Missing button

Image by wolfnowl via Flickr

or "Toyota discovers the risks of flying by wire"

A friend of mine once had a Toyota that wouldn't die. ...

I think this is more than a retelling of the story of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun. It also may be a Promethean tale of punishment for having stolen fire from the gods.

...Automobiles used to be mechanical devices. Now they are collections of mechanical parts that are told what to do by computers. In most cars, the gearshift, pedals and steering wheel are nothing more than proxies for electronic controls. When something goes wrong with a car, you don't start by opening the hood and unbolting pieces from the engine one at a time, the way we used to. You plug in a reader device and ask the vehicle what its problem is.

Sometimes you read...change the wire.
What if car is moving when something goes wrong with a car ? Well...any computerized truck have a little button namer "override". What for ? As a driver I have the decision on my hand, so. push that button and computer orders are ignored !
If your car have an acupuncture you ask the computer ?
In air you have a parachute. On land no way. Toyota forget the servo assisted steering lesson, if you lose the steering fluid you are able to change the direction, harder of course. And forget that speed of electronic devices, same for actions and malfunctions.
By by Volt & Co, flight by wire is to expensive.




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