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From: Lance (Smart Cars and Smart Services for Smart Companies)
Date: 22 Apr 2004
Time: 00:44:03
Smart Cars Getting Smarter Everyday From: Lance Remote Name: 65.88.106.1 Date: 22 Apr 2004 Time: 00:39:01 Comments Robotic systems and smart cars moving forward, safety is coming highway deaths of 38K per year will come down: add these links to the discussion: http://www.macom.com/automotive/mkt_auto_sensors.jsp and http://www.valeo.com/gb/activities/switches_systems/radar.asp . Here are some other thoughts: http://parthe.net/_cwg0404/00000003.htm . Here is some more information: http://www.parthe.net/_cwg0404/00000003.htm and http://www.parthe.net/_oilchangeguys/0000005c.htm and http://www.parthe.net/_cwg0703/00000003.htm and here is a recent posting: Economies of Scale, Tort Reform and a Coordinated Effort Needed to Bring Down the Cost of Technologies Which Can Prevent Deaths on American Highways. This is important in a mobile franchised business, and there are so many franchises available which are mobile in nature. The service sector in our country is huge and the franchise service sector is inline with the increase over the last 3 decades as we move from manufacturing to services. Many franchises are mobile, home based, etc. There are many such well known franchises such as those in the Dwyers Group, Service Master family as well as many smaller franchises which use mobile service type vehicles; Screen Machine, Jani-King, Fish Window Cleaning, Color Your Carpet, Mr. Plant, Racing Limos, etc. Oh yah, I forgot the one we run, http://www.CarwashGuys.com . With all these franchises available we must consider the rising costs of insurance and be sure to factor inthe current costs when deciding on a mobile type service franchise as well as factoring an increase in costs for various options on our work vehicles for added safety as well as the hyperbolic upward trend in insurance costs. As they probably will be going up, not down. Increases in tickets of drivers can also incrase costs as cities try to make up their city budgets by stricter enforcement, this is typical of government agencies. Which is well known and a given, the only problem is that your insurance company is risk adverse and they figure if your drivers are getting tickets the odds are catching up with them that you will have a claim. Also understand that most work related accidents are from auto accidents. So your workmen's compensation insurance will also take a hit. One of the needs is to have less accidents, fewer lawsuits, better technologies, safer roads and more responsible drivers. Here is one thought as we search the technologies which might help. While reading this please remember, that if you have vehicles involved in your franchise, there is risk and increased costs which must be factored into any potential proforma you create in deciding upon the right franchise. And unfortunately you will have to come to the realization that those costs will continue to climb. What we need is to get the economies of scale to help lower the costs of accident prevention technology devices in vehicles which will raise the profits of those who produce such items so all new cars can have added safety features. We need to make our highways safer. Today most of the roads are very safe on the Freeways, Highways and Toll Ways of America. The problem is with the vehicles, visual and sensory perception information overload of the human mind, signage competing for the eye and equipment performance. So then we have spent and are spending much on the roads, so we are doing great there and we are seeing a diminishing of returns on the roadway improvements. Sure there are some future technologies being introduced to assist us. For instance; RFID Chips and warning signals, RF blockers for ambulance and first responder vehicles, Deer Crossing Radar, Weather alerts, Truck roll-over highway sign frequency notifications, etc. These are all good of course but we can all install things on cars, which can protect or non-exoskeleton body parts from harm in the case of accidents and/or prevent the accidents from occurring all together. The costs for some of these latest technologies are somewhat expensive and only available on some models. For instance; Anti-lock brakes options run on average $470.00; Traction Control $220.00; Tire Pressure Dash Board Lights $50.00 approximately; Electronic Stability Control ESC also available under other names $450.00 http://www.parthe.net/_oilchange0104/00000008.htm ; Run Flat Tires (rims) $300.00 ; Adaptive Cruise control distance following on highways $700.00 to $1100.00 http://www.parthe.net/_cwg1203/0000005e.htm . And then there are the other collision avoidance systems such as; back up warning systems from $300-$535.00 ; Lane Departure systems $400.00 one interesting up and coming company which has these is Logex, Inc.; Blind Spot warnings $350.00 . And of course the famous Airbags and Seat belts. Curtain and canopy Side air bags; $330.00 a side ; Smart Airbags add $200.00 ; Adjustable pedals for driver to reach properly $200.00 ; Pre-tensioner seat belts which only come in package options ; Special anti-whiplash head rests $300.00 which some claim can also cause increased issues with blind spots and visibility. If we wish to improve the flow of transportation and help save American Lives, we will need both road and highway technologies as well as technologies within the vehicles which travel upon them. Here are some relevant links and idea: http://www.parthe.net/_cwg1003/0000005e.htm . http://www.parthe.net/_cwg1003/00000020.htm . ----------- And here are some more links which were posted onto another Bulletin Board on possible transfer technologies from Automotive to Military? There are many auto motive technologies which could assist in convoys for logistics and also possibly in the Next 2 Million Dollar DARPA Challenge. For instance I would like to point to some of these advances to propel thought in these areas. I am in the Car Wash Business so some of this data is skewed and related to my field although the information and ideas are very useful: Ice on Sensor Heads, Ways to remove ice: http://www.carwashguys.com/history/beginning.html . Glass Coating and Self Cleaning to get rid of dust on sensor heads: http://parthe.net/_cwg1203/00000061.htm . Radar Following technologies which could be used for convoy following of lines of autonomous vehicles in logistical flows:http://parthe.net/_cwg1203/0000005e.htm .Plastic Repair for those damanged in the Challenge, not as difficult as you think: http://parthe.net/_cwg1203/00000041.htm .Hydro Car platform to go across land and water for future challenges and needs, ideas only. http://parthe.net/_cwg1203/00000019.htm . ESC Electronic Stability Control in the auto industry might be of value on the chosen platform; http://parthe.net/_cwg1203/0000000d.htm Links to Automotive manufacturer websites, I would like to see more participation and sponsorship and you know they have the money; http://parthe.net/_cwg1203/00000009.htm Technical Data for repairing platforms, major manufacturers websites and manual information: http://parthe.net/_cwg1203/00000004.htm . UAV research and ideas which could possibly be implementd into the Challanger vehicle platforms where the rules permit, some of course would be a NO GO; http://parthe.net/_cwg1003/0000006a.htm . Various topics of SmartCar and Intelligent Transportation; http://parthe.net/_cwg1003/0000005e.htm . HUD-Heads up Displays and computer human interface ideas and software vendors and equipment that is out there now and will bein the future: http://parthe.net/_cwg1003/00000054.htm . Wal-Mart Security Robotics etc. Maybe soem ideas here: http://parthe.net/_cwg1003/00000053.htm . Light Pick-up Truck Consumer Reports for possible platform: http://parthe.net/_cwg1003/00000052.htm . The Flow of transportation and how all these techonologies will effect the way we live in the future: http://parthe.net/_cwg1003/00000020.htm . Sensor Planting to protect Plants and Facilities, possible use of the technologies for commercial uses: http://parthe.net/_cwg1003/00000043.htm .Possible tethered blimp for aerial optic sensors if permitted; http://parthe.net/_cwg1003/00000042.htm . UAV Companies and various other available technologies, some of which will not be permitted, however some of these sensors are not bad: http://parthe.net/_cwg1003/0000003e.htm . Another Future commercial possible future use: http://parthe.net/_cwg1003/00000033.htm . Some thoughts on Robotics: http://parthe.net/_cwg0803/00000053.htm . More on HUD uses and interfacs and technolgoies; http://parthe.net/_cwg0803/00000033.htm . If anyone has any questions on any of these posts or articles, please email me Lance@carwashguys.com or call me at 1-888-WASH-GUY . Some of what is written in these posts is stream of thought and appears as if it was part of a conversation, with little care to punctuation and the BBS does not support paragraphing, so if you need further discussion to understand what is being said or wish to talk, the phone is always on. Thanks. I can tell you we are brain storming and coming up with this stuff every single day, we have pictures, drawings, and study every single major technology journal and read at least 15 white papers a day spanning 30 industries and participate in some way thru the WashGuys in 22 of them. You want information. Let us know, prove who you are and we can talk.
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