“Transparent” trucks will allow tailing drivers to see the traffic ahead of them, and avoid preventable automobile accidents.
image via youtube screen capture
There’s nothing that puts a crimp on the thrill of the open roads quite like being stuck behind an eighteen-wheel shipping truck. But beyond simply being a drag on our autobahn-esque fantasies, big rigs can present a very real danger to other motorists. In Argentina, for example, a huge percentage of serious traffic accidents are caused by drivers attempting to pass trucks traveling along single-lane highways. By obscuring the view of drivers behind them, semis can be—by virtue of their very size and presence on the roads—a driving hazard.
That hazard, however, could soon be a thing of the past, should technology giant Samsung’s latest innovation become commonplace. The company’s Argentina division is reportedly working to secure the necessary regulatory permissions to equip their fleet of shipping trucks with front facing cameras and rear facing monitors that will effectively render the vehicles “transparent,” and allow tailing drivers to see an unobstructed view of oncoming traffic.
As The Verge points out, the idea for see-through vehicles stretches back at least to 2009 with the “Transparentius” concept from Russian design firm Art Lebedev. Samsung’s “Safety Truck,” however, seems to be the first time the camera/screen pairing is actually being released onto the roads.
Critics remain skeptical of Samsung’s ability—to say nothing of willingness—to manufacture this (presumably very expensive) technology on a large scale. Still, given the sheer number of preventable automotive deaths which occur around the world each year, it’s heartening to see some creative thinking applied to help make the roads a slightly safer place for everyone.
[via gizmodo]
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