2d ago

What old technology are you surprised is still in use today?

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Mirrors on cars.
I mean, logically I know why, but it just feels so weird and out of place in the 21st century.
Like you got this high tech vehicle with a bunch of computers inside and a lot of screens/displays, radios, GPS, “assisted driving”, then you see this mirror that’s thousands of years old and not some advanced 360 radar system.
I know that a mirror isn’t gonna fail like electronics do, so its better reliability, but still feel odd seeing old tech and new tech merged.
- I spend a fair bit of time on construction sites, and cameras have one huge issue compared to mirrors: They're one-way.
  With a mirror, I can see the driver in the mirror. I can make eyecontact and confirm that they've seen me. With a camera, I have no idea if they've seen me. Maybe they can see more, but if they happen not to be looking, I have no way to tell.
  And our stupid road regulations don't allow for both.
- You better take a long look in the mirror before you make a controversial statement like that.
  
  Also:
  OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR
  
  Obligatory Meatloaf
- They should get rid of the windows too.
  
  Oh they're trying, hiphi Z and avatr 12 from the rear:
  
  Both rely on mirrors and cameras to replace the lack of rear glass
  
  Gross
  
  No, they should make those transparent hologram displays from sci-fi shows to make them more "futuristic"
  I mean we all know the golden rule of: Hologram = Future 😅 /jk
- Kia/Hyundai uses cameras and screens instead of mirrors in South Korea but that technology is illegal here in the US so we get mirrors. Its not too different than adaptive headlights which can adjust themselves to not blind other drivers. Legal in Europe but illegal in the US.
  
  I think those are legal where I'm at, but if you have both mirrors and cameras it should be allowed by default. Also in the case of Honda e, I wonder how much power the screens and "mirrors" are eating, in a tiny car like that it might be noticeable.
  
  Most cameras are around 5W when in use, and it looks like the Honda e has a 35.5 kWh battery, and real world testing of the Honda e comes to around 167 Wh/km or 270 Wh/mile, so if you assume 3 cameras (2 side, 1 rearview) to replace mirrors, every hour of uninterrupted driving will have the cameras reducing your range by around 90 meters?
  
  Thank you. I was mostly worried about running 5 screens at all times. Every mirror replacement system I've seen in pictures uses really bright screens and the E has 3 infotainment screens on top of that.
  So if we count them as 5W each (12.3 main displays are probably hungrier, but camera displays are way smaller, and they're almost certainly IPS), that's ~25W, so 150 meters by your calculation? Doesn't sound that bad tbh. And on top of that the 12.3" ones can be turned off.

145 comments