[iLion]

If all cars were made of spongy, "nerf-like" material, and perhaps had roller-ball wheels, and definitely made to run a bit slower on freeways - we could save thousands of lives each year - and have great fun at the same time. Imagine how many bazillions could be saved thru reduced (or eliminated!) insurance needs, and cheaper fuel costs... and repairs would be rare and cheap, too. We don't really need to race to work at 80 or even 55 mph.

Imagine how much more fun it would be to drive places. If someone hit your car you would probably laugh and wave! If I had to drive to work every day, I'd like it to be in a nerf car. It could change the world.

Reward: I'd like the chance to work on this project... or maybe just a bright red nerf car of my own.

[Steve]

Just a question - what's (a) Nerf?

[iLion]

"Nerf" is a trademarked name used by Hasbro Toy company. It refers to the spongy material used for their "Nerf" footballs and toy darts and many other toys. The reason for the spongy material is to eliminate all the danger of being hit by a hard plastic toy.

You may have played with nerf footballs or other kid toys made of the material. Imagine all cars made of sponge... hitting another car would be a laugh instead of a tragedy.

[probass16]

it would be fun, but there is still the chance of neck and back injury. and i don't know about you, but i'm not waking up 2 hours earlyer to get to school b/c my car is so freaking slow. and all i have to say is, have you played with a nerf item in the rain, only fun for a few min. then it's soggy play time with a ball that's 3 time heavier, which would reduce the speed of a nerf car to about 2 mph. this would force us to walk, which is good b/c we're not the fittest country around. and if you hit anything your engine would go flying through your hood, and kill someone... or a tree... maybe a squirel or 2. an outer layer of nerf material on phyberglass could help a little. it would only help to a degree though. it would make fender benders fun, lol.

[virole]

Seems that since the engine block and the transmission and the fuel tank AND everything else would still be made of metal. If you were in an accident the engine plowing through the nerf and landing on top of you would be more dangerous than hitting the steering wheel. Lets give the car companies the credit they deserve. The best way to stay alive is to wear seatbelts, understand how to safely use and airbag, use rear-facing infant seats, put ALL child seats in the BACKSEAT, and most importantly DRIVE DEFENSIVELY. Just because you are a good driver doesn't change the fact that the 14 year old that just left the bar with his fake id and his dad's car will probably hit you if you let him. Be safe and keep you eyes open

Virole

[vortexau]

You assume that automobiles would/should crash into each other?

By preventing cars from becoming entangled violently, "solutions" such as this example are entirely redundant.

We are on the cusp of self-driving automobiles being available to the general public.
Bill Gates and the self-driving car

In emergency situations, over 50% of drivers take no evasive action whatsoever.

The fully computerized car is the ideal way to reconcile driver stupidity with the need to keep our population mobile. And make no mistake: society is up for it. Computerized control has been the de facto standard for the airline industry for many years. Modern planes will not ?let themselves crash?. They can take-off and land automatically. (In fact they do, all the time.) We accept this development in safety?s name, yet commercial airplanes are thousands of times safer than automobiles.

As long as Bill Gates is kept well away!-

Their reaction revealed the extent of their antipathy to MSBill. Ironically enough, most of the sarcasm centered on safety issues. For example, “If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, your car would crash twice a day for no reason whatsoever. For some reason you would simply accept this.”

[Rhiannonn]

What happens when it rains? Or if a big wind storm comes blowing by?

[gracken]

If all cars were made of spongy, "nerf-like" material, and perhaps had roller-ball wheels,

How about a car with a spherical tire? Now I know someone somewhere out there must have had this idea before but here is an idea of how it could work:

You use the design of a computer mouse but in reverse. I don't know if you remember the old mouses with the ball in them. The concept was pretty simple, when you moved the mouse, the little ball followed along in the direction of motion which then moved these little rollers on the sides of the ball that inturn turned the motion into information in the x and y axis (plural of axis?) and there by giving you the full range of motion on the plane. So my idea is the reverse of that. You have these two electrically controlled motorized rollers that move the cylindrical wheel.

Don't know if it would be better if they were parallel and perpendicular to the road or at 45 degree angles to it. I think it would be best if they were exactly at the sides of the sphere.

The sphere could "rest" on like three or more ball bearing type things. inside a spherical cage with the bottom of the sperere sticking out

Ideally you would have four of these to give you full range of motion. But you could go for a cheaper design by using one powered sphere and two dummy sheres that would not have rollers, would just roll in the direction of the leader.

A simple design would be good for road travel, offroading would be more complicated I think. The benefits of this kind of car are kind of obvious, don't you think? You could park sideways for one, and with properlly controled motion, one could simulate wheel driving. It has the best of wheel driving and the best of tank (tractor) driving in one design!

[gracken]

very similar to this, except there would be four of them, connected with a seat in the middle and it wouldnt just balance, but actually go somewhere:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ5K0tZ2ZOk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN16vnN_3Po

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQllRvnfIjE