casebro
Penultimate Amazing
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2005
- Messages
- 19,788
Big concept for the future.
GPS is accurate enough for contractors to use it laying out buildings. It takes a local transponder to get things within inches, or fractions. Cars have systems nowadays that are as accurate as the satellites, less the local transponder. Maps are accurate, or can be made so. So the technology is there today. No sensors in the roads even needed.
Now hook all the cars to a central station via cellular technology. Central Station knows where every car is, where they are going, how fast, how far apart...
All the commuter does is go outside, stand on the curb, and punch his destination into his cell phone. The best passing car stops, and takes him to his destination. Cars would seldom travel with only one passenger. No 6,000 pound behemoth carrying Mom to the soccer game, without it picking up and dropping off a full load. Initially, no more single person commutes. Not car pools, more like picking up hitch hikers, but without the hitchhiker's anonymity. Security is easily as good as on the net. Digital ID needed, Central Station doesn't allow muggers and buggers to share a car without multiple riders/witnesses.
No more slow going busses, delaying forty commuters to pick up one more.Perhaps limiting the number of stops the first passenger makes? 3-4 for stops, then straight to passenger #1's destination. Your car might even start itself up, go pick up some riders, come back and get you, then continue on it's route.
The Central Station will keep everybody flowing into the office. Ultimately, no need for private cars anymore. Or traffic lights, or HOV lanes. Buses only as express, pick up a full load at one stop, haul them all a long ways, then everybody gets off at the same spot, and continues on in small cars. Sort of like sharing a taxi, but everybody already matched up for efficiency.
It's a commuter system that would work in scattered out America. Wonder what it will do to per-capital fuel use?
GPS is accurate enough for contractors to use it laying out buildings. It takes a local transponder to get things within inches, or fractions. Cars have systems nowadays that are as accurate as the satellites, less the local transponder. Maps are accurate, or can be made so. So the technology is there today. No sensors in the roads even needed.
Now hook all the cars to a central station via cellular technology. Central Station knows where every car is, where they are going, how fast, how far apart...
All the commuter does is go outside, stand on the curb, and punch his destination into his cell phone. The best passing car stops, and takes him to his destination. Cars would seldom travel with only one passenger. No 6,000 pound behemoth carrying Mom to the soccer game, without it picking up and dropping off a full load. Initially, no more single person commutes. Not car pools, more like picking up hitch hikers, but without the hitchhiker's anonymity. Security is easily as good as on the net. Digital ID needed, Central Station doesn't allow muggers and buggers to share a car without multiple riders/witnesses.
No more slow going busses, delaying forty commuters to pick up one more.Perhaps limiting the number of stops the first passenger makes? 3-4 for stops, then straight to passenger #1's destination. Your car might even start itself up, go pick up some riders, come back and get you, then continue on it's route.
The Central Station will keep everybody flowing into the office. Ultimately, no need for private cars anymore. Or traffic lights, or HOV lanes. Buses only as express, pick up a full load at one stop, haul them all a long ways, then everybody gets off at the same spot, and continues on in small cars. Sort of like sharing a taxi, but everybody already matched up for efficiency.
It's a commuter system that would work in scattered out America. Wonder what it will do to per-capital fuel use?
