4 ms·

New cars in the USA (and many other countries) are required to have safety features like antilock brakes, electronic stability control, tire pressure monitoring

by ken 7y ago

New cars in the USA (and many other countries) are required to have safety features like antilock brakes, electronic stability control, tire pressure monitoring, and backup cameras. Autonomous emergency braking looks like it will be next. It seems like it would be exceedingly difficult (and/or expensive) to build a legal mass-produced car which has all of these safety features, using no ICs.

Theodores 7y ago
Early ABS implementations were mechanical. Ball bearings were involved, can't remember what else, but it was 50-50 what would be the winning the market. Saloons of yesteryear were possible to park without backup cameras, driving instructors taught you how to look behind through the back window and you could see out the back then if the kids ducked down. It was easy for them to do so as they had no safety belts. I think no ICs is a bit silly. However, I would like a car that was simplified in the extreme. This does not mean a 1990's or a 1970's car but something more ambitious. The simplifications I want to see are things like parts that can be swapped to left/right or front/rear. So one seat design, one bumper design, one indicator light design, one side mirror design and so on. Also I would want a carbon fibre shell that has no crumple zones, instead the seats slide forward/back to absorb the energy. The thing would have to be fully EV with no frunk/boot, just have 3-4 foot of legroom in the back and more like a VW van of old with a cab forward design that is entered like a cockpit, so just one side door each side to the central area.
- kalleboo 7y ago
  > It was easy for them to do so as they had no safety belts It was also easier before increased crash safety requirements caused the C pillars to grow massively in size, robbing us of rear window size

4 ms·

New cars in the USA (and many other countries) are required to have safety features like antilock brakes, electronic stability control, tire pressure monitoring

by ken 7y ago

Theodores 7y ago
Early ABS implementations were mechanical. Ball bearings were involved, can't remember what else, but it was 50-50 what would be the winning the market. Saloons of yesteryear were possible to park without backup cameras, driving instructors taught you how to look behind through the back window and you could see out the back then if the kids ducked down. It was easy for them to do so as they had no safety belts. I think no ICs is a bit silly. However, I would like a car that was simplified in the extreme. This does not mean a 1990's or a 1970's car but something more ambitious. The simplifications I want to see are things like parts that can be swapped to left/right or front/rear. So one seat design, one bumper design, one indicator light design, one side mirror design and so on. Also I would want a carbon fibre shell that has no crumple zones, instead the seats slide forward/back to absorb the energy. The thing would have to be fully EV with no frunk/boot, just have 3-4 foot of legroom in the back and more like a VW van of old with a cab forward design that is entered like a cockpit, so just one side door each side to the central area.
- kalleboo 7y ago
  > It was easy for them to do so as they had no safety belts It was also easier before increased crash safety requirements caused the C pillars to grow massively in size, robbing us of rear window size