Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Cargazer

Eye contact annunciator system
  (+8, -1)
(+8, -1)
  [vote for,
against]

At intersections and especially at uncontrolled intersections it is a good idea to make sure that you have made eye contact with other drivers. Brief eye contact helps communicate your and the other driver's intent, whether they are aware of you or not, and helps to avoid collisions in the intersection or, at a minimum, who is pulling out first.

Longer eye contact often indicates something else altogether.

The system I propose, then, is one that promotes unambiguous eye contact communication between drivers and does so by exaggerating the driver's gaze direction using simple external gaze direction indicators.

The gaze direction of the driver is established using existing gaze detection and tracking technology housed inside the car and slightly above the line of sight of the driver at the top of the windshield. The gaze data is then processed and output as absolute rotation coordinates for the mechanically manipulated gaze direction indicators or annuciators. In a manner similar to Waldo animation systems, the action of the driver (where the driver is looking) is mimicked in real time by the gaze direction annuciators.

bristolz, May 26 2004

Concept sketch http://bz.pair.com/fun/cargazer.html
[42Kb image] -- One approach. [bristolz, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

CNN: "Car that can read road signs" http://www.cnn.com/...adsign.recognition/
Recently introduced Australian system for automatic interpretation of road signs uses driver gaze detection. [bristolz, Oct 11 2004, last modified Oct 15 2004]

Infrared pupil tracking system for auto driver distraction research. http://www.its.umn....04-05/chapter6.html
Research software that accurately detects driver's gaze direction 85% of the time. [bristolz, Mar 14 2005]

[link]






       I found from experience that if I looked another driver in the eye at a stopsign in an attempt to come to a mutual conclusion as to which of us should go, neither of us would go, and nothing would get accomplished. <gasps for air> So I stopped about a year ago, and never since had an awkward, "Who's turn is it?" moment.
Excellent illustration as always, though. [+]
yabba do yabba dabba, May 26 2004
  

       This would certainly increase safety for pedestrian crossing users. Awful purty picture.
FarmerJohn, May 26 2004
  

       I think a laser tracking device is called for. There is nothing ambiguous about a big red dot. But I would like a car like that.
DrCurry, May 26 2004
  

       Excellent idea and an impressive illustration. You are a talented one, aren't you? +   

       Would it be possible to have the two eyeballs mounted on a cross bar that rotates about the center so as to mimic the turning of the driver's head?
Gromit, May 26 2004
  

       Would it do any good to use the headlights for this function? It would be nice to have the world illuminated wherever you looked.
Worldgineer, May 26 2004
  

       *sigh* I wish I could draw.   

       This would go well with my Waldomobile.
phoenix, May 26 2004
  

       I'm glad to assign you bun #11. However, the gaze of your vintage Caddy is really freaking me out.   

       <obligatory> You lookin' a' me? </o>
Letsbuildafort, May 26 2004
  

       Nice. The eyes could also be open or closed, depending on whether you were asleep or not.

I'd also like to add that sometimes, especially when rudely cutting into a line of traffic, it's essential not to make eye contact. This system would help in these situations also, by emphasizing your lack of eye contact and thus increasing the other driver's inability to stop you cutting in by frowning at you.
hippo, May 26 2004
  

       [fort-builder] All I see is a Chevy.
FarmerJohn, May 26 2004
  

       Sorry, [John-Farmer], I only gave it a glance. :P
Letsbuildafort, May 26 2004
  

       [fort], what's really creepy is there is no driver...
k_sra, May 26 2004
  

       Maybe it’s the real little old lady from Pasadena who traded in her brand new shiny red super-stock Dodge.
FarmerJohn, May 26 2004
  

       Bristolz, you've got a great pair of annunciators. + There is a school of thought that if you remove traffic lights and road markings from junctions it forces people to slow down and get eye contact therefore reduces accidents. Hmm.
BillyBB, May 26 2004
  

       That drawing makes this idea especially awesome,
Face, May 26 2004
  

       In the Tucker version, you could have two eyes looking facing foward while the eye in the middle looks around, seeing all that is hidden. +
sartep, May 26 2004
  

       Wonderful. Could it come with a wink setting?   

       great idea I have found that if around here if they are not looking at you, your about to get hit...you could hook up the indicators so that when they dont look at the other car your thingies send a signal to kill the ignition and hit the brakes for the other vehical - - -   

       One big problem, this couldnt possibly work a little bit north of here in the bigger town, because I cant figure, from the illustration, how your indicator thingies would show that the driver has his head up his * * *
shad, May 26 2004
  

       '57 Bel-Air. Nice.
angel, May 27 2004
  

       Those uncontrolled intersections in the US really freak us Europeans out. The whole concept would *never* work over here - recipe for disaster - but somehow it does for you. Perhaps because you only have 2 cars a day using it. We need to be controlled more. Good idea +
hazel, May 27 2004
  

       Superb! Please could I have frog like eyes mounted on top of my bonnet (USA:hood), and a little pair on my boot lid (USA:trunk) so that people can see when I am checking my blind spot. Perhaps the eyes would flick open when I glance in my rear view mirror. Wink.
furmobile, May 27 2004
  

       Can't say I agree with the idea, but a big croissant for the illustration!   

       Such talent!
FloridaManatee, May 27 2004
  

       Charming illustration! I'd give you more than one bun if I could.
iivix, May 27 2004
  

       I like the idea, but I thought this needed a negative vote. [edit: i no longer thought it needed a negative vote]
15420, May 27 2004
  

       And then, across the crowded intersection, our gaze direction annuciators met...   

       There should also be gaze direction annuciator gaze detectors in case someone is looking at you and you don’t notice.
AO, May 28 2004
  

       Sadly she cannot read the advances.   

       a. TED has a video showing an Israeli "technology artist" who made a giant eye looking at people visiting a museum. It shows "surprise".   

       b. I was in Australia, and made eye contact with an old lady driving a car which was stopped at a crossing. She slightly nodded, giving me the understanding that I can cross. As I stepped onto the road, she raised a newspaper completely covering the front window and began reading, while she began driving forward! I yelled to warn her, only to realize that in Australia, the person on the left is the passenger.
pashute, Feb 10 2011
  
      
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