5 ms·

Ford to use lasers instead of spark plugs to ignite and burn fuel

27 points by mixmax 17y ago

knieveltech 17y ago
Cool idea. Downside: one more routine maintenance task that can no longer reasonably be performed by your average car owner.
- randallsquared 17y ago
  One more routine maintenance task that no longer needs performing, it sounds like, which would be an upside. I skimmed, though.
- jrockway 17y ago
  If you want a vehicle you can maintain yourself, get a bike.
  - eru 17y ago
    Like the flevoracer (http://members.chello.nl/d.diederik/recumbent/flevoracer/plans/index.htm http://members.chello.nl/d.diederik/recumbent/flevoracer/pla...) or a unicycle. They are easy to understand.
    - warfangle 17y ago
      I've been thinking about this grand invention for quite a while. Imagine it: a man-powered vehicle like the unicycle, but with two wheels. I think I'll call it a double-unicycle, but it's not quite as catchy as I want it to be. I'm still stuck on how to transport the kinetic energy of the pedals to both wheels, though - I'm thinking some sort of double chain system, where the pedals drive both unicycles. Seat placement could, perhaps, be problematic as well...
      - eru 17y ago
        Why add redundancy to an elegant design?
  - jasongullickson 17y ago
    Or any of the millions of old, used and classic cars available almost anywhere, typically for not a lot of money. ...I'd love to ride a bike to work, but I don't think the company would appreciate it if I showed up a day late for work every day...
- mr_justin 17y ago
  Nonsense, working on a modern vehicle requires specialized tools (in some cases), a computer (in many cases) and patience. If you enjoy working on cars, then you get whatever you need to get the job done. If you don't, then you just complain about how expensive it is to take your car to the shop.
DanielStraight 17y ago
I may take downvotes for this... but was that even written by an English speaker?
- DanielBMarkham 17y ago
  The article has an odd cadence to it, doesn't it?
  - DanielStraight 17y ago
    The actual story is much better: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/5803066/Cars-to-be-started-by-lasers-instead-of-spark-plugs.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/5803066/Cars-to-be-... I wonder if the summary was created automatically.
DTrejo 17y ago
I wonder if this will be better than Pulstar, probably. (http://www.pulstar.com/ http://www.pulstar.com/)

27 points by mixmax 17y ago

Cool idea. Downside: one more routine maintenance task that can no longer reasonably be performed by your average car owner.

randallsquared 17y ago
One more routine maintenance task that no longer needs performing, it sounds like, which would be an upside. I skimmed, though.
jrockway 17y ago
If you want a vehicle you can maintain yourself, get a bike.
- eru 17y ago
  Like the flevoracer (http://members.chello.nl/d.diederik/recumbent/flevoracer/plans/index.htm http://members.chello.nl/d.diederik/recumbent/flevoracer/pla...) or a unicycle. They are easy to understand.
  - warfangle 17y ago
    I've been thinking about this grand invention for quite a while. Imagine it: a man-powered vehicle like the unicycle, but with two wheels. I think I'll call it a double-unicycle, but it's not quite as catchy as I want it to be. I'm still stuck on how to transport the kinetic energy of the pedals to both wheels, though - I'm thinking some sort of double chain system, where the pedals drive both unicycles. Seat placement could, perhaps, be problematic as well...
    - eru 17y ago
      Why add redundancy to an elegant design?
- jasongullickson 17y ago
  Or any of the millions of old, used and classic cars available almost anywhere, typically for not a lot of money. ...I'd love to ride a bike to work, but I don't think the company would appreciate it if I showed up a day late for work every day...
mr_justin 17y ago
Nonsense, working on a modern vehicle requires specialized tools (in some cases), a computer (in many cases) and patience. If you enjoy working on cars, then you get whatever you need to get the job done. If you don't, then you just complain about how expensive it is to take your car to the shop.

DanielStraight 17y ago

I may take downvotes for this... but was that even written by an English speaker?

DanielBMarkham 17y ago
The article has an odd cadence to it, doesn't it?
- DanielStraight 17y ago
  The actual story is much better: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/5803066/Cars-to-be-started-by-lasers-instead-of-spark-plugs.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/5803066/Cars-to-be-... I wonder if the summary was created automatically.

DTrejo 17y ago

I wonder if this will be better than Pulstar, probably. (http://www.pulstar.com/ http://www.pulstar.com/)