For example, as you drive, an arrow would race along the road ahead of you, pointing the way. For that hidden turning you always miss on the 1&9, a large sign that would light up with "TURN LEFT NOW" as you approach. And for my brother-in-law, "SLOW DOWN NOW" pretty much wherever.
[Loosely inspired by the Colored Roads idea.]-- DrCurry, Mar 15 2003 Personal Road Sign http://bz.pair.com/fun/prSign.jpg[21Kb image] [bristolz, Oct 17 2004, last modified Jun 28 2005] Should be interesting round about here on a holiday weekend. http://uk.multimap....ddr3=&pc=&advanced= [angel, Oct 17 2004] Stop Turn around You Are Going The Wrong Way (+)-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Mar 16 2003 Quite WIBNI. Who exactly is going to get the signs exclusively all to themselves? I guess, everyone would have to have their own name on the signs. "Turn left, Susan Johnson of 134 Main Street" Baked with in-car navigation systems.-- Cedar Park, Mar 16 2003 Why not use the navigator and project the ‘signs’ on the windshield? That would create a customized view and could have the appearance of arrows ahead etc…-- Shz, Mar 16 2003 //as you drive, an arrow would race along the road ahead of you// makes it sound like it should come from the front of the car, sort of like what [Shz] said. That is a good idea since it would help keep the driver from being distracted by looking at his nav system.-- Bert6322, Mar 16 2003 I'm imagining one of those overhead programmable signs detecting my approach and telling everyone, "The idiot in the far left lane will now realize he needs to exit here. Please be alert for his ill-considered multiple lane change."-- lurch, Mar 16 2003 Exactly - the main goal is to keep the driver's eyes where they belong, on the road and upcoming road signs.
The technology for transient road signs is readily available - fog warnings are already posted this way, and giant video screens could be used to make more detailed signs. There are plenty of radio frequency technologies for tracking the car and alerting upcoming signs.
Having the road change color for the moving arrow is more tricky, but we have addressed that elsewhere.-- DrCurry, Mar 16 2003 Heads up display? Could feature advertising as well, e.g. "McDonalds coming up in two exits." How charmingly Satanic.-- snarfyguy, Mar 16 2003 I must have some sort of Alzheimer-related problem because I always get lost driving to places, no matter how many times I have driven there before (by the way, I am not stupid. I just happen to live in the biggest & most overpopulated city on the planet while having a bad memory). My boyfriend and I fight a lot because he hates it when I get lost going to places. These personal roadsigns would definitely save my relationship.-- Pericles, Mar 16 2003 Ouch, highly satanic [snarfyguy].
I can see it now... a HUD display made by Intel (cue "Intel ding music") on software made by Microsoft, with paid for corporate advertisements/signs (so indeed, as you say "McDonalds in two exits", but ALSO it directs you away from, say, Burger King or Wendy's...).
Sounds interesting, though if indeed the software was made by Microsoft it really gives meaning to the term "Blue screen of Death"...-- Freelancer, Mar 16 2003 Anyone remember the car commercial featuring 'Bob?' Signs would flash: 'Go Bob. Bob's lane. Parking for Bob only,' etc.-- RayfordSteele, Mar 16 2003 [Rayford] I DO remember that, vaguely, and thought of it as I first read this. I recall liking the spot for its spunk.-- bristolz, Mar 17 2003 My favourite road sign is "Adverse camber".
I only want this one for me as it makes me happy when I see it.
The rest of the time I'm lost anyway and telling me "go left" or "go right" would be next to useless as I don't know which is which.-- squeak, Mar 17 2003 I'm picturing a large sign on the approach to a roundabout with peoples names on the exits so that they know where to go.
Nice idea, DrC. Lovely illo, bris.-- st3f, Mar 17 2003 Dimandja: perfectly feasible, technology explained, annotation deleted. squeak: You could use the European system, with arrows and pictures rather than text.-- DrCurry, Mar 18 2003 random, halfbakery