[Quietcars] plea to designers: be REAL
Ken Stewart
cclvi at yahoo.com
Mon Nov 17 02:48:50 UTC 2008
I opine that the most important four characteristics
of any device or feature added to a quiet vehicle to
create sound when it is operating at slow speeds, can
be identified by the letters, R, E, A, and L. As
described below;
R Retrofittable- it can be added to all those millions
of vehicles already out on the road.
E Easily applied, that is, the vehicle owner can
install it himself without sophisticated tools or
knowledge
A Automatic, that is, no conscious decision by the
driver is needed for the device or feature to be
working
L Low-tech, that is, it does not require computerized
programming, elaborate electronics or periodic
professional maintenance
Therefore, I continue to believe that designers should
be looking at hub caps. Design of tire treads also
holds promise I think, and even modified bumpers.
Alas, if those four criteria are met, the result will
be a fifth characteristic- It will be economical and
therefore quite appealing to the auto industry. The
acronym then becomes REAL-E, pronounced "really"!
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