For those of you who would like a more visceral way to drive a car. Install a ramp-like padded plank on the front center of a car such that the plank extends from the bumper and rises at a 45 degree angle to the road. Then provide a foot pedal assembly along the bumper such that a driver, lying prone on the plank, can alternatively reach a bumper-mounted accelerator or brake.

For steering, provide two handles on either side of the plank and mount them on rods such that each rod moves along the direction of the plank in response to hand pressure on the handles. Each rod would move in a reciprocal fashion. That is, the when pushing down toward the bumper with the right handle, the left handle would rise up. The rod assembly would thus provide inputs to the steering the car.

Now, the plank could provide two different forms of support: a) the person rests on the plank and the plank supports the person; or b) the person hangs with about an inch between his/her back and the plank from a harness (very similar to a hang-gliding harness).

The beauty of this arrangement is that if you want to take a full load of people in your car, you now have one additional seat.

I have an idea for some airbag protection of the 'bow-driver', but I'm going to reserve that idea for a patent. I file the patent application once I'm sure that the configuration of driving , just described, takes off like wildfire.

Not recommended for rainy weather. Make an easy transition from hang-gliding to terrestrial transportation.
-- pathetic, May 05 2007

(?) KSR v. Teleflex "That it might have...crazy to try' rule?
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/04-1350.pdf [pathetic, May 06 2007]

Is this intended for public road use? Could make an original theme ride on a track. Could design it and sell to people who do track experience days (drive a ferrari and a lamborgini for a day type places). Was gonna give you a fish but I like the idea now. Wouldn't do it on the front of the car though. If something goes wrong thy will be under the car.
-- Maltese lunatic, May 06 2007


This sounds insanely stupid. +
-- DrCurry, May 06 2007


//This sounds insanely stupid.// I think so too, but rather like replacing air-bags with steel spikes, it would vastly improve road safety. [+]
-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, May 06 2007


[Bigsleep] good idea. The bumper is big enough that I could probably put two or three planks. I have a very rough idea of a kind of 'ejection seat' system that could help people in case of imminent crash. Probably something with some retro-rockets that may rely on a parachute to give people a soft landing. I think that typical mid-sized cars can handle the additional weight of bumper-riders plus the retro-rocket 'speed arrestor'. Note that the retro-rockets are not to stop the car, but rather to cause the rider's harness to detach backwards and upwards (and perhaps slightly curbsidewards). Not a perfect solution... but, might mitigate the 'all-hanging-out' paradigm somewhat.

[DrCurry] thanks. You know that 'insanely stupid' might become a new standard for patentability judging by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling (KSR v. Teleflex).
-- pathetic, May 06 2007



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