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Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

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Re: Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

#331

Post by rockostrich »

jimnotgym wrote: post #260
kfse wrote: post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My guess: 1) New cars are too cheap to make at scale. 2) Old cars are quite unsafe to drive, comparatively (airbags, backup cameras, lane departure alerts, blind angle alerts, etc)

2) cars have had airbags for a pretty long time. Backup cameras are a simple retrofit. Lane departure alerts are not universally loved, mine is turned off...

To be fair to the person you're responding to, airbag systems in modern vehicles are a lot safer than the single airbag per front passenger in older cars. The original airbag systems were just a single bag that deployed at a single rate based on an inertia sensor. Modern systems have several bags with multi-stage deployments that are inflated depending on seat belt and weight sensors.

But yea, as for the rest of the "safety mechanisms" the only modern change that I can think of that's not easy to retrofit but is a huge safety boost is blind spot detection. As someone that drives older (and smaller) cars, being able to see the blind spot detection light on other cars' mirrors is always a bit of a relief that their car will notify them if they try to change lanes.

Re: Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

#332

Post by humanpotato »

red369 wrote: post #211
ryukoposting wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think I see some parallels with the aftermarket for old cars. Holley's entire catalog is "here's a thing that'll modernize your 1960s engine without replacing the whole damn engine" This kind of thing is a low-volume, low-margin business by nature. It's those kinds of businesses that the megalomaniacs of our field tend to ignore. There are people with needs, and money they are willing to exchange for a solution to…

I once expected an aftermarket industry to pop-up to hybridize old cars. Old rear-wheel drive manual cars sound easiest. Generator attached to the flywheel instead of the starter motor, and then find some way to squeeze a drive motor by the rear diff (probably more complicated, but surely not impossible). I thought something might pop up once companies like Bosch started making generic e-axles for manufacturers to us…

Automotive engineer here. One consideration for the diff motor is that it would REALLY sag the diff. I think the only way to go would be a front and rear generator/motor combo in one housing to replace the transmission, powering the rear end with a driveshaft. A direct drive clutch between the front and rear motor/generator would economize driving and assure high power at high speeds.

Re: Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

#333

Post by cansofgrease »

kfse wrote: post #257
red369 wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I once expected an aftermarket industry to pop-up to hybridize old cars. Old rear-wheel drive manual cars sound easiest. Generator attached to the flywheel instead of the starter motor, and then find some way to squeeze a drive motor by the rear diff (probably more complicated, but surely not impossible). I thought something might pop up once companies like Bosch started making generic e-axles for manufacturers to us…

My guess: 1) New cars are too cheap to make at scale. 2) Old cars are quite unsafe to drive, comparatively (airbags, backup cameras, lane departure alerts, blind angle alerts, etc)

The big one is probably cost and scaling.

Re: Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

#335

Post by psd1 »

kfse wrote: post #257
red369 wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I once expected an aftermarket industry to pop-up to hybridize old cars. Old rear-wheel drive manual cars sound easiest. Generator attached to the flywheel instead of the starter motor, and then find some way to squeeze a drive motor by the rear diff (probably more complicated, but surely not impossible). I thought something might pop up once companies like Bosch started making generic e-axles for manufacturers to us…

My guess: 1) New cars are too cheap to make at scale. 2) Old cars are quite unsafe to drive, comparatively (airbags, backup cameras, lane departure alerts, blind angle alerts, etc)

Cameras are a mitigation for high waistlines, and only a partial one. Keep your cameras and alerts, and give me a car with better fields of vision.

I think there are important dimensions of safety that go unmeasured. You have much less road awareness in new cars.

Survivability is great and all, but not at the expense of children and pets becoming invisible.

All the focus on survivability provided another incentive for makers to put ever larger pieces of steel on the road. I disagree that new cars are safer.

I have experienced driver aids glitching, and i want none of it. Anything that can take control of the car needs to be bulletproof, and it isn't.

Re: Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

#337

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

pwillia7 wrote: post #288
ryukoposting wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think I see some parallels with the aftermarket for old cars. Holley's entire catalog is "here's a thing that'll modernize your 1960s engine without replacing the whole damn engine" This kind of thing is a low-volume, low-margin business by nature. It's those kinds of businesses that the megalomaniacs of our field tend to ignore. There are people with needs, and money they are willing to exchange for a solution to…

yeah feels like you can only target end consumers or hobby business people as any real business would just reinvest capital in equipment that is modern and can compete or get rid of the business if it's not worth the $$$

I think you might be surprised to find out how many "real businesses" can't "just reinvest capital" and have to keep struggling on with what they have.

Re: Show HN: I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s

#338

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

gambiting wrote: post #265
baranul wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is arguably a dangerous fallacy, particularly for anything critical. When the person doesn't know programming, it becomes harder to guide agents and do reviews, leading to overlooking issues and accepting mistakes. This gets amplified for any creative solutions or fixing future problems, where it is something the LLM was not trained on or has limited data about the subject. Plus add how much money spent on token…

I'd argue we're there anyway with all kinds of non-programmers using languages like Python to achieve their goals. On one hand, it results in some absolutely horrendous code that takes 100x longer to run than necessary, because it lacks the most basic principles of engineering. On the other hand....it works and does what is asked of it.

Exactly! It might be a "dangerous fallacy" (?) but people will still do it and you can't stop them.
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