German model posed on Chinese EV
A Toyota news release about an active steering mechanism that “seamlessly controls vehicle movement from before the point at which the vehicle becomes unstable” illustrates some of the features to be emphasized by concept vehicles at the 39th Tokyo Motor Show.
Note: The press release informs, “This year, the Toyota exhibit retains the same theme as last year?€””Ecology & Emotion”?€”featuring its initiatives for creating vehicles that pursue both environmental consideration and the essential emotional appeal of a car…”
We may be at a particular juncture for personal transportation, to which I have alluded previously. Electric motors require electronic control. “Drive by wire” and “brake by wire” are other types of electronic vehicle control. Thus, not only do in-wheel motors allow for changes in spatial configuration they allow for “seamless control over vehicle movement.”
Although, in the near future, there could be some disagreement over how seamless…
- (Inside the gas station)
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Worried Owner: “Another one that didn't want any gas, huh?”
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Employee: “Yeah… But it was weird. It sounded as if this couple was arguing over directions.”
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Owner: “Get out of here! There is only that one jerk in that baby Ute.”
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Employee: “Yeah, I know, that's what's so weird.”
- (Inside the Touareg)
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Male driver: “I told you, we should have turned back there!“
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Female voice: “Would you please just ask the commercial energy storage service person for directions?”
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Male driver: “You’re so smart. How come you are lost, too!”
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Female voice: “I already told you, that construction reroute was not in my instruction set!” All this yelling, now you have engaged my emotional circuits. WAHHHHHHH.“
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Male driver: “Stanley, Stan, I'm sorry. Stop crying, please?”
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Female voice: “I know I'm just a stupid computer. (Sniffling sounds.) But, it wasn't my fault. That rude Highways Department computer wouldn't give me the proper updates. It kept giving me the tourist route. WAHHHHHHH.“
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Male driver: “Gee whillikers, Stan, I didn’t want to make you upset. Uh-oh, it looks like that pump jockey is coming back with somebody else. We better go.”
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Female voice: “I told you we should have brought my FEM*. I’m taking us back to where we missed that turn.”
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Male drive; “Well, this was supposed to be a short business trip and I didn't want to become er, um distracted**. (Looks thoughtful.) In fact, Red was the one who suggested it.”
- Car starts up and drives off. Driver shrugs to station personnel, both palms up, as if to say, “Robots, who can understand them?”
- (Switch to two engineers conferring in front of a display panel at the Very Advanced Vehicle Control Center somewhere near Pittsburgh)
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Nervous Senior Engineer: “Has she brought them in yet? There were supposed to be here an hour ago.”
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Junior Engineer: “No sir, not yet. (Pause) How do you think he is going to handle it when you tell them about the success of the other experiment?”
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Senior: “Him? I'm more worried about her. She's been showing more emotion than set by the original parameters. And, now she's got two packages that require monitoring.”
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Junior: “Well, she does seem happy.”
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Senior: (Looks askance at the junior engineer.)
* Note: To improve safety technology Toyota has developed a finite element method (FEM) model with a virtual human body to enable analysis of the effect on the human body from a collision.
** THUMS (Total Human Model for er, um Safety)
Drive My Car
(Lennon/McCartney)
Asked a girl what she wanted to be
She said baby, can’t you see
I wanna be famous, a star on the screen
But you can do something in between
Baby you can drive my car
Yes I’m gonna be a star
Baby you can drive my car
And baby I love you
I told a girl that my prospects were good
And she said baby, it’s understood
Working for peanuts is all very fine
But I can show you a better time
Baby you can drive my car
Yes I’m gonna be a star
Baby you can drive my car
And baby I love you
Beep beep’m beep beep yeah
Baby you can drive my car
Yes I’m gonna be a star
Baby you can drive my car
And baby I love you
I told a girl I can start right away
And she said listen babe I got something to say
I got no car and it’s breaking my heart
But I’ve found a driver and that’s a start
Baby you can drive my car
Yes I’m gonna be a star
Baby you can drive my car
And baby I love you
Beep beep’m beep beep yeah
Beep beep’m beep beep yeah
Beep beep’m beep beep yeah
Beep beep’m beep beep yeah
