Robot enforces ‘unwritten rule’ in cars

An engineer upset by the behaviour of passengers has gone to extreme lengths to ensure that they do not affect his driving.

Should passengers be allowed to choose music in the car, or do they need to keep their hands to themselves?
An engineer with strong views on this age-old question attempted to answer it forever by building an apparatus designed to slap away hands that reach for the radio or air conditioning.

It combines a small motion sensor with a yellow rubber arm that can whack passengers who dare to touch key controls.

Instagram user Engineezy invented a robot arm to slap passengers' hands out of the way. Picture: Instagram

Posting his work to the Engineezy channel on Instagram, the resourceful gent said his slappy robot was there to enforce the rules of the road.

“The unwritten rule of driving states that the passenger gets absolutely no control over the music,” he said.

Instagram user Engineezy invented a robot arm to slap passengers' hands out of the way. Picture: Instagram

“Cars these days basically have iPads for infotainment systems, so it’s understandable that the passenger would have trouble resisting the unwritten rule.

“That’s why I created this contraption; So I can drive without any distractions, and my music stays MY music!”

The bold gadget attracted mixed responses from social media users divided by the concept of musical responsibilities on the road.

Plenty of people felt that the “passenger is the DJ”, while equally, others said the “driver picks the music, passenger shuts their cake hole”.

To quell any concerns that the device could cause harm, the inventor told people it was made from a soft and flexible material, insisting that “no wives were hurt in the making of this video”.

Car companies are doing more to accommodate customers in the front of new cars.

Luxury cars from Porsche and Mercedes have touchscreens directly in front of passengers that allow them to interact with screens without reaching for the centre console.

2023 Mercedes-Benz E-Class (overseas model shown).

There are growing concerns that complex touchscreens in cars may be doing more harm than good.

So manufacturers are making cars easier to interact with using voice-activated technology that allows you to do everything from lower the windows to adjust the airconditioning or play a podcast without physically touching a button or screen.

Other models such as the new Mini Cooper and Countryman attempt to transform cars into an extension of your phone by making them more customisable than ever before.

The latest Minis even allow customers to put preferred images - perhaps their kids, pets, or a travel pic - on the car’s touchscreen, which then customises ambient lighting to match the tones in their favourite photo.

Originally published as Robot enforces ‘unwritten rule’ in cars