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Math professor's side mirror that eliminates 'blind spot' receives US patent

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Re: Math professor's side mirror that eliminates 'blind spot' receives US patent

#61

Post by mbell »

stephengillie wrote: post #2

In the United States, regulations dictate that cars coming off of the assembly line must have a flat mirror on the driver's side. Curved mirrors are allowed for cars' passenger-side mirrors only if they include the phrase "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear." Because of these regulations, Hicks's mirrors will not be installed on new cars sold in the U.S. any time soon. The mirror may be manufactured and so…

Last I knew cars in the US don't even have to have a passenger side mirror. I remember seeing the old base model Dodge Neon's on the streets with just a driver side window and confirmed they were sold as such, presumably to reduce costs.

Re: Math professor's side mirror that eliminates 'blind spot' receives US patent

#62

Post by ramLlama »

CodeMage wrote: post #56
boredguy8 wrote: post #44

Why do you have blind spots in the first place? http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-adjust-your-mirr... "The paper advocates adjusting the mirrors so far outward that the viewing angle of the side mirrors just overlaps that of the cabin’s rearview mirror." I've been driving this way for a long time, and it's great. You can already see behind you: you don't need 2 more mirrors showing you the same thing.

I don't know about others, but here's an extract from the article you linked that explains why I have blind spots: Those who have switched to the SAE's approach swear by it, however, some drivers can't adjust to not using the outside mirrors to see directly behind the car and miss being able to see their own car in the side mirrors. The reason I need to see a bit of my car in the side mirror is because I need to know…

True, but as you get used to seeing the vehicle cross from your center mirror to your side mirror, you get a sense of where it is. Your point of reference just changes from your car in the side mirror to the combination of the location of the vehicle in the side mirror and the center mirror. You really just have to get used to it. I swear by this technique now.

Re: Math professor's side mirror that eliminates 'blind spot' receives US patent

#63

Post by nicholaides »

He was my math prof. Here's a gallery of his crazy mirrors: http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn16585-amazing-mirrors/...

When I saw the article title, I immediately knew it was Dr. Hicks because he would talk about his work occasionally in class when it was related to what we were studying.

Also, if you're at Drexel, you should take his math courses. He's easily the best math teacher I've ever had, and I didn't know it until after I graduated. All his classes seemed really easy, but in the last course I took he said something that made me realize how good he was. He said, "Before we get into the math, I want to give you an intuition of how this works." Later I realized that his courses like cryptography and multivariate calculus were so easy is because he knew how to give you that intuition and the mathematics came almost naturally after that.

Re: Math professor's side mirror that eliminates 'blind spot' receives US patent

#64

Post by nollidge »

boredguy8 wrote: post #44

Why do you have blind spots in the first place? http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-adjust-your-mirr... "The paper advocates adjusting the mirrors so far outward that the viewing angle of the side mirrors just overlaps that of the cabin’s rearview mirror." I've been driving this way for a long time, and it's great. You can already see behind you: you don't need 2 more mirrors showing you the same thing.

I've done this for a few years, but the one use case it's worse is when you are in a slow/stopped lane and want/need to switch to a lane that's moving faster, and you need to see far back in that adjacent lane to see approaching cars. In those cases I'll actually move my mirror in, then readjust it out later.

Re: Math professor's side mirror that eliminates 'blind spot' receives US patent

#65

Post by nollidge »

CodeMage wrote: post #56
boredguy8 wrote: post #44

Why do you have blind spots in the first place? http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-adjust-your-mirr... "The paper advocates adjusting the mirrors so far outward that the viewing angle of the side mirrors just overlaps that of the cabin’s rearview mirror." I've been driving this way for a long time, and it's great. You can already see behind you: you don't need 2 more mirrors showing you the same thing.

I don't know about others, but here's an extract from the article you linked that explains why I have blind spots: Those who have switched to the SAE's approach swear by it, however, some drivers can't adjust to not using the outside mirrors to see directly behind the car and miss being able to see their own car in the side mirrors. The reason I need to see a bit of my car in the side mirror is because I need to know…

This doesn't replace shoulder checks, so as long as you keep doing that, you should get used to it with a couple hours of drive time.

Re: Math professor's side mirror that eliminates 'blind spot' receives US patent

#66

Post by cynicalkane »

CodeMage wrote: post #56
boredguy8 wrote: post #44

Why do you have blind spots in the first place? http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-adjust-your-mirr... "The paper advocates adjusting the mirrors so far outward that the viewing angle of the side mirrors just overlaps that of the cabin’s rearview mirror." I've been driving this way for a long time, and it's great. You can already see behind you: you don't need 2 more mirrors showing you the same thing.

I don't know about others, but here's an extract from the article you linked that explains why I have blind spots: Those who have switched to the SAE's approach swear by it, however, some drivers can't adjust to not using the outside mirrors to see directly behind the car and miss being able to see their own car in the side mirrors. The reason I need to see a bit of my car in the side mirror is because I need to know…

Just lean to the side a little and the rear of the car will be brought back into the view of the mirror.

Re: Math professor's side mirror that eliminates 'blind spot' receives US patent

#67

Post by nollidge »

simcop2387 wrote: post #59
boredguy8 wrote: post #44

Why do you have blind spots in the first place? http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-adjust-your-mirr... "The paper advocates adjusting the mirrors so far outward that the viewing angle of the side mirrors just overlaps that of the cabin’s rearview mirror." I've been driving this way for a long time, and it's great. You can already see behind you: you don't need 2 more mirrors showing you the same thing.

I thought that was how you were supposed to adjust the mirrors! Though I think on some cars this arrangement can leave a blind spot one more lane over (the one next to the one next to you) which isn't as big of a deal since they won't normally be able to cause a problem or even exist on most roads. I haven't finished reading the article but if his mirror solves that issue too it's still an improvement.

And that's why you should still do shoulder checks.

Re: Math professor's side mirror that eliminates 'blind spot' receives US patent

#68

Post by Confusion »

hahainternet wrote: post #30
Confusion wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any mirror tends to lead people to misjudge distances and speeds. Mirrors are not things we naturally understand and you have to get used to judging how far behind you something is, while looking in front of you. If you're looking in a mirror and something comes in your direction very fast, you tend to step back... directly into the thing coming at you. Curved mirrors also take getting used to, but I doubt it has eve…

You seem to be doing exactly what you're condemning them for. Just because your opinion differs from theirs is no reason to assume they are incorrect or that there are no studies involved.

I was explaining that the common argument (curved mirrors cause mistakes) doesn't make any sense (because other mirrors also cause mistakes) and how that argument could lead to a law anyway (because people are very used to regular mirrors and the mistakes they cause). You're reading a judgment into that, but I don't think I wrote one.

I don't condemn anyone for taking decisions based on what seems to make sense, when the stakes aren't very high and in the absence of anyone telling them otherwise. We can't expect decisionmakers to be experts in everything and we can't expect them to hire experts for every little detail. As long as things get changed when the facts are presented, I'm not complaining.

Re: Math professor's side mirror that eliminates 'blind spot' receives US patent

#69

Post by klahnakoski »

adolph wrote: post #58
boredguy8 wrote: post #44

Why do you have blind spots in the first place? http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-adjust-your-mirr... "The paper advocates adjusting the mirrors so far outward that the viewing angle of the side mirrors just overlaps that of the cabin’s rearview mirror." I've been driving this way for a long time, and it's great. You can already see behind you: you don't need 2 more mirrors showing you the same thing.

Having a bit of own-car in the side mirror allows for verification that the mirror is oriented as intended. Is there an orientation test for the SAE recommendation?

Yes, while driving, use cars in the lanes beside you. As a car passes you can adjust your side mirror so it catches the car just as it leaves your rear view mirror. With this setting, the passing car will enter your peripheral vision before it leaves your side mirror.

Once set you can find a head position that allows you see your own car, and you can use that position to reset your mirrors after the wife drives your car.

Re: Math professor's side mirror that eliminates 'blind spot' receives US patent

#70

Post by jamesgeck0 »

mbell wrote: post #61
stephengillie wrote: post #2

In the United States, regulations dictate that cars coming off of the assembly line must have a flat mirror on the driver's side. Curved mirrors are allowed for cars' passenger-side mirrors only if they include the phrase "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear." Because of these regulations, Hicks's mirrors will not be installed on new cars sold in the U.S. any time soon. The mirror may be manufactured and so…

Last I knew cars in the US don't even have to have a passenger side mirror. I remember seeing the old base model Dodge Neon's on the streets with just a driver side window and confirmed they were sold as such, presumably to reduce costs.

Passenger side mirrors are far and away the norm in the US.
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