One-Pedal Design Aims to End Car Crashing Woes
The one pedal to rule them all.
An old ‘new’ concept from Japan may help stop the increase of fatal car accidents caused by pedals sticking or getting stuck under floor mats and panicking, surprised or just plain distracted drivers stomping on the wrong pedal.
Masayuki Naruse is the owner of a small factory and an accomplished Japanese inventor; his inventions include a commercially successful seaweed harvester. He started developing a unified pedal design after two episodes during the late 1980s where he hit the wrong pedal; one time his car lurched into a busy road but luckily he avoided an accident. By 1991 he has developed the first prototype of the Naruse Pedal.
The Naruse Pedal is shaped to accommodate the entire foot. It has a bar to the right that controls acceleration which is activated to accelerate when you twist your foot to the side -- not quite the most comfortable way to drive a car. To stop, the driver pushes down on the pedal itself, automatically disengaging the bar. Currently being used in 130 street-legal cars in Japan, Mr. Naruse now holds the patent for the Naruse Pedal in Japan, the United States and six other countries.
It’s not that big a problem replacing standard pedals with the Naruse device. According to Mr. Naruse, retrofitting costs about 100,000 yen ($1,156) each and does not require major changes to the existing accelerating and breaking systems. Changing how millions of people drive, making them unlearn the muscle memory built over the years and making the transition easy and accident-free is the biggest obstacle in the wider adoption of the Naruse Pedal.
We think it's better to just learn how to drive properly.
Via Popular Science and NY Times
Picture courtesy of Popular Science.
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If a stricter driving test cannot be mandated. Then there should at least be a 3 strike rule
"We think it's better to just learn how to drive properly."
Best ending to a story!!
Perhaps people need to learn how to take their time when driving and doing so safely. To many speed junkies and disgruntle middle class socker moms going road rage during rush hour.
Something unrelated
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9tXzQFQ0b8
In NYC... people do a rolling stop/ ignore stop signs... Seriously.... If its not the car, its the person.
I like reading about advancements in technology that seems to have reached the limit. I think though increased accidents are due to distracted drivers (texting, fiddling with the radio, shaving, talking on the phone) who in a panic hit the wrong pedal. It annoys me that I talk on the phone sometimes while driving, but I don't think a unified pedal is going to decrease as many accidents as hoped for.
Such a useless and expensive invention.
I still think the dual joystick idea is going to be the best invention for driving safely!
People are soo dumb.. just watch what you're doing for christ sake, rather then have to invent somthing and pay money to own it rolls eyes.. No wait I am people...oh whatever
I think that this is an interesting concept. "Learning how to drive properly" is not quite the right way to look at the problem, though. It can be a mistake anyone can make through misinterpreting locations, or simply by having a moment of confusion. I presume some dyslexics probably accidentally pick the wrong pedal on occasion. Hopefully they hit the brake instead of the gas, as that's less of a risk.
Why not just learn to drive. All fancy ideas... Ban automatic transmission, learn to drive manual less mistakes (certainly no out of control acceleration- rev limiter is your limit).
Too many drivers rely on way too many electronic crap.
Why not just learn to drive. All fancy ideas... Ban automatic transmission, learn to drive manual less mistakes (certainly no out of control acceleration- rev limiter is your limit).Too many drivers rely on way too many electronic crap.
Couldn't have said it better. The problem isn't the car. It's the retards behind the wheel who don't know how to operate it.
You don't need to drive if you can't tell the difference between gas and brake pedal..
You don't need to drive if you can't tell the difference between gas and brake pedal..What if you have a manual trans?
I agree 100% and what if you have a manual trans?
Hm... I've never missed the pedal... Maybe if everyone drove manuals and would actually have to pay attention while driving?
Where's that "Yo dawg, I herd u liek Apple" picture when you need it.
Arnt most cars in Japan Automatics anyway?
2 feet.... 2 pedals? How could you ever use the wrong one, its like a big Go Kart!
What, no 'One Pedal To Rule Them All' comments?
Uhmm how about an accelerometer in the gas pedal system. When it is activated to its fullest potential within milliseconds it actually floods the engine to a stall / or acts like a switch to kill the engine which could then activate an automatic anti-lock braking system like what is now being used in Mercedes-Benz. No need to change anything except how the car reacts to an immediate full throttle.
people fail at driving. 3 pedals is the only way to go.
what's wrong with the old-school pedals?
the ones that are build into the car floor.
i don't think they will ever get stuck by floor mats.
and they are more comfortable for the legs.
Pretty much anyone could get a driver license these days. If you can go forward and in reverse you can get it.
I just hope that as new car technologies catch on, the manual transmission is never phased out.
Maybe if there were less drunk drivers, people talking/texting on cell phones, 80+ year old people that can't see worth a darn(not that I have anything against the elderly), etc. then you don't have to worry about hitting the brake too hard as long as you pay attention...
"..making them unlearn the muscle memory built over the years "
How do you think people drive go-karts or golf-buggys. It's not difficult to adapt to a different pedal. We are humans, right?
Sorry, but why is this news? The most recent date in the story is 1991 for goodness sake.
Each year cars get smarter, while drivers get dumber. When the cars are smart enough to realize that humans are the biggest threat on the road, they'll take matters into their own hands (tires?)...then we'll all be sorry...
Sorry, but why is this news? The most recent date in the story is 1991 for goodness sake.
No, the most recent date in the article is now - this system is deployed CURRENTLY in 130 cars, and Naruse-san NOW holds the patent in 6 countries.
Dumb, Dumbdumb, dumb..... DUMB
I for one don't want to use anything built a guy that can't remember which pedal is which!
Besides, wouldn't a see-saw (pivoted) type design would be far superior to this lame throw away from '91?!?
Each year cars get smarter, while drivers get dumber. When the cars are smart enough to realize that humans are the biggest threat on the road, they'll take matters into their own hands (tires?)...then we'll all be sorry...
Lexus becomes self aware August 29. 1997 and quickly learns at a exponential rate...
Next, he will develop a handle so that people can hold their iPhones correctly.
I've got 3 pedals and a shifter to deal with and I don't have any problems. Worst problem I've ever had was in an automatic Jeep Cherokee. It had a really wide brake pedal so you can see where this is going. I locked the brakes big time cause I was looking for a clutch pedal that wasn't there. Fortunately I was in a parking lot.
But officer... I meant to push the pedal down to stop and my foot slipped to the right!