Transparent truck system could save lives (Primitive cloaking technology)

CNET News ^ | 12-23-09 | Jesus Diaz

[proxyswipe]

Russian design studio Art Lebedev calls this simple invention--a camera that takes images from the front of a truck to show it on screens in the back--Transparentius. I call it geeneeuzz.

I don't know why the drawing below shows a tank at the front of the truck, but I guess that in Russia people drive T-90s like people drive Fords in the U.S. I wish the technology was so cheap that this could be implemented for real, because I'm sure being able to see what's in the blind zone before switching lanes would save a lot of lives on the

[proxyswipe]

Here is a video of a similar type of "optical camouflage"

[Hot Tabasco]

I always thought it would be cool if truckers showed movies on the backs of their trailers...........drive behind movie theaters.

[Vendome]

Klingons would not be fooled by this and they would laugh at the inferior technology.

[DannyTN]

I would never have driven through that truck, if only I could have seen what was on the other side!

[Brookhaven]

I think it would have the opposite effect and cost lives.

Say that picture showed the way was clear instead of an oncomming car; how many people would then be tempted to pass the truck on that sharp curve?

[Richard Kimball]

In the original Star Wars, Lucas made the hovercraft illusion by putting mirrors on the lower sides of the car. I read about a similar concept from a high school kid in Round Rock, Texas about 10 years ago. In his drawings, there were four cameras, one on each side, and a projection screen on the other.

[1776 Reborn]

Show Victoria’s Secret ads and I’ll stay behind that truck
for quite a while. ;-)

[Krankor]

At first I thought they meant the truck was made of some transparent material like heavy duty plastic and you would be able to see what it was carrying.

[Hexenhammer]

Romulans might get miffed since it’s a violation of the Treaty of Algeron.

/geek_off

[Vendome]

LOL

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Camouflage - not invisibility.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

This will disappear right after the first lawsuit blaming an accident on the image not showing an oncoming car.

[webschooner]

eggzactly ... no good deed goes unpunished

[CodeToad]

Not following so closely to a truck also saves lives. We can’t save the stupid.

[papasmurf]

I thought of something similar to this years ago. I also came up with an LED set that would give advance warning of slowing and stopping, including a display of the truck’s speed-so folks could see that he was actually slowing and at what rate.

After fixing a 101 set of LED’s on the door of the trailer, I ran a multiplex cable up through the 9 pin pigtail, and into the cab. Then I connected them to the data link, which will work on any vehicle equipped with a J1587/J1708 diagnostic data link, and a direct connection to the brake light switch with an electrically actuated rheostat.

It worked pretty good, right from the jump. Only one big problem. My buddy got a ticket for unauthorized lighting equipment and disallowed color of light bulbs.

Seems the FMSCA regs only allow lights to be:

Front: White and amber
Sides: Red and amber
Rear: Red, amber and white.

And the DOT loves to write tickets.

I think a better approach for this company would be to have wireless cameras and cars to to have the ability to display those on their dash monitors that are currently used for GPS and vehicle information.