Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!eos!aurora!labrea!polya!rokicki
From: rokicki@polya.STANFORD.EDU (Tomas G. Rokicki)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Amiga in the news
Message-ID: <2089@polya.STANFORD.EDU>
Date: 27 Feb 88 07:01:14 GMT
Organization: Stanford University
Lines: 70

Breaking every copyright law in existence, but from the Times Tribune
(Palo Alto) on the top of page one, we find:

New system could be the ultimate in backseat driving!

SAN FRANCISCO--The California Department of Transportation and Radar
Control Systems Corp. on Thursday unveiled a prototype computer
attachment for vehicles that officials said could alleviate traffic
congestion and may even save lives.

The device consists of a radar antenna attached to the front of the
car that senses motion and an internally mounted computer that
``speaks'' to the driver and activates braking if necessary.

The system, known as LOOKOUT, will allow motorists to drive closer
together and allow for increased traffic flow, Caltrans interim
Director Donald L. Watson said during a news conference.

Caltrans heard about Radar Control Systems while searching for
solutions to traffic congestion and was impressed with the radar
device, Watson said.

``People can drive faster and closer, and we don't have to build
new freewyas . . . We can't build our way out of this situation,''
he explained.

``We know that there's a lot of space between cars.  Moving faster
at a closer distance is still safe, with this technology,'' Watson
said.

The Bay Area is facing one of the highest annual traffic increases
in the state at 27 percent, Watson said.  The Los Angelos area is
experiencing `only' a 15 percent increase, he added.

The radar system serves as a detection device for frontal traffic,
and if the driver doesn't respond in the usual 0.7 seconds, the
device will apply the brakes within 0.2 seconds, if necessary, John
Davis, the radar system's inventor, said.

The prototype displayed at the press conference was mounted in a
1977 Dodge Sportsman van.  inside, an Amiga computer terminal
displayed a video image of what was in front of the van through a
camera that was mounted on the dash.

When the vehicle came too close to another vehicle, building or
sign post, an automated voice would issue such commands as
``Watch it'' and ``Slow down.''

``The roads are nice, the cars are nice, but the driver needs help,''
Davis said.  ``This allows him to maintain a safety margin'' at
higher speeds.

The radar is capable of scanning 20,000 feet ahead of the car, but
will only emit a command or activate the brakes if it senses any
immediate danger, Davis said.

Davis estimated that the device could halve the number of traffic
accidents in California.

Davis has worked on the device full time for about five years at
Radar Control Systems.

Davis said he expects the system will be available for production
in about two years.  Current cost estimates range between $500 and
$1000 per car, depending on model and driver programming requests,
Davis said.

(Pictured is your basic two-drive 1000 with a 1080 monitor, strapped
down inside the van.)

-tom