Comments on: Nanotechnology takes on self-repair http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/?p=2503 examining transformative technology Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:23:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: DamianPoirier http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/?p=2503#comment-291388 DamianPoirier Sat, 23 Jun 2007 16:07:49 +0000 http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/?p=2503#comment-291388 but lets not abandon the research on self-repair it's very usefull for extraterrestrial robots, EH? but lets not abandon the research on self-repair it’s very usefull for extraterrestrial robots, EH?

]]> By: Dundee http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/?p=2503#comment-262137 Dundee Thu, 14 Jun 2007 02:28:26 +0000 http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/?p=2503#comment-262137 good punchline! good punchline!

]]> By: Martin G. Smith http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/?p=2503#comment-262105 Martin G. Smith Thu, 14 Jun 2007 01:11:21 +0000 http://www.foresight.org/nanodot/?p=2503#comment-262105 The buzz which is growing over the possibilities of ‘self healing’ structures is in one way worrying to me. I spend hours, sometimes days instilling the ethic of self responsibility in my crew, most of whom have grown through and fallen from our rapidly forming instant-on, instant-available society. While the technology is great and will have many uses, allowing us to abrogate our responsibility for our actions should not be one of them. I recently rediscovered a study commissioned be TUV in Germany [http://www.tuv.com/global/en/index.html] in the early 90’s with Avis Corporation. The study involved 50 Mercedes Benz fleet vehicles equipped with pinhole video cameras set at 1 Frame every 3 seconds and located in the headliner above the driver. 25 of the vehicles had the seat-belts removed while the other 25 wer fully equipped. Half way through the study the drivers switched vehicles. What was noticed was the level of attentiveness, assessed as a recognition of the increased risk of peril with the ‘unsafe’ vehicles. What was also noticed was the vehicles with the safety equipment had 3 low speed 2-10 MPH accidents and one moderate speed 11-25 MPH accidents, while the ‘unsafe’ car had 1 accident in the low speed category and 0 in the moderate speed category, all attributed to driver error, over the 6 weeks if the study. There were no high speed accidents. I suggest that the study indicates that with the increase in a perception of risk comes an increase in awareness, something I take advantage of in my programming. We need, I suggest, while embracing this technology and all its possibilities, never forget that there remains the ultimate responsibility for its capabilities remain ours. The buzz which is growing over the possibilities of ‘self healing’ structures is in one way worrying to me. I spend hours, sometimes days instilling the ethic of self responsibility in my crew, most of whom have grown through and fallen from our rapidly forming instant-on, instant-available society.
While the technology is great and will have many uses, allowing us to abrogate our responsibility for our actions should not be one of them.

I recently rediscovered a study commissioned be TUV in Germany [http://www.tuv.com/global/en/index.html] in the early 90’s with Avis Corporation. The study involved 50 Mercedes Benz fleet vehicles equipped with pinhole video cameras set at 1 Frame every 3 seconds and located in the headliner above the driver. 25 of the vehicles had the seat-belts removed while the other 25 wer fully equipped. Half way through the study the drivers switched vehicles. What was noticed was the level of attentiveness, assessed as a recognition of the increased risk of peril with the ‘unsafe’ vehicles. What was also noticed was the vehicles with the safety equipment had 3 low speed 2-10 MPH accidents and one moderate speed 11-25 MPH accidents, while the ‘unsafe’ car had 1 accident in the low speed category and 0 in the moderate speed category, all attributed to driver error, over the 6 weeks if the study. There were no high speed accidents.
I suggest that the study indicates that with the increase in a perception of risk comes an increase in awareness, something I take advantage of in my programming.

We need, I suggest, while embracing this technology and all its possibilities, never forget that there remains the ultimate responsibility for its capabilities remain ours.

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