Fly By Wire, Where?

Here is a question for ya...name the conveyance that takes input from the controller, feeds it to various computers through digital input.  These computers then make changes to the various other control systems that control how the vehicle responds.  This system is better known as fbw in many of the systems it is incorporated into. 

Now if you had said the General Dynamic's F-16 Flying Falcon (or Viper) using Fly By Wire tech. you would be right.... but we are not talking about planes.  No, cars!

That's right, in a partial step towards driverless technology, Nissan plans to sell cars controlled by steer-by-wire technology as early as 2013. 

Nissan says that the fbw system would transmit the drivers intention to the proper systems much faster than hydraulic and mechanical systems. 

Also the FBW system insulates the driver from unnecessary feed-back from the road, like uneven or rough driving surfaces.

It is bound to be greeted unenthusiastically by some drivers.  From the article:

• In 2004 Mercedes-Benz faced customers complaints that its Sensotronic brake-by-wire system - which used an electrical link to control vehicles' brake pads - sometimes failed.
• Although the vehicles had a hydraulic back-up it meant some owners had experienced longer stopping distances.
• The firm ultimately recalled about two million vehicles and dropped the feature.

Fly By Wire article here on BBC

Nevada OKs Driverless Cars?

Will Nevada be the first state to have driverless cars on the highway? Well according to this article in Popsci (via Boing Boing) not anytime in the near future but what has taken place IS big in its' own right. recently a bill was passed that granting the Department of Transportation the authorization to draft a set of regulations and rules governing autonomous cars.

From the article:

• The legislation charges the Nevada DOT with creating the legal framework that will determine things like performance standards and licensing requirements, as well as designating certain areas within the state where autonomous cars might be tested.

So, no cars without drivers zoomin down the highways of Nevada, but they will be the first to have a framework in place when testing begins and considering some states are still struggling with low speed electrics, this kind of thing is very forward thinking.

Popsci article