Date: Sun, 08 May 2005 23:05:56 -0400
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Car of the future?
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

At 05:14 PM 5/8/05 -0400, ECField wrote:
>Hhhmmm... with some magneto levitation... this might be doable today!
>
>http://www.showrods.com/showrod_pages/amtronicextra.html

It could be built as described (hovercraft with landing/taxi gear) today
too.  It wouldn't be cheap, and it would require a lot of fuel to run
intercity (I wonder why they don't use linear induction motors rather than
jet engines, given that you have to have the guide rails anyway...it would
be cheaper, simpler, less prone to failure, lower maintenance, not require
on-board fuel, and be potentially much "greener"), and, of course, a
complete redesign and rebuild of our whole intercity road system, but it
could be done, technically.

What will prevent it happening is the first glance at the problems...other
than those implied above.  Things like terrorists interfering with things
physically on in software and causing massive crashes that shut down
intercity travel for weeks to months while the system is re-built at the
crash site (for sure) and perhaps everywhere to close the security hole
(very likely...see NASA and shuttle crashes).  Maintenance issues...at the
moment a small road defect, such as a pothole or a dead animal, is a minor
problem and unlikely to cause serious problems.  Cars running at 300mph
under computer control and constant adjustments based on feedback from
sensors in the vehicle as well as the road system will be different.  A
deer jumps in front of a vehicle and the vehicle is history...along with
whatever parts of the road system get in the way of the fragments....or
exploding fuel if they stick with the jet engine propulsions system.
Vehicle maintenance is another issue...how many techs at the local
dealership are qualified to work on something as complex as a jet aircraft?
 How many of those would you trust with your life in one?

What is technologically possible isn't always possible when you start
looking at cost, risk factors, failure modes, politics, and other problems.
 Those are the main reasons we don't have flying cars flitting between
domed cities today.

If you can work out solutions to all the non-technical problems, you could
end up very, very rich...

-- Mike B.
--
Pie are not square.  Pie are round.  Cornbread are square.