Traffic in the U.S. is going to get slower every year as the population continues to expand via immigration and children of immigrants (Pew, 2015). Self-driving systems are going to get better every year, but perhaps not good enough that they can be completely unsupervised. What are people going to do on multi-hour car trips where they still have to sit in the driver’s seat and look at the road? How about exercise? With more time lost to traffic jams Americans will have less time to hit the gym or walk in the neighborhood so we’ll get yet fatter and weaker unless the car itself becomes a gym.
Suppose that resistance bands were built into the dashboard, floor, doors, and ceiling of the car. I asked ChatGPT to generate an image of this, but the request fried our future overlord’s brain.
It could look something like this image from Amazon, but with the band attached to the door or the dash instead of to the wall:
I know that there’s a fine line between stupid and clever. Which side of the line is this idea on?
Movement is not necessary, any static contraction for 90 seconds at intervals of 50%, 80%, and 100% will sufficiently stimulate the muscle to grow. Legs can be done with a hip ad/ab -ductions. No equipment required here!
In an ideal world, we’d have self driving bikes that used animal power while balancing, steering, stopping & going on their own.
Just do Kegels?
Monitoring of a self-driving car is more cognitively demanding — in terms of sustained attention — than active driving. So “monitoring” is a sham – it’s either autonomous or not.
I suggest punchable reinforced windshield. I cracked mine once on a long ride. Also a 250lb resistance handle instead of just jeep hold interior handle. I would like to have something for legs as well but not sure how safely combine it with gas/break pedals.
I’m sure Woody Allen could modify his “executizer” so it can be used in a car.
I recommend Bishop, Elizabeth’s Manners to understand healthy transportation:
(For a Child of 1918)
My grandfather said to me
as we sat on the wagon seat,
“Be sure to remember to always
speak to everyone you meet.”
We met a stranger on foot.
My grandfather’s whip tapped his hat.
“Good day, sir. Good day. A fine day.”
And I said it and bowed where I sat.
Then we overtook a boy we knew
with his big pet crow on his shoulder.
“Always offer everyone a ride;
don’t forget that when you get older,”
my grandfather said. So Willy
climbed up with us, but the crow
gave a “Caw!” and flew off. I was worried.
How would he know where to go?
But he flew a little way at a time
from fence post to fence post, ahead;
and when Willy whistled he answered.
“A fine bird,” my grandfather said,
“and he’s well brought up. See, he answers
nicely when he’s spoken to.
Man or beast, that’s good manners.
Be sure that you both always do.”
When automobiles went by,
the dust hid the people’s faces,
but we shouted “Good day! Good day!
Fine day!” at the top of our voices.
When we came to Hustler Hill,
he said that the mare was tired,
so we all got down and walked,
as our good manners required.
https://allpoetry.com/Manners
Using Kling it came up with this: https://imgur.com/a/KqE4fn9
With climate-controlled heating and A/C, heated and cooled seats with built-in back and butt massage, surround sound speakers, panoramic sunroofs, ultra-comfort suspension, and near-silent engines with active vibration elimination, just to name a few, do we really expect future American drivers to get any exercise done in their car during long commutes? Hardly! I bet you they will spend even more time on Facebook and on the many yet to come social media platforms.
In-dash exercise equipment for self-driving cars? No.