Re: [EVDL] a-pillar blind spot (OT)

[Lee Hart via EV]

EVDL Administrator via EV wrote:

These days it appears that most production EVs are emulating Tesla and
slapping tablet-like touch screens in the middle of their instrument panels.
They're all "connected," to one extent or another, and they boast that they
can link to your mobile phone.  It can't be much longer before we're being
dunned with offers to "Charge your EV for free with Google Charge (tm)!  Get
the app today!"


The overpowering influence of Big Business and Advertising reminds me of 
the science fiction classic "The Space Merchants" 
 It describes a 
dystopian future that sounds very much like our world today. It 
describes a world run by big corporations, with advertising used to 
brainwash the public into buying whatever ineffective, addictive, or 
even dangerous products will make them the most money. It's rated as the 
24th best SF novel of all time, right up there with "The Martian 
Chronicles" and "The War of the Worlds".


Lee Hart

--
There is a computer disease that anybody who works with computers knows
about. It's very serious, and interferes completely with your work. The
trouble with computers is that you 'play' with them! (Richard Feynman)
--
Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com
___
UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
ARCHIVE: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html
INFO: http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org
Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)

Re: [EVDL] a-pillar blind spot (OT)

[EVDL Administrator via EV]

On 7 Nov 2019 at 15:33, Lee Hart via EV wrote:

> Oh no! Let's not give telemarketers yet another way to shove ads in our 
> faces!

These days it appears that most production EVs are emulating Tesla and 
slapping tablet-like touch screens in the middle of their instrument panels. 
They're all "connected," to one extent or another, and they boast that they 
can link to your mobile phone.  It can't be much longer before we're being 
dunned with offers to "Charge your EV for free with Google Charge (tm)!  Get 
the app today!"  

Naturally the ads on that screen will be tailored to what they know about 
you.  That'll be quite a lot, since in addition to your phone reporting who 
you call and text, and what websites you visit, your EV will be reporting 
where you drive and maybe even what you talk about with your passengers.

If the number of people willing to accept ads on their moble phones to save 
paying a buck or so for apps is any indication, it'll be a hit.

David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA
EVDL Administrator

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
EVDL Information: http://www.evdl.org/help/
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
Note: mail sent to "evpost" and "etpost" addresses will not 
reach me.  To send a private message, please obtain my 
email address from the webpage http://www.evdl.org/help/ .
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =


___
UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
ARCHIVE: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html
INFO: http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org
Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)

Re: [EVDL] a-pillar blind spot (OT)

[Lee Hart via EV]

Mr. Sharkey via EV wrote:

A 180 degree virtual and actual view of what's around the front and
sides of the car is brilliant! My only concern is that telemarkers will
figure out a way to add advertising to the view...


Oh no! Let's not give telemarketers yet another way to shove ads in our 
faces!


--
There is a computer disease that anybody who works with computers knows
about. It's very serious, and interferes completely with your work. The
trouble with computers is that you 'play' with them! (Richard Feynman)
--
Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com
___
UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
ARCHIVE: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html
INFO: http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org
Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)

Re: [EVDL] a-pillar blind spot (OT)

[Lee Hart via EV]

From: "Cor van de Water" 

Car buyers have massively indicated (to market researchers) that they
want to feel secure in their cars and they (incorrectly) associate
this with tinted and small windows, so they cannot be seen inside
their vehicles, that is why especially rear windows have become
increasingly smaller. Front windows are required to offer a minimal
amount of view, but with paint you can make the edges smaller and
conceal any transitions, rubber and other imperfections.


I have seen data on this. But it seems like a mistake to compromise 
safety for the sake of style. We're already seeing this trend for 
rear-view mirrors.


Taken to the extreme, this mentality leads to *no* windows, with cameras 
and video screens replacing them. Imagine what happens when a screen or 
camera fails!



Width of A-pillars has to do with safety rating for roll-over as well
as stiffness of the unibody. That is why in a collision or even a
severe pothole, a window can bust as it is glued in to add to the
stiffness.


Understood. But again, that's not the only way to do it. Stiffness can 
be achieved with a large tube of thin material; or a small tube of 
thicker material.


Gluing windshields in with a thin non-flexible seal is an invitation for 
breakage. They can also be mounted with a thicker, more flexible seal to 
reduce stress and breakage. This has been done for many decades.


Auto glass has also gotten so thin that it is more flexible, and easier 
to break.


Peri Hartman wrote:
> Yes, with the aerodynamic slope of the windshield, the A-pillar has
> become longer and fatter. However, the other design elements blocking
> vision to the diagonals are just plain stupid. If I were to have a
> liable accident due to this blind spot, I would definitely sue the
> manufacturer.
>
> My approach to being proactive is to lean to the right so I can see
> around the left pillar, which I do a lot. The right pillar isn't so
> bad.

Agreed. Our Prius and Leaf both have poor side and rear visibility. It's 
not just them; all makes and models suffer from it. The newer the car, 
the worse it seems to get.


As an engineer, it seems like sacrificing function for styling.

Lee
--
There is a computer disease that anybody who works with computers knows
about. It's very serious, and interferes completely with your work. The
trouble with computers is that you 'play' with them! (Richard Feynman)
--
Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com
___
UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
ARCHIVE: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html
INFO: http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org
Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)

Re: [EVDL] a-pillar blind spot (OT)

[Mr. Sharkey via EV]

>> (The projector system) has to know exactly where your eye is, to 
position the image correctly.


My understanding is that Tesla already has the ability to program the 
headrests on seats to follow the movement of the passengers heads so 
to keep the cushion directly behind as a safety feature. Couple 
similar technology to facial recognition, and I'm sure algorithms 
could be written, if they don't already exist, to shape the angle and 
perspective of the projected image to prevent serious distortion. 
Such processing might also compensate for projecting the image on a 
surface that isn't flat or perpendicular to the viewer's eye.


Also consider that the human brain is a powerful processor of it's 
own. Present the information, even with distortion, and within a 
limited amount of time, it would all make perfect sense to our, uh, senses.


The ability to perhaps add a bit of thermal imaging at night might be 
a big boost as well. Make pedestrians and bicyclists stand out a 
little bit more, as well as the odd wildlife getting too close to the 
road outside the illumination of the headlights.


A 180 degree virtual and actual view of what's around the front and 
sides of the car is brilliant! My only concern is that telemarkers 
will figure out a way to add advertising to the view...


___
UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
ARCHIVE: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html
INFO: http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org
Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)

Re: [EVDL] a-pillar blind spot (OT)

[EVDL Administrator via EV]

On 7 Nov 2019 at 11:17, Lee Hart via EV wrote:

> Side question: Why has it become fashionable to reduce the size of 
> windows as much as possible (creating huge pillars and reducing 
> visibility), and then painting an inch or more of the edges black?

I may be remembering incorrectly, but I think I read some years ago that by 
making the windows small and darkening them radically, US automakers were 
responding to their customers' perceptions that they felt "safer" when other 
people (presumably evildoers) couldn't easily see into their vehicles.  IMO 
that actually makes the vehicles LESS safe because the driver can't see 
potential hazards as well as before, but what do I know?

The A pillars have been widened to accommodate the curtain air bags.

David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA
EVDL Administrator

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
EVDL Information: http://www.evdl.org/help/
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
Note: mail sent to "evpost" and "etpost" addresses will not 
reach me.  To send a private message, please obtain my 
email address from the webpage http://www.evdl.org/help/ .
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =


___
UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
ARCHIVE: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html
INFO: http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org
Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)

Re: [EVDL] a-pillar blind spot (OT)

[Cor van de Water via EV]

Lee,

Car buyers have massively indicated (to market researchers) that they want to 
feel secure in their cars and they (incorrectly) associate this with tinted and 
small windows, so they cannot be seen inside their vehicles, that is why 
especially rear windows have become increasingly smaller. Front windows are 
required to offer a minimal amount of view, but with paint you can make the 
edges smaller and conceal any transitions, rubber and other imperfections.
Width of A-pillars has to do with safety rating for roll-over as well as 
stiffness of the unibody. That is why in a collision or even a severe pothole, 
a window can bust as it is glued in to add to the stiffness.
Cor. 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Lee Hart via EV
Sent: Thursday, November 7, 2019 9:18 AM
To: Peri Hartman; Electric Vehicle Discussion List
Cc: Lee Hart
Subject: Re: [EVDL] a-pillar blind spot (OT)

Peri Hartman via EV wrote:
> teenager design system to eliminate blind spot caused by the A-pillar
> It works by using a camera to capture, from the driver's point of view,
> what would be blocked by the pillar. Then, that image is projected onto
> the pillar itself, effectively making the pillar transparent.
> https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/07/us/blind-spots-science-project.html

It's a clever idea; but I wonder how practical it would be. It has to 
know exactly where your eye is, to position the image correctly. 
Otherwise, the image will be shifted out of position, showing you a spot 
that you could already see through the glass and *not* showing you what 
is really behind the pillar.

There are some pretty strong clear plastics (lexan etc.) I wonder if the 
A pillar could simply be made of a transparent plastic?

Or, just make it from a strong enough material so it can be much 
smaller. I remember cars of old with A-pillars so small you could wrap 
your hand around it and the fingers would touch.

Side question: Why has it become fashionable to reduce the size of 
windows as much as possible (creating huge pillars and reducing 
visibility), and then painting an inch or more of the edges black?

Lee Hart

-- 
There is a computer disease that anybody who works with computers knows
about. It's very serious, and interferes completely with your work. The
trouble with computers is that you 'play' with them! (Richard Feynman)
--
Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com
___
UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
ARCHIVE: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html
INFO: http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org
Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)


-- next part --
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: 
<http://lists.evdl.org/private.cgi/ev-evdl.org/attachments/20191107/0572a739/attachment.html>
___
UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
ARCHIVE: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html
INFO: http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org
Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)

Re: [EVDL] a-pillar blind spot (OT)

[Lee Hart via EV]

Peri Hartman via EV wrote:

teenager design system to eliminate blind spot caused by the A-pillar
It works by using a camera to capture, from the driver's point of view,
what would be blocked by the pillar. Then, that image is projected onto
the pillar itself, effectively making the pillar transparent.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/07/us/blind-spots-science-project.html


It's a clever idea; but I wonder how practical it would be. It has to 
know exactly where your eye is, to position the image correctly. 
Otherwise, the image will be shifted out of position, showing you a spot 
that you could already see through the glass and *not* showing you what 
is really behind the pillar.


There are some pretty strong clear plastics (lexan etc.) I wonder if the 
A pillar could simply be made of a transparent plastic?


Or, just make it from a strong enough material so it can be much 
smaller. I remember cars of old with A-pillars so small you could wrap 
your hand around it and the fingers would touch.


Side question: Why has it become fashionable to reduce the size of 
windows as much as possible (creating huge pillars and reducing 
visibility), and then painting an inch or more of the edges black?


Lee Hart

--
There is a computer disease that anybody who works with computers knows
about. It's very serious, and interferes completely with your work. The
trouble with computers is that you 'play' with them! (Richard Feynman)
--
Lee Hart, 814 8th Ave N, Sartell MN 56377, www.sunrise-ev.com
___
UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
ARCHIVE: http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html
INFO: http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org
Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)