Honda has designs on car cam network
Honda looks to be intent on putting a few more eyes on the road (as if there aren't enoughalready) with its latest bit of automotive gadgetry, a network of car-mounted webcams that'll give you a look at your route before you even roll out of the driveway. According to the patent application, the cameras would be built into the cars' rear-view mirrors, capturing video from the front and back and relaying it along with the car's speed and location to a central server, from which it could then be accessed by other drivers to get an idea of the traffic conditions ahead. Sensing the inevitable flurry of complaints, Honda also appears to be taking some steps to ensure privacy, saying that all video would be submitted anonymously and that the camera's would be switched off when the car's GPS detects that you're close to your home or workplace, although we somehow doubt that'll be enough to make everyone happy. Not content with merely following us humans around, however, Honda also looks like it could be extending its reach into the animal kingdom, saying (we kid you not) that the cameras could even be mounted to pets or wild or performing animals, allowing for such video feeds as "migrating bird cam," "dolphin cam," and "elephant cam." Although they are quick to point out that these feeds would be for entertainment purposes only, and "do not necessarily lie at a traversable location."
[Via NewScientistTech]
