On Thu, 28 Dec 2006 16:54:34 -0800, Scott en Aztlán >
wrote:

>Dave Head > said in rec.autos.driving:
>
>>>Yeah, that would be a neat trick. I can't think of too many sudden,
>>>unanticipated obstructions that would be that large, though.
>>
>>It would be rare, but there is always the ding-dong that blows a stopsign at a
>>sideroad and comes to a halt in the middle of the road 100 feet in front of
>>you. You prolly ain't gonna miss him, other than going into the ditch
>
>Careful - you're starting to sound like Carl Troller!

It _could_ happen... its just not worth going around your entire life waiting
for it and driving idiotically slow speed just in case it does. Been driving
43 years now, and it hasn't happened to me.
>
>>>If the
>>>computer has time to spin the car around, the computer has time to find an
>>>escape route. -Dave
>>
>>The maneuver might be executed by the application of the brakes at in a pattern
>>that would be impossible for a regular driver, spinning the car on its center
>>of gravity axis and very rapidly to boot. It'd be a rare thing, tho.
>
>If the computer senses that the collision is unavoidable and the car
>is going to become toast anyway (by doing a quick kinetic energy
>calculation and using that to predict the damage) it might as well
>fill the cockpit with that safety foam that you see in movies like "I,
>Robot."

Which will probably catch fire and burn after the wreck, anyway... <G>

Dave Head