But how will people text and check their FB page?



Vehicle-to-everything communications technology, more commonly referred to as V2X, is poised to change the way cars operate in the very near future.

Numerous automakers are working on V2X systems, some of which are already available. Among those automakers is Ford which thinks the tech could one day eliminate traffic lights.

The automaker announced Wednesday it will trial an Intersection Priority Management (IPM) system on the streets of Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. The system is Ford's way of demonstrating that cars may not always have to stop for an intersection or traffic sign. Instead, the system suggests speeds that allow a car to pass through an intersection without coming to a complete stop. The technology is inspired by the way humans maneuver through crowds of people. We don't come to a stop as we meander through, but instead adjust our speed to avoid colliding with other people.

Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications allows cars in an area to know each other's location, direction of travel and speed, while the IPM system identifies upcoming intersections. The IPM also calculates all of the surrounding cars' paths and produces the optimal speed for each of them to pass through an intersection without colliding or stopping. Researchers previewed a similar system in 2016 using a simulation.


While the technology sounds rather difficult to implement in the real world where not every car on the road will feature V2V technology, it could be a major facet of future self-driving cars. Ford said it's possible that with a system developed for autonomous vehicles, the only time the car would stop is when a rider reaches his or her destination. Ford is first testing the technology with humans behind the wheel, but IPM may not need humans or traffic signals one day.

IPM comes as the government-funded U.K. Autodrive program, which looks at upcoming car technologies, wraps up. Ford has worked to help develop new safety technologies over the past two years and has also shown off an intersection collision warning system and Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory. The latter helps cars synchronize with traffic lights and help avoid red signals.

While Ford works to eliminate traffic lights, Honda is also working on making intersections a safer place. The company has developed a "smart intersection" with V2X technology that can alert drivers of obstacles and help avoid a crash. The technology began testing in Ohio this month.



https://www.foxnews.com/auto/f...thout-traffic-lights

Yeah and the systems will never break down, and cannot be turned off. I like flying cars better.

I think one of the things which may actually be possible, is self-parking cars.

Buildings designed w. a convenient "15 minute" set of spaces, and heavily marked/tagged/etc paths to a auto parking area, if left over 15 minutes, could be easily designed, and would serve quite a useful function, both in maximizing the value of retail space, and in reducing traffic.

I know there will be a few members that get very bent out of shape over this. They get upset when somebody rolls a 4 way stop when there's no other cars for a mile in each direction.

I don't know how they're going to make it work. We have smart traffic signals around here where computers adjust the lights to move traffic. I don't think they're as smart as they believe themselves to be.

Apparently the lights are out in some offices in Detroit.

They need to spend less time wasting money on futuristic ideas and more time getting their stock price up - though a 6.8% dividend yield (based on 10/12 close) is sweet if you have a big enough pair.

I have seen, and driven in, the future - it's called Mexico City.

Obviously, these Ford engineers have never driven in the northeast.

Try driving in Rome Italy or Seoul S. Korea.

How about the automakers concentrate on making quality vehicles that don’t need any repairs or maintenance for 15yrs or 200k miles. That sounds better than cars talking to each other.

quote:

Originally posted by sigspecops:
How about the automakers concentrate on making quality vehicles that don’t need any repairs or maintenance for 15yrs or 200k miles. That sounds better than cars talking to each other.

Yes and this would especially apply to Ford. The crap they have dealt for decades to their customers. A friends Fusion has had 43 recalls. That right there speaks to the disfunction built into their products.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Try driving in Rome Italy or Seoul S. Korea.

Did both.

Navy captain asked, “PD, you can drive around Boston and New York?”

“Yes, sir”

“Good. You’re getting a South Korean drivers license.”

First rule was never look into the eyes of another driver.

Sounds like a great idea for cars never to have to stop at intersections, but it could be more dangerous for the pedestrians in the crosswalks. Maybe in a Ford future we will be able to run across the street like lucky squirrels who manage not to get run over by nutty drivers who don't stop for anything.

quote:

Originally posted by Eliakim:
Sounds like a great idea for cars never to have to stop at intersections, but it could be more dangerous for the pedestrians in the crosswalks. Maybe in a Ford future we will be able to run across the street like lucky squirrels who manage not to get run over by nutty drivers who don't stop for anything.

You sir have segwayed into where all this is headed, and that aspect gives me some real concerns. To automate traffic, they'll need huge centralized computing power and physical access into everyone's cars. Then the cellphones of pedestrians and cyclists will be sucked into that system to monitor and plan their behavior into the equation. Having that level of access into our lives opens the doors wide to immense abuse wherein government can monitor every second of every day for everyone. And I know some will say that's where we are today, but its not. With this sort of access and computing power, there is unlikely to be a single aspect of any of our lives that will approach anything close to 'private'.

Luckily I'm old enough that its unlikely I'll ever have to deal with this in my lifetime.

Screw all that, I want my flying car Popular Mechanics promised me 50 yrs. ago.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Try driving in Rome Italy or Seoul S. Korea.

It was fun in Tehran in 1970, too.

flashguy

Skynet is one step away from becoming self aware...

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:

quote:

Originally posted by Eliakim:
Sounds like a great idea for cars never to have to stop at intersections, but it could be more dangerous for the pedestrians in the crosswalks. Maybe in a Ford future we will be able to run across the street like lucky squirrels who manage not to get run over by nutty drivers who don't stop for anything.

You sir have segwayed into where all this is headed, and that aspect gives me some real concerns. To automate traffic, they'll need huge centralized computing power and physical access into everyone's cars. Then the cellphones of pedestrians and cyclists will be sucked into that system to monitor and plan their behavior into the equation. Having that level of access into our lives opens the doors wide to immense abuse wherein government can monitor every second of every day for everyone. And I know some will say that's where we are today, but its not. With this sort of access and computing power, there is unlikely to be a single aspect of any of our lives that will approach anything close to 'private'.

Luckily I'm old enough that its unlikely I'll ever have to deal with this in my lifetime.

And the only way to make it work is to MANDATE everyone to use it. Use of gummint force. And I'd bet the tech would end up being used to spy on people (and sell the data to Google so they can push ads to everyone) more than it would to avoid accidents.

You mean they stop now?

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:

quote:

Originally posted by sigspecops:
How about the automakers concentrate on making quality vehicles that don’t need any repairs or maintenance for 15yrs or 200k miles. That sounds better than cars talking to each other.

Yes and this would especially apply to Ford. The crap they have dealt for decades to their customers. A friends Fusion has had 43 recalls. That right there speaks to the disfunction built into their products.

I have a 08 Explorer with 105k miles on it. I’m the original owner. It’s a piece of shit. So far I’ve replaced and repaired so much on it that I’ve started calling it a Rock Auto Explorer instead of a Ford. If I keep it another 10 years I’d expect it to be more aftermarket than factory.