What Could Go Wrong...

[Texas Lizard]

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/tractor-beam-toyota-developing-hitchless-towing....

 

If it can do all of this...Why not just program it to go where needed...It could be there waiting for you...

 

Texas Lizard

[Pat Riot]

I see no good reason for this…unless, of course, you’re a mad bomber and you wish to cut loose your payload at some point to blow something up as you speed away. 
 

Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. 

[Sedalia Dave]

I can think of at least a dozen ways this could end in disaster. 

 

As Pat said.  just because you can doesn't mean it's a good idea.

[Texas Joker]

Self driving trucks platoon this way,

 

I can forsee 1, 3, 5 endorsements on CDLs for drivers qualed in multi truck convoys

[Cypress Sun]

11 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I see no good reason for this…unless, of course, you’re a mad bomber and you wish to cut loose your payload at some point to blow something up as you speed away. 
 

Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. 

 

I can see one practical application, the drone car would make a great mother-in-law vehicle. 

[Calamity Kris]

I could see using this to "tow" a trailer when you have a vehicle that doesn't have the capacity to pull a trailer, like my car. Another thought, one of the applications the article mentioned is caravanning vehicles.  I could see this being used for something like tour busses for musicians or road trips to the casinos.  I would like to see what develops from the technology. 

[Chantry]

An interesting idea with potential, just probably not on the regular streets & highways of the U.S.

 

I can see the idea being used for military convoys during wartime or for dedicated trucking lanes (with a physical divider between it and car lanes) or perhaps ships and barges.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

How about one of those road trains in the outback?

[Rye Miles #13621]

Engage the tractor beam Sulu!!

[Eyesa Horg]

Not exactly being towed if not hitched. Both vehicles now need a power source. Sorta like a train with a hundred engines and no physical hitch. What's the point, to save a driver in each vehicle. Bet that will be cost and energy saving.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

More "because we can", PC gadget, "I gotta have one of those" driven nonsense.

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Might be a market for them in Ukraine.

Good place to test them as well!

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

A lot of R&D things never pan out but you never know until you take the first step.