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Filed under: Transportation

We’ve heard the marketing babble, and pondered the possibilities of a hands-free drive to work, but do those radar-based collision prevention technologies actually work? The British Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre Thatcham seems to think so. BMIRPCT took a long hard look at Volvo City Safety, Mercedes Distronic Plus and Honda CMBS, and decided the technologies will have a major impact on slow speed accidents — which account for 75% of accidents as it is — and should prevent more than 125,000 injuries a year in Britain alone, according to this research.

[Via gizmag]

 

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Source: Paul Miller

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Filed under: Robots, Transportation

Generally we’re a little too, um, preoccupied on New Year’s Day to bother with such trifles as opening our eyes and watching the annual Rose Parade from Pasadena, but with Honda planning an ambitious float for 2008 that will feature a gigantic ASIMO replica riding a transforming Honda Ridgeline, well, at the very least we’ll be setting our DVR. According to American Honda, which provides the Tournament of Roses with hundreds of vehicles and has won numerous awards for its entries in the past, its generators will cause “the hood of the truck to fold forward to become an aircraft cockpit, the doors and sides of the truck to unfold outward to become wings, the wheels to tuck under the body, and the bed of the truck to open and take on the form of an aircraft tail section, complete with rocket engines - and even real fire.” Giant robots piloting huge fire-breathing truck-planes? If this truly is a “Passport to the Future” as Honda claims, you can sign us up! Lots more pics in the gallery below.

[Via The Raw Feed, photos courtesy of Honda]

 

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Source: Evan Blass

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Filed under: Robots

We’re not getting too hopeful about all of this just yet, but reportedly, Honda has worked a new series of “cutting-edge intelligence technologies” into ASIMO. Apparently aimed to keep the poor humanoid from tumbling down stairs, the improvements will supposedly enable it to “operate autonomously with people and other ASIMOs,” essentially making it more suitable for real world use. More specifically, the new technologies include a “new system that enables multiple ASIMO humanoid robots to share tasks and work together to provide uninterrupted service to people,” an automatic charging function, intelligence to avoid obstacles by stepping back or yielding to oncoming objects and the ability to “perform tasks such as carrying a tray and pushing a trolley.” That sound you hear? Yeah, that’s the collective grumbling of butlers / maids the world over.

 

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Source: Darren Murph

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Filed under: Transportation

Earlier this year, Toyota was reportedly mulling the idea of crafting its own in-car OS, but now the firm — along with nine other Japanese companies — will be collaborating with the Economy, Trade, and Industry Ministry to develop “an operating system for automotive electronics.” The initiative is supposedly in reaction to similar joint developments going on with a number of European car outfits, and will aim to “create a global standard in the field.” Dubbed JasPar (Japan Automotive Software Platform Architecture), the venture will include big shots such as Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Denso, and Toshiba, and you can look for a prototype version to reach completion in 2009.

[Via The Raw Feed]

 

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Source: Darren Murph

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