What technology are we still waiting for ?

What technology are we still waiting for ?

Author
Discussion

Impasse

15,099 posts

240 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Air blowers and the like for clearing water from screens may well be good at that, but I expect they'd be useless at getting rid of bug splats and overly gloopy presents from seagulls.

therealpigdog

2,592 posts

196 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Can they just fit a touchscreen in that I can plug my phone into (or Bluetooth/WiFi etc). Would need amp etc. there too.

hman

7,487 posts

193 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Riley Blue said:
How about tyres that have a red ply so that as they wear the colour changes and it's obvious to everyone that they've reached the minimum tread limit?
My wifes goodyears did this on both tyres when they hit the tread bars - white bands appeared on the centre band of tread - tyre guys confirmed definitely not tyre carcass threads.

Also my nokian tyres have 87654 on the centre band, as the tyre wears the numbers rub off so now the worn tyres say 54 (5mm) and the new ones still say (8mm)

Craikeybaby

10,369 posts

224 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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therealpigdog said:
Can they just fit a touchscreen in that I can plug my phone into (or Bluetooth/WiFi etc). Would need amp etc. there too.
It's already on the market for Apple (CarPlay) and Nokia (mirror link), Android to follow soon. I'll be fitting one of the Alpine CarPlay headunits to my car in the new year.

Muddle238

3,871 posts

112 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Boeing 787 window shades are electrochromatic jobbies I believe, in 20 years we will probably see this technology applied to the tops of windscreens and side windows as a replacement for the sun visor.

FiF

43,960 posts

250 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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Muddle238 said:
Boeing 787 window shades are electrochromatic jobbies I believe, in 20 years we will probably see this technology applied to the tops of windscreens and side windows as a replacement for the sun visor.
That would be useful, in the meantime we're still waiting for those natty fold out visors that saab used to fit. Visor for screen, fold out extra visor for side window. Not a bit of expensive to repair electronics in evidence.

sjj84

2,390 posts

218 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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T0MMY said:
I can't help thinking that rear view cameras are a slightly pointless innovation though, I mean it's just adding a load of technology to duplicate something that already works perfectly well. The downward facing cameras on lorries and vans are good for parking and spotting cyclists but why replace the normal rearview mirror in a car?
The same could be said for electronic handbrakes. A solution to a problem that wasn't there.

I like the idea of the coloured band on worn tyres, simple yet effective.

Blakewater

4,303 posts

156 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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pigeonskirt said:
We had a fella from a company come to show us a hydrophobic coating that could be applied to windscreens. Apparently, it's stuff that's used on Yachts that don't have wipers. He assured me you could drive on the motorway without the wipers on and that the rain would just blow off. I tried it and it worked quite well.
Dealers offer this as an accessory. When my mother was buying her VW Up the salesman was pushing it. He said his car had it and he could drive around in moderate rain with no need to use the wipers. It's good for when it's sort of raining but the wipers smear dirt across the screen.

How about solar roadways? No more road markings, the road surface generates electricity, you can change parking space allocation in car parks, highlight dangers in the roads and lots more.

http://www.solarroadways.com/intro.shtml

Quattromaster

2,904 posts

203 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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T0MMY said:
assuming we exist for another few thousand years as a species.
I give us 150 yrs tops, and that's being generous.


feef

5,206 posts

182 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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Blakewater said:
pigeonskirt said:
We had a fella from a company come to show us a hydrophobic coating that could be applied to windscreens. Apparently, it's stuff that's used on Yachts that don't have wipers. He assured me you could drive on the motorway without the wipers on and that the rain would just blow off. I tried it and it worked quite well.
Dealers offer this as an accessory. When my mother was buying her VW Up the salesman was pushing it. He said his car had it and he could drive around in moderate rain with no need to use the wipers. It's good for when it's sort of raining but the wipers smear dirt across the screen.

How about solar roadways? No more road markings, the road surface generates electricity, you can change parking space allocation in car parks, highlight dangers in the roads and lots more.

http://www.solarroadways.com/intro.shtml
The question that the Solar Roadways developers have never answered is how long the actual roadway surface lasts

xRIEx

8,180 posts

147 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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feef said:
Blakewater said:
pigeonskirt said:
We had a fella from a company come to show us a hydrophobic coating that could be applied to windscreens. Apparently, it's stuff that's used on Yachts that don't have wipers. He assured me you could drive on the motorway without the wipers on and that the rain would just blow off. I tried it and it worked quite well.
Dealers offer this as an accessory. When my mother was buying her VW Up the salesman was pushing it. He said his car had it and he could drive around in moderate rain with no need to use the wipers. It's good for when it's sort of raining but the wipers smear dirt across the screen.

How about solar roadways? No more road markings, the road surface generates electricity, you can change parking space allocation in car parks, highlight dangers in the roads and lots more.

http://www.solarroadways.com/intro.shtml
The question that the Solar Roadways developers have never answered is how long the actual roadway surface lasts
There are a lot more questions they've never answered.

jonah35

3,940 posts

156 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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The average home to catch up with the average car.

Heated sofa, automatically opening and closing doors and setting alarm, your phone to work via the home electronic system etc.

I mean, a key to open your home?! Yet a £2k mondeo has a fob. I know homes have it but most don't.

Conscript

1,378 posts

120 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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Pretty much every car on the road has a heated rear screen, heated mirrors are also common, and heated front windscreens are quite common in most Ford motors now.

So why not heated side windows? Occured to me while reading a thread about defrosting cars. The technology exists to make the heating elements almost imperceptible (Quickclear windscreens), so why not place the technology in all vehicle glass?

No need for any sort of inconvenient frost cleaning rituals such as scraping, de-icer, lukewarm water, etc. Get in car, start engine, press one button to start heating all the glass. A couple of minutes later, all the windows clear. Simple smile

slipstream 1985

12,123 posts

178 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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x111tom said:
Why haven't they made a car which catches rain water and mixes a screen wash concentrate in so that you can use it on your windscreen without filling your washer bottle up all the time!
This point/idea does not deserve to fall into silence. That is a cracking idea.

Willy Nilly

12,511 posts

166 months

Sunday 21st December 2014
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slipstream 1985 said:
x111tom said:
Why haven't they made a car which catches rain water and mixes a screen wash concentrate in so that you can use it on your windscreen without filling your washer bottle up all the time!
This point/idea does not deserve to fall into silence. That is a cracking idea.
It would get algae growing in the receiving tank and bits would end up in there blocking the nozzles and wearing the pump. And you would need two tanks, one for the rain water and one for the concentrate and a transfer pump and the rain water would freeze

amusingduck

9,396 posts

135 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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Conscript said:
Pretty much every car on the road has a heated rear screen, heated mirrors are also common, and heated front windscreens are quite common in most Ford motors now.

So why not heated side windows? Occured to me while reading a thread about defrosting cars. The technology exists to make the heating elements almost imperceptible (Quickclear windscreens), so why not place the technology in all vehicle glass?

No need for any sort of inconvenient frost cleaning rituals such as scraping, de-icer, lukewarm water, etc. Get in car, start engine, press one button to start heating all the glass. A couple of minutes later, all the windows clear. Simple smile
2L bottle of warm (35-40c i'd guess) water, 30 seconds to pour on all windows, windows completely clear. If it's particularly freezing i'll use a lukewarm bottle first, then a warm bottle. I'd be interested to know the temperature differential to cause a screen to crack.

ZOLLAR

19,908 posts

172 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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Conscript said:
Pretty much every car on the road has a heated rear screen, heated mirrors are also common, and heated front windscreens are quite common in most Ford motors now.

So why not heated side windows? Occured to me while reading a thread about defrosting cars. The technology exists to make the heating elements almost imperceptible (Quickclear windscreens), so why not place the technology in all vehicle glass?

No need for any sort of inconvenient frost cleaning rituals such as scraping, de-icer, lukewarm water, etc. Get in car, start engine, press one button to start heating all the glass. A couple of minutes later, all the windows clear. Simple smile
Not sure, maybe due to the side windows being required to move up and down on a regular basis means they can't find a viable solution?

dave_s13

13,813 posts

268 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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Willy Nilly said:
slipstream 1985 said:
x111tom said:
Why haven't they made a car which catches rain water and mixes a screen wash concentrate in so that you can use it on your windscreen without filling your washer bottle up all the time!
This point/idea does not deserve to fall into silence. That is a cracking idea.
It would get algae growing in the receiving tank and bits would end up in there blocking the nozzles and wearing the pump. And you would need two tanks, one for the rain water and one for the concentrate and a transfer pump and the rain water would freeze
Yeah but apart from that, good idea.

I've come up with a sure fire, 100% solution for the windy wiper and screen freezing issue.

Replace glass windscreens with a 65" curved 4k TV facing into the car. Wire it up to a camera off eBay, bit of mastic to weather tight and bingo. No need for wipers and you could even "picture in picture" your favourite TV show while nipping to the shops.

Craikeybaby

10,369 posts

224 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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Don't say that too loud! The way manufacturers are going, replacing everything they can with screens/cameras they'll actually try it!

lbc

3,212 posts

216 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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A flashing light and alarm on the dashboard to warn drivers they don't need fog lights on.

Another one to warn that headlights are off when they should be on.