Friday 1st October 2004

More spies in the cab on the way

New technology designed to alert speeding drivers

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This week's New Scientist reveals more well-meaning technology, this time designed to improve road sign awareness. An Australian invention, Driver Assistance System (DAS) developed at the National Information and Communications Technology Australia (NICTA) lab in Canberra is supposed to make drivers more aware of road signs by alerting them if it thinks they are, for instance approaching a junction too fast.

It uses three cameras. One scans the road and recognises road signs, and is connected to software that can figure out what they are. Dashboard-mounted, the other two monitor the driver's gaze and figure out where the driver is looking. The software also knows how fast the car is travelling and where it is, using GPS. Combining these pieces of information it can spot a stop sign and check to see if the car is slowing. According to the report, Nick Barnes, one of the developers, said the system uses a commercially available package called FaceLab which analyses images and calculates where the driver is looking. If it decides the driver hasn't noticed the sign, it issues an alert.

NICTA is due to report its findings to a robotics conference in Japan this week, and will say that DAS performed 'pretty well' even at high speeds. However, according to the New Scientist's story, head of safety at the AA Andrew Howard pointed out that this could be annoying, especially on roads with which the driver is entirely familiar. Barnes responded that DAS only alerts if the driver ignores the limit, predicting that in commercial applications, there are bound to be overrides and tolerances built in.

Sounds like more Big Brother we really don't need? Although at this stage it's just technology rather than a real product, it has one potential saving grace: it just might help slow down the proliferation of road signs that clutter up the roads, especially in rural locations where roadside furniture bespoils the landscape.

 

[Ozzie Dave]

With slow speed limits , poor driving standards ,Nazis policing the road , and governments that wont admit the truth its about time something was done .
Dont let them do to you what they do to enthusists out here!

[mybrainhurts]

And do you get a poke in the eye with a sharp stick if you don't slow down....?

[vojx]

it won't be long before cars are driving themselves - it'll make for safer roads, and you can have a kip, read the paper, watch tv on the way to work in the morning. it's not all doom and gloom

[The Wiz]

vojx said:

it won't be long before cars are driving themselves - it'll make for safer roads, and you can have a kip, read the paper, watch tv on the way to work in the morning. it's not all doom and gloom

So you'd happily entrust your life and safety to a computer? You've more faith in technology than I have.

[shagga]

Isn't that what we do to a great extent everytime we take a commercial flight these days?

[The Wiz]

Driving is a whole different kettle of fish than flying.

[burwoodman]

eh? the flying analogy is a stretch at best.

Technolgy doesn't keep a plane in the air to the same degree technology is needed to make this spastic idea work.

[james_j]

Sounds like typical "black and white-thinking" Australian authorities.

[cdp]

In Norfolk they have signs that light up if you approach a junction "too fast" (45 in an NSL?). It's a very simple system and based on their speed limit reminders (which I think are a very good idea). This sounds a great deal cheaper and simpler than the system proposed in this article and I would wager at least as effective.

However there are a fair few numpties who will pull out straight in front of you round there on the basis that they never do more that 40 so nobody else will. It has certainly happened to me on the cross road where I first saw the illuminated sign. Although I haven't had this happen as much as I used to, so I must be due for a bad one soon....

[Sgt^Roc]

Remmeber speed kills thats why the police are using speed camers,,,eh well actually its the only safety device they have emmm? and as speed kills 1 in 3, aha 1 in 3 where is that written? well its not but you can believe us the same as there is WMD in Iraq, but We only put them in accident black spots good! so all accident occur on straight roads, well one Police force has 74% recorded at junctions, aha I get it the cars were going straight that’s why they crashed so we put the camera on a straight bit so we could get the fine before they crashed... little a sarcasm never goes a miss but the point here that to get more money out of the driver you got to label him/her a as complete tossers and in need of help, that’s all the justification you need and while Labour are in power you can spin as many lies as you preferand job done money money money with a bonus of driving pissed off drivers onto the defective transport system so the number go up and they can claim an improvement while spending less on roads repair another double whammy big buck saver

>> Edited by Sgt^Roc on Friday 1st October 21:38

[Imperialism2024]

i look at the issue of speeding this way: from my own experience, a bad driver going the speed limit (or 5MPH over it) in dry conditions is much more dangerous than a good driver going much faster. however, if the gov't would fine drivers only when they get into accidents, it wouldn't generate nearly as much money.

[havoc]

Fine someone for being involved in an accident??? That's a dangerous presumption of guilt there!!! In an alleged democracy!

Wash your mouth out!

Oh - before you argue that the insurance co's will work out who's at fault, don't bet on it! I'm awaiting a court case from nearly 2 years ago when someone went into the back of me on a dual carriageway, but they're disputing...so who's at fault there? Currently it's 50/50, and without any witnesses that could well be how it will end up! Go figure.