Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Scarab Robotic Chase Vehicle Concept
The Scarab is a concept device designed by Carl Archambeault; an all-electric chase vehicle to make high speed chases safer.
(Scarab concept vehicle)
The idea is that police officers who witness a car speeding can "tag" the car using a radar gun. A signal is sent to the Scarab, which chases the offending vehicle and then pulls it over until officers arrive.
The Scarab would be unarmed, but the designer points to technologies that allow police to stop cars by "ordering" the car's engine to stop.
Archambeault seems to have science fiction on his mind. SF fans would have no problem identifying both of the key ideas presented in this concept design.
(Motorcycle robot from Terminator Salvation)
As shown above, the moto-terminator Terminator motorcycles from the recent movie Terminator Salvation are quite similar in concept. Also, fans of the recent novels by Daniel Suarez are probably thinking about the razorback autonomous motorcycles from his 2009 novel Daemon.
An unarmed stop of a fleeing vehicle could be accomplished with the police-control override from Keith Laumer's 1965 novel A Plague of Demons and the cop block from Greg Bear's more recent novel Quantico.
All cars and trucks in the U.S. were now required to have Cop Block. A patrol car could radio a coded signal that slowed and then shut down the engine. Workarounds were illegal and the fines were expensive, plus real jail time.
See these examples of real-life technologies to stop miscreants fleeing in motor vehicles:
- GM OnStar Will Soon Let Police Stop Your Car
- Australasian Intelligent Speed Adaptation Initiative - Big Road Brother
- Texting UK Police May Control Your Car
- OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown Foils Carjacker
Via ecofriend; thanks to Moira for the tip on this story (welcome back!).
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 6/8/2010)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 0 )
Related News Stories - (" Surveillance ")
China's 'Magpie Drone' Ornithopter
'Midges have many capabilities. To the untrained eye, they look like sparrows.' - Greg Bear, 2007.
FTC: Says Ring Employees Illegally Surveilled Customers
'Then she looked up with a smile and moved closer to the camera.' - Pournelle and Niven, 1981.)
Perching Ambush Drones
'On the chest of drawers something was perched.' - Philip K. Dick, 1956.
India Ponders Always-On Smartphone Location Tracking
'It is necessary... for your own protection.' - Jack Vance, 1954.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Meta's Horizon Studio's Unique Avatars From Text Prompts
'Looks like she has bought the Avatar Construction Set and put together her own...'
VaMEx Biomimetic Mars Robot Inspired By Skink
'Across the ground something small and metallic came, flashing in the dull sunlight of midday.'
NEO Brain Computer Interface (BCI)
'The remains of the lace took on the rough shape of a brain...'
Did Frank Herbert Predict E-Ink Displays?
'A broken circle with arrows pointing to a right-hand flow appeared in the chalf.'
Monolith One Giant Industrial Metal 3D-printer
'The object seemed melted together like wax — nothing was distinguishable.'
'Mooncrete' Lunar Regolith Concrete (LRC)
'And here they began to build...'
China's 'Magpie Drone' Ornithopter
'Midges have many capabilities. To the untrained eye, they look like sparrows.'
MAI-Voice-2 Microsoft Text-To-Speech
'I made disks of my own voice to the number of five hundred very carefully chosen words.'
Tumblin' Tumbleweed Rovers To Eplore Mars
'His sensors out and working, and the whirring of the tape that sucked up sight and sound and shape and smell and form...'
Tentacled Robot Captures Space Debris
Preventing annoying space debris build-up.
Prufrock-MB2 Ready In Nashville
'It sounds to me as though you had invented a kind of metal earthworm.'
DIY Robotic Content Farming
'The chief wheeled to the master machine and pressed a button.'
Reflect Orbital Sunlight On Demand
'I don't have to tell you about the seven two-mile-diameter orbital mirrors that circulate around the satellite, making it habitable.'
The Amazing Lightfoot Electric Scooter With Solar Assist
'The steel tortoise gave MacKinnon a feeling of Crusoe- like independence.'
Fully Electric, Fully Automated Vegetable‑growing Agribots
'...then back to their work, though little enough it was on these automatic cultivators.'
Vero Robotic Dog With Vacuum Cleaner Feet
'Out of warrens in the wall, tiny robot mice darted.'
