Self-Parking Cars Coming To U.S.
Posted by
samzenpus
on Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:16 PM
from the parking-is-hard dept.
from the parking-is-hard dept.
Rio writes "Vehicles that are able to parallel park themselves while drivers sit and relax behind the wheel are coming to the United States, according to a Local 6 News report. New Toyota hybrid cars are now available in Britain with a $700 "parking assist" option. Local 6 news showed video of a driver sitting and allowing the car's steering wheel to turn on its own as it pulled into a tight parking spot on a London street. The reporter never touched the wheel as the car parked itself.Toyota says expect to see the technology pop up in the U.S. soon." Here is our previous coverage of their release in Japan.
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Hardware: Self-Parking Car Available In Japan 352 comments
sinjayde writes "Yahoo!/Reuters is reporting that Toyota has released a car for sale in Japan that is able to park itself: 'Toyota's new hybrid gasoline-electric Prius sedan uses electrically operated power steering and sensors that help guide the car when reversing into parking spaces.'" No need to rely on the reverse parking formula anymore?
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Thank you Jesus (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Thank you Jesus (Score:5, Informative)
If you can't master this after about three attempts, let's just say I would recommend a nice icepick lobotomy.
Practice...Practice...Practice (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Thank you Jesus (Score:5, Insightful)
That is the tricky part there. How do you know how close to the curb you are? If you have a good sense of spatial reasoning, you may have a "feel" for it, but a lot of people don't have that skill. The view shown in your mirrors is misleading. If the curb isn't too tall, you can do it "by feel"... you know you're at the curb when the back right tire pushes up against it. On the other hand, if you are parking next to a wall, that's a good way to scrape up your rear fender.
It's not terribly hard with practice, but it does take some skill and if you're not good at it you risk damaging your car, someone else's car, or pissing people off as they wait to pass while you mess it up and have to try again. That's more stress than many people want to have, so I can see why they might like this device.
Re:Thank you Jesus (Score:4, Informative)
As do millions of Americans, it's just you were at the biggest tourist trap in the world so of course every yahoo with a trailer hitch and an airstream was there. Check out any major or even minor city people do it everyday and some of them are actually good at it.
sorry I hate when some one from another country comes and sees the smallest slice of life and starts generalizing about the whole country.
Re:Thank you Jesus (Score:5, Funny)
And after three attempts, the guy waiting behind you might just be ready & willing.
Re:Thank you Jesus (Score:5, Funny)
"That's a four ton truck, Tyrone, how could you not see it?"
"It was at a funny angle!"
"It's behind you. Things tend to come up from behind you when you're reversing."
admittedly, this quote probably isn't perfect.
Re:Thank you Jesus (Score:4, Funny)
A Tight Spot??? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:A Tight Spot??? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:A Tight Spot??? (Score:5, Interesting)
Does anyone else remember this car? Any footage or info online?
1933 Dymaxion Car (Score:5, Informative)
Lazy drivers (Score:5, Funny)
Smarter cars (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Smarter cars (Score:3, Funny)
If you don't know what I'm talking about, think about this: If cars can park themselves what do they need humans for?
Re:Smarter cars (Score:5, Funny)
I think i missed the pressing need for emergency parallel parking skills.
Wow ... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wow ... (Score:5, Insightful)
Of course, I suspect its been a long time since driver's ed taught any of that, since so few people seem to be completely ignorant on those issues. And dont even get me started on the idiots that turn right into the left lane without signalling, and then cruse along at 25MPH on the left lane while gabbing on their cellphone, completely oblivious to the line of traffic that has formed behind them thats actually trying to get where they are going.
Re:Wow ... (Score:5, Funny)
After that, we can deal with Miss "my kids are more important than everyone on this planet" who rockets through grocery store parking lots at 40 MPH in a 28 foot SUV terrifying everyone within 75 yards so she can pick up her dry cleaning 90 seconds earlier.
Re:150 miles? (Score:4, Funny)
You could be doing Mach 3 and there would still be some "I'm more important" assmunch following at a range of eight feet with their "mall parking lot searchlight" highbeams pulling 500 amps from the backup battery.
I don't get within 50 yards of the asshole lane. I'd rather not sail over a flood control channel with Captain SUV and four other cars in a fireball that would be visible from 30,000 feet. Thanks.
Re:Wow ... (Score:5, Informative)
DON'T brake hard at the last second, especially when approaching an intersection. It makes other people at the intersection nervous.
DO pay attention to traffic lights, especially when first in line. React promptly when they change.
DON'T attempt to perform a task that requires the continuous use of one or both hands. (Using a phone, eating, shaving, etc.)
DON'T follow closely, especially at high speed. During normal traffic flow on the highway, you shouldn't need to use the brakes. If you are braking periodically to avoid running into the back of the car in front of you, then you are too close.
DON'T use the horn when stopped in heavy traffic. It's not because someone forgot to continue driving that traffic isn't moving, so reminding them won't help.
DO pull off in a safe place to consult a map (or ask for directions) when unfamiliar with an area. Do NOT simply drive very slowly while searching for your destination.
DO drive with appropriate equipment in adverse weather conditions. Summer tires on a rear-wheel-drive car in the snow is a hazard to yourself and other drivers.
Re:Wow ... (Score:5, Interesting)
tm
Re:Wow ... (Score:4, Interesting)
California state law [ca.gov] states:
21654. (a) Notwithstanding the prima facie speed limits, any
vehicle proceeding upon a highway at a speed less than the normal
speed of traffic moving in the same direction at such time shall be
driven in the right-hand lane for traffic or as close as practicable
to the right-hand edge or curb, except when overtaking and passing
another vehicle proceeding in the same direction or when preparing
for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or
driveway.
(b) If a vehicle is being driven at a speed less than the normal
speed of traffic moving in the same direction at such time, and is
not being driven in the right-hand lane for traffic or as close as
practicable to the right-hand edge or curb, it shall constitute prima
facie evidence that the driver is operating the vehicle in violation
of subdivision (a) of this section.
(c) The Department of Transportation, with respect to state
highways, and local authorities, with respect to highways under their
jurisdiction, may place and maintain upon highways official signs
directing slow-moving traffic to use the right-hand traffic lane
except when overtaking and passing another vehicle or preparing for a
left turn.
Asshole.
Colorado and Florida (Score:3, Informative)
Liability issues (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Liability issues (Score:3, Insightful)
In related news... (Score:5, Funny)
This involves the finely-tuned process of randomly selecting an article from two days ago, changing a few words around, and clicking "Submit."
Come to think of it, this has been going on for quite some time now.
Who's liable for screwups? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Who's liable for screwups? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Who's liable for screwups? (Score:5, Insightful)
No.
How soon? (Score:5, Funny)
Almost a good solution ... (Score:5, Funny)
Great, the last qualification.... (Score:4, Interesting)
Does it work the other way around? (Score:5, Insightful)
Here is a video (Score:3, Informative)
Shows a BMW parking itself
Obligatory (Score:3, Funny)
In Soviet Russia, you parallel park cars!
Autovalet (Score:5, Interesting)
Already exists (Score:5, Funny)
Amazingly public transport companies park their vehicles outside the city as well. Not many bus depots in the city centers.
Oh and taxi's also serve a similar function. I believe they paint them yellow over there instead of the normal black that civilized people use.
While your idea sounds nice it has just one small drawback. If you equip every car with it you have just doubled the traffic in and out of the city center. Your car driving you to your work and then driving itself out to a parking lot. The last thing busy cities need is more traffic.
Oh and an other version of truly "self parking" cars? Getting a ride with a co-worker. Drops me off in front of the office. All it costs is to make two cups of coffee.
Re:Autovalet (Score:3, Insightful)
Out here, we call that a taxi. There are even bigger vehicles available, which run on fixed routes and are called buses. And then we also have trains. Perhaps you need to explore a
Lose control? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Lose control? (Score:3, Insightful)
Great.. (Score:4, Interesting)
Great... (Score:5, Interesting)
I remeber reading an article recently that put people with high end, well kitted out cars in cars with NO driver aids and subjected them to a few tests such as skid pans and high speed maneuvres(sp?!) - the results were fairly predictable. Most were so used to the features that automatically kicked in when they did something stupid that when faced with a car that didn't have them, they had NO idea what was going on and lost control in all circumstances.
I personally feel that there needs to be more driver education and less dependence on these driver aids! I appreciate they might be important in an accident of course but not all circumstances where driver aids may be used could be classed as accidents!
Re:Great... (Score:4, Insightful)
Yes... just like a calculator is another 'convinience' for people who are clearly far too STUPID to do math.
Insurance Rates.. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Just wait for the lawsuits to start... (Score:5, Informative)
So this really isn't all that much different from someone being run over by your average driver.
probably illegal (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Just wait for the lawsuits to start... (Score:3, Funny)
The article says that the driver is responsible for controlling the speed of the vehicle via the break pedal. :)
So THAT is why people are getting hurt. Hitting the break pedal instead of the brake pedal.
:) on with your own bad self.
Re:I guess for some people (Score:3, Insightful)
Sure you can. But is the owner of the car ahead of you (or behind you) just as skilled as you are?
Myself, I don't remember when I used parallel parking last time. Must be sometime ar
Re:I guess for some people (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't believe you. Unless you're on a motorbike, or have the ability to move your card sideways. Or have a car under 1m wide.
Why? Simple mathematics. As soon as your car is more than 1 metre wide it's length across the diagonal is at least 10cm longer th