. Other than that, they are not connected. |
|
| |
> This would be abused by the road ragers. |
|
| |
Unlike those pesky horns. |
|
| |
Sure, I agree, but I'm asking for a less abusive alternative. A horn (and not even that; a polite signal) that no one but the intended driver hears. |
|
| |