A digital billboard company has the technology to make 3D ads on moving trucks • Hacker News Board

Re: A digital billboard company has the technology to make 3D ads on moving trucks

#51

Post by spaqin » Mon, May 18, 2026, 2:38 AM UTC

SapporoChris wrote: post #4

It will go away once someone hacks it and shows inappropriate content.

The simplest solution of a video file on flash storage with the cheapest, minimum hardware required to display it would make it pretty much unhackable. On the other hand, I am not sure if the ad industry can resist getting it connected to the internet for maybe personalized (scan the plates around the truck?), most up-to-date ads they can serve.

Re: A digital billboard company has the technology to make 3D ads on moving trucks

#52

Post by rerdavies » Mon, May 18, 2026, 4:25 AM UTC

Had them already for a couple of years in Ottawa, before the pandemic. City council made them illegal. They are expensive as heck (six figures?). So I guess they lost a significant capital investment. No sympathy. (Actually they problem just sent them to YOUR city instead :-( ). The also come with MASSIVE sound systems as well, blasing thousands of watts of audio as they drive through your neighborhood. Although that was already illegal, thankfully (as they quickly discovered).

Re: A digital billboard company has the technology to make 3D ads on moving trucks

#53

Post by SapporoChris » Mon, May 18, 2026, 7:14 AM UTC

spaqin wrote: post #51

SapporoChris wrote: post #4

It will go away once someone hacks it and shows inappropriate content.

The simplest solution of a video file on flash storage with the cheapest, minimum hardware required to display it would make it pretty much unhackable. On the other hand, I am not sure if the ad industry can resist getting it connected to the internet for maybe personalized (scan the plates around the truck?), most up-to-date ads they can serve.

Like a personalized advertisement for a bail bonding service to the driver of the vehicle reported stolen.