Message ball

Just seen the article about the history of the Smart Logic of Chat’s “…is typing” indicator. The intention was to avoid parallel typing by both chat partners.

I thought that it might be a nice concept to create a type of sequential communication channel. Only one person can write at the given moment the message (walkie talkie  model) and it can be extended so only one message can be sent (for a long period of time) up until the receiving person does not answer. This way, the message becomes some kind of playing ball. That’s the rule – take it or leave it! 

The channel strongly drives the equally spread conversation, more interactive and more dynamic.

Rear Zone Visualization – Cont

In previous article I have described a concept of system that can be implemented already today and can save lots of lives as it is treating one of major risk factors of fatal car accidents – keeping a safe distance.

This part is an additional short elaboration on technical details:

Let’s see what are the variables that play in the model.

Pic. 1 – Rear Zone Visualization chart

Vehicle Rear Zone Visualization

We all are driving perfect – others are bastards. Can we do something today that would reduce one of the main root causes for the fatal car accidents – not keeping a safe distance from the preceding car (see statistics under the “Traffic Angel” post)?

There are various futuristic products that you are sure just came out of Si-Fi movie. Can we do a simple solution that would create a basic feedback that would keep others in the safe distance?

Today, there are vehicles with systems that monitor the distance to the preceding car and even reducing a speed if it is less than the accepted one. Can we do it tomorrow without changing the whole world?

The vehicle speed is always changing based on conditions and road. Can we adjust the safe distance according to the speed?

Everything that is related to safety and automation is extremely complicated to approve and drive into the market. Once it is there, its price is high. Can it be a solution, cheap enough to fit the pocket of majority?

We can control a speed of our car, but we cannot do that for all around us. So the basic thing that would help in this case is a FEEDBACK.

The idea is to present simply a stopping distance to following cars to help them to get a visual and clear feedback rather than to expect them to have complex speed control systems.

One of possible basic and simplest products, the sign is projected on the road that is showing the rear zone of the vehicle. The distance, presented by the sigh is changing according to the speed of the car, so taking into account that the following driver is driving with approximately the same speed, it should show his safe stopping distance.

This basic feedback can be projected by LED-based (Laser-based?) lightening system and can come in various flavors.

Worthington jet elimination in toilets

Even if you are not familiar with the term “Worthington jet”, you are most probably familiar with this beautiful effect: 

Pic 1. Worthington jet

It becomes less beautiful when it happens in the toilet. This is a very prosaic analogy, but the concept development should touch every problem regardless its beauty. There might be various approaches to the problem that are barely taken into account in today’s industry.

Here is couple of possible solutions I thought about. First approach is having middle layer between you and water while second is changing the problematic substrate – water (in TRIZ language “separation upon condition”).

Approach 1 (fit to a public places)