

  (Source: Damjan Stankovic via
IBM patent goes Big Brother




The patent application reads:



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There are some major engineering holes here
By zmatt on 5/26/2010 10:58:06 AM , Rating: 2
If the system does stop the car i could see some issues with very sudden stops without warning to drivers behind you. That could create wrecks. if it doesn't stop you then loss of engine power means loss of power braking assist. I could see some older or sick drivers not being able to fully stop and rolling into the street. Also bad.

The way to get around that would involve a complex system using accurate gps's and a computer system to control the braking of cars involved. Of course this means massive overhead (run by who? the city? state?, car mfr? IBM?)It wouldn't be cheap and could easily run into problems. Not to mention the privacy backlash that such a thing would create. And it would be handicapped by not all cars being in the system.

To be honest I would not worry too much. Big companies like IBM patent anything they come up with even just to make sure other people can't figure out a way to make it work and market it. This technology (IMO) has some serious hurdles and I doubt it will ever be used.

But if they do, I will refuse to buy a new car so equipped. And if the feds mandate it, well I'm driving old cars.




