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December 28, 2007
A Look Back: The Highway of the Future
Solar- and atomic-powered cars that don't need to be refueled. Lanes on the highway color coded for destination. Atomic tunnel boring machines that melt rock away and prefabricated bridges allow for infrastructure to be constructed in mere minutes. Cars with television screens that show maps of your present location as you drive. Decentralized cities linked by networks of highways that allow the commuter a longer reach. The view of the future through the visionary eyes of the Walt Disney Corporation (circa 1958) is uncannily accurate in many ways, although a few things do seem really out there. Here we link to a nearly nine minute video that is certainly entertaining no matter your opinion about the role of highways in our society.
I noticed several concepts that have made their way to reality in one form or another in the years since they were envisioned by the writers of this video:
- Electronic highway information boards
- GPS navigation systems w/realtime traffic conditions
- Heads-up display on windshield
- Rear-view cameras with in-dash monitor
- Decentralized cities
- Underwater tunnels
- Viaducts carrying highways through sensitive or scenic areas
What did I miss?
Watch Magic Highway USA
Posted by Joseph Edge at 12:00 AM
Comments
December 28, 2007 7:16 PM
Matthew Says:
There are colored lanes, it is just that they are for bikes...
But their ideas about modern freight are fairly close: Containers plus just in time delivery is how the world works now.
December 30, 2007 12:57 AM
Adron Says:
Sounds more like the urban planners wet dream... and more like PRT than auto based transportation.
December 30, 2007 8:28 AM
Al M Says:
I remember seeing that movie in grade school circa 1960.
The only thing technology seems to be able to produce lately is a faster computer with more storage.
Everything else looks like its stuck in neutral.
Look at the space shuttle for example, big deal, why bother with it at all.
