So you double-parked your car and left the
car running while you ran into the coffee shop to grab a donut. Darwanism says
you lose your wheels as payment for you inepitutde but thanks to modern
technology Darwin can go take a flying leap. Yes, now the greatest invention of out
time even stop a thief cold in your tracks. I’m speaking, of course, about the
cell phone and the some newfangled usage that can only come from a rural
Canadian university.
Students at the University of Saskatchewan have
developed some relatively straightforward technology to jury rig a remote
shutdown for your car using your cell phone. The technology is based on the
same principals upon which an automobile’s heat sensor functions. In the case that your engine overheats the car
will detect the temperature surge and decrease the automobiles speed,
eventually rendering the entire contraption inert. The only difference is
rather than your fluid levels being in control, you are.
Installation is rather straightforward as
the small device snugs up with the motor in order to tap into the heat sensor,
which is already a staple of modern cars. Once installed, jilted car owners can
simply text the device which will then trip the sensor and activate the gradual
slow down. Such a method ensures the vehicle still has power and brakes so that
the thief and by extension your car can get safely off the road. Once stopped the
device will then (smartly) text you the location of your automobile.
Since the device makes use of a standard,
factory installed shut-down method and 99.9% of all people everywhere have a
cell phone the students hope that they can create a commercial version simple
enough to be installed by your average consumer.
While similar services exist, such as On-Star,
they are nevertheless services and
require fees and by extension operators to such down your stolen vehicle, by
which time it’s already loaded onto a freighter and Nic Cage has already fought
and killed that Russian dude.
For more creative ideas, be sure to visit
your local Saskatchewan university.
