Recipe for road rage? Rear window LED offers 'friendly' advice to the driver behind
The only communication device open to most drivers is the horn - or, in extreme cases, waving arms out the window and yelling.
But a new LED panel aims to change that - letting drivers send a message via Bluetooth from their mobile phone to a grid of LED lights on the back.
At present, the grid shows pre-programmed messages - but its designer says he has plans to use it to 'Give feedback to drivers following me.'
Described as a 'bad driver feedback display,' the grid of LEDs is set 2cm apart across the rear windscreen of a Volkswagen Polo
What manner of chaos this might unleash on the world's roads remains to be seen.
The pre-programmed messages include, 'Driving slow!' 'Keep distance!' and 'Turn left!'
Early pictures and video of the device shows it offering tips from the rear window of designer Gagandeep Singh's Volkswagen Polo.
The LEDs are hand-soldered into a grid, and spaced at 2cm intervals across the entire back windshield.
The 38 x 16 'resolution of the screen makes it ideal for short, two-word messages - words scroll across it from left to right, just like messages on motorway signs.
The LED screen was hand-soldered on a piece of waste wood. Its designer says that the spacing of the LEDs means its safe to use while driving as you can see straight through
Soldering together the grid took two days. The circuits that feed it messages were also programmed by hand.
The trickiest parts were 'special characters' such as helpful arrows pointing the direction that other drivers should steer.
The unit is controlled by a primitive AT89C51 microcontroller.
The LED grid scrolls through pre-programmed messages - its designer is now working on a Bluetooth receiver so it can be updated 'live' with 'helpful messages' for other drivers
Singh claims that the spacing of the tiny LEDs mean that the rear windscreen is fully transparent, so it's safe to use behind the wheel.
Singh is now attempting to add a Bluetooth receiver, so drivers can update it via Bluetooth from a mobile phone.
Responsible road users would, of course, pull over to type in any advice, by which time the intended recipient might be miles ahead.
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