h a l f b a k e r y
Funny peculiar.
idea:
add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, best, random
meta:
news, help, about, links, report a problem
account:
Browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
Login
Create account.
|
|
|
Going from city centre to city centre? Don't want to join the hussle of the motorway? Then take the next left and join the car-elator - a moving "walkway" similar to those at airports, which runs alongside stretches of motorway, going at a consistent 80mph (to please Lembit Opik). Cars are automatically
placed a safe distance apart, and then it's engine off until you reach your chosen destination. There are no turn-offs between city centres, though you are dropped off at a park-and-ride stop, to discourage city-centre driving. Toll required, but less than what you'd pay for petrol. Be warned - it's advised that you empty your bladder before joining the car-elator.
Lembit Öpik
http://en.wikipedia...ki/Lembit_%C3%96pik
[hippo, Feb 09 2006]
Lembit Öpik advocates changing the law to allow driving at 120mph
http://politics.gua...804,1047827,00.html
[hippo, Feb 09 2006]
[link]
|
| |
How is this different than a car-train? |
|
| |
There's no train, so you don't have to stick to a time-table, or face delays. It just keeps on rolling.... |
|
| |
The major problem with this is getting the cars on and off. Getting on, they'll have to brake from 80 mph, while trying to catch up to the travelator, to 0 mph, to avoid hitting the cars already on it. Getting off, they'll be going from parking speeds to 80 mph in the blink of an eye. |
|
| |
Many years ago I saw an idea for a travelator that accelerated/decelerated by twisting the tread, but I don't see how that could help here, unless on/off ramps were equipped with such a system, pushing the car sideways onto the main belt. |
|
| |
Isaac Asimov had the idea of the pedestrian version of these about 50 years ago*. Called them 'expressways' if I correctly recall. |
|
| |
There were a number of moving lanes running alongside each other, with each with lane towards the inside running slightly faster than it's outward neighbour. |
|
| |
You would begin by stepping onto the first lane moving about walking pace, then hop onto increasingly faster inside lanes as you desired. You disembarked by hopping outwards onto slower lanes. |
|
| |
The key was to hop between lanes, and not be in contact with both at the same time. I'd imagine that a car trying to change sideways between two of these lanes would simply spin out of control. |
|
| |
This idea: a series of increasing speed 'step-up' lanes placed head-to-tail at the start of the main driveway might make getting onto it a bit smoother. Similarly, step-downs at the end. But then you'd have to stay on the driveway for its entire length, since jumping on later or getting off earlier would run into that sideways join problem again. |
|
| |
I suspect that there is a rather convoluted solution involving parallel 80mph lanes, the outer ones being shorter, but that has pitfalls too. |
|
| |
On the upside this brought back pleasant memories of the Italian Job and Knight Rider. |
|
| |
*Foundation series; Trantor. |
|
| |
A solution that's not too convoluted:
The car needs to be airborn during the transition. Hit an entry ramp at the aforementioned 80mph; once in the air, hit the brakes to stop your wheels turning, so you land on the conveyor belt (for that's all it really is) with both car body and wheels moving at the correct (relative) speed. Getting off the system would be a little more difficult, but if the moving road was elevated above the normal road, you could simply move slowly to the side of the belt, then plant your foot as your wheels (again) became airborn.
As a side effect, learning to drive would be fun - mandatory high-speed jump practice! |
|
| |