K.I.T.T. Technicalities

Vchat20 · Post by **Vchat20** » Sat May 24, 2003 1:10 am

I was thinking. since most ppl have already made stunningly similar kitt replicas, the only thing missing from them is all the gadgets (not to mention KITT himself in AI form). my question is, what are your opinions on how possible most of these gadgets would be? and I have already came up with a couple ideas

Kitt's AI system is a total loss cause at least for the near future anyways as AI is nowhere near being "human"

turbo boost could possibly be a combination of nitro and high powered hydraulics on all 4 wheels.

super pursuit mode could possibly be done by not using the Default T/A engine, but instead use a souped up NASCAR like engine, but would only go into about 2 or at highest 3rd gear. but when going to SPM it would shift into overdrive to gain that 280+ MPH.

any more ideas? I would be glad to read them.

Army_F_Body · Post by **Army_F_Body** » Sat May 24, 2003 2:19 am

I totally agree with you. I've often wondered if such a vehicle has already been created, minus AI obviously. Back to the topic, a buddy of mines mother worked for the state of California and was able to purchase retired governement vehicles at one of those auctions. She ended up getting a plain, no-marking, Ford Taurus. The things is it ran on some kind of extreme alcohol based fuel and the speedo topped out at 215 mph, which my friend stated it "got up there." Now I can't account for the validity of the claims but it makes one wonder...

Rockatteer · Post by **Rockatteer** » Sat May 24, 2003 5:58 am

Well it might be possable to create a car with many of kitts functions...but it wouldn't be as compact as Kitt...would probbaly be more like a range-rover or somethign with enough room for all the mechanical equipment needed to actually work the gadgets.

DJGM · Post by **DJGM** » Sat May 24, 2003 11:01 am

I doubt turbo boosts would be possible with a regular car. Sure you could
get the car to become airborne for a few seconds, but I seriously doubt
it would land fully intact in one piece. Essentially, it'd be trashed!

Vchat20 · Post by **Vchat20** » Sat May 24, 2003 12:59 pm

Yeah. I guess that "Special Coating" that KITT is famous for is one thing that will be impossible to make.

Post by **neps** » Sat May 24, 2003 1:08 pm

Yea, without a Molecular Bonded Shell, it would be hard for the car to survive. Just check out Hasselhoff's Looking For Freedom video, or one of the out take video's that are floating around the net. Reality did not treat those trans ams well.

Vchat20 · Post by **Vchat20** » Sat May 24, 2003 1:12 pm

hmm. I seem to remember watching a story on Techlive a while ago. about some kinda strengthening for metal. forget alot of details abot it but basically the metal was highly compressed thus making it hard to break and such. dont remember the name though.

Post by **neps** » Sat May 24, 2003 1:18 pm

Yes, I remember hearing something along those lines as well. Strength in metal started getting alot of press after the WTC. It's gonna be interesting what they come out with down the line as a result.

Vchat20 · Post by **Vchat20** » Sat May 24, 2003 1:29 pm

I could also see how Michael's watch could be a very good possibility as I have seen some Walkie Talkie watches before. and there has been a gps watch made (could send exact location back to KITT). combine the 2 and its done. but the walkie talkie part would need a massive boost to allow communication from far away.

the audio and video contact between KITT and other sources (like the FLAG HQ) is slightly possible. maybe just have a souped up wi-fi connection and have both audio and video be transffered digitally over that connection?

the phone can be very easily done just by doing an Onstar-like system where there is a cellphone built right into the car and can be accessed at the touch of a button.

Post by **neps** » Sat May 24, 2003 1:40 pm

Yup, many of those things are available today in various forums. I always loved when KITT would display something that isn't in his direct line of site, or switch to multiple angels. Makes you start to question..

The audio video feeds from flag could happen any number of ways, although without ever having interference is questionable. Perhaps FLAG has some satellites up there.

Vchat20 · Post by **Vchat20** » Sat May 24, 2003 1:44 pm

neps wrote:Perhaps FLAG has some satellites up there.

yeah that is quite possible as there are tons up there already (in RL of course

).

cloudkitt · Post by **cloudkitt** » Sat May 24, 2003 9:23 pm

Well, "Ski"s are often performed...but you need ramps. But if you could make Turbo Boost, you could make Ski Mode, it only sets off two of the jets instead of all four. But both Turbo Boost and Ski mode would kill your suspension, and Turbo Boosts landings will ALWAYS kill your bumpers, why the MBS is so necessary.

But Scanners exist...as does AI, but not like KITTs
Flame Throwers exist, but it would melt your bumper
Smoke release and even oil slick are conceivable
um....what else does he have?
Laser...possible
Auto-cruise, no way.

Vchat20 · Post by **Vchat20** » Sat May 24, 2003 10:02 pm

auto cruise is possible but too far down the road. I mean, have you seen those cars that have the adaptive cruise control? where if you are too close to a car in front of you, it automatically slows down for you. that is a very good start to this. add another to the back to make it speed up if it was too slow. but to make it actually turn and possibly follow a specified course, some kind of mechanism would need to be developed to actually turn it (but has to be really good to make tight turns quick) and to follow the course it would need some kind of special system that will use gps and a highly detailed map program to find that route, and actually follow it.

about the sacanner's, I really havent seen those in action too well on the show but from what I do know there are definitely a bunch that do seperate tasks. but to start off, whatever scanner shows the 3D wireframe view of something, that would be very impossible unless some knid of xray vision was developed, but that is highly unlikely.

_Mad_Man_2k · Post by **_Mad_Man_2k** » Sat May 24, 2003 11:06 pm

Today's microtechnology would probably be able to recreate the wrist communication unit in that small size, but it would have to be the following:

Digital Camera (fairly high resolution, probably at least 1024x768 judging by the quality of the shots from it)

Wireless intercom/2 way radion (it might not need to reach very far, because the base reciever/transmitter would have a high powered antenna and thus pick up the weak signal coming from it, or force the signal into it)

Multirange scanner (need to have infrared, maybe X ray, etc)

Microlock (yeah

)

Probably more also.

Sustained 'ski mode' would be difficult, to balance the car would most likely have to tilt the tire so it was flat on the ground.

Darknight · Post by **Darknight** » Sun May 25, 2003 12:19 am

I just lost a good post due to the "invalid session" monster, so I'll do this one quickly. I haven't the patience for another in-depth look.

The AI is closer to reality than people might think. Of course, KITT wasn't full AI, but he was about as much AI as humans could deal with at this point.

AutoCruise is a possibility as well, given the advances in robotic collision avoidance/obstacle course maneuvering and object recognition through sensory inputs.

MBS could happen. There are a lot of high strength, very heat resistant alloys and compounds out there. The right combination could do the trick.

KITT's engine and tranny would have to be able to withstand very high rpms and high torque as well. No pure piston or turbine engine alone can provide the versatility and efficiency needed by KITT. He would need a hybrid of piston and turbine, with electric assist. One electric motor at each wheel could help modulate thrust, braking and handling to comply with the input of the driver, sorta like a traction control/stability system at full realization. The electric motor's flat torque curve would provide excellent launches, combined with optional 4 wheel traction.

Those are a few of KITT's essential systems that could see reality, or perhaps already have somewhere.

Vchat20 · Post by **Vchat20** » Sun May 25, 2003 2:46 am

also the bullet-proof glass would be an issue. their has already been bullet-resistant glass made, but it shatters when fired at. KITT's windows just bounce the bullet off and nothing happens. I could see how the MBS could help in that but it could also obstruct the view all depending on whether it is opaque or transparent.

and about the tint in the windows where it can be tinted or not at the flip of a switch. that is possible. I have seen something before (if memory serves, it was a show on the travel channel. this one place had an open restroom with a glass door, but the glass had something in it that cause it to go opaque and/or transparent depending on the lock position of the door). and that could very well be a resolution to the window tinit.

_Mad_Man_2k · Post by **_Mad_Man_2k** » Sun May 25, 2003 11:04 am

To do that opaque/transparent switch with glass, what would they have to do? Maybe make a thin pocket inside the glass, which would hold a gas that became darker when it was heated up/cooled down?

Also, couldn't auto-cruise be done with a combination of a sophisticated GPS system and cameras to cover a 360' view around the car. If the picture input coming in from the cameras were processed fast enough (which would be possible), the car could see the end of the road, and the line in the middle.

Oh, and I always copy my message to the clipboard before pressing send or submit.

Darknight · Post by **Darknight** » Sun May 25, 2003 2:17 pm

Well, artificial diamond and cubic boron nitride are both transparent, not only to light, but to microwave energy as well(which could be a problem as well as an advantage). Artificial diamond is still pretty expensive to acquire, and it begins to vaporize at high temps. cBN(cubic boron nitride) would seem to be the material of choice here, upon first consideration. A sheet of it 1/4" thick would stop most any standard bullet, I'll bet. Artillery and air to ground cannon fire, however, would probably penetrate. I don't think any tests have been specifically configured to find out, though.

With the window tinting, you could make that possible with a film of liquid crystals on the inside of the window(like a calcutor display). Some versions turn dark when an electrical current runs through them. Others turn darker as the temperature rises. I think most folks would want the version that uses electric current. It would kinda suck to come back to your car on a hot day and not be able to see outside. Although, it would help block the sun on those warm days also.

GPS would be a help, but not completely essential to a vehicle driving itself. The car would need scanners, moreso than cameras, to turn its readings more directly into an electronic "landscape" of IR, UV, or microwave echoes. A processor would then break the image up into background and objects, their relative locations, their speeds, and move on to interpret these things, and what threat they may or may not pose to the car. Road lines would be a help, but the car would have to be able to navigate without them to be of much use. The car would need to be able to read surface textures in order to respond accordingly, and know asphalt from grass, for instance. Slick roads would require a different driving profile than normal roads, and rough roads would call for a softer, possibly higher suspension profile.

Speaking of suspension...it is a crucial element in making KITT a reality. His suspension would have to be more rugged than the toughest ATV/4wd, but smooth and comfortable, while having on-road handling that would amaze Indy car drivers, and the shock absorbing capacity to handle those turboboost landings. Is it possible? Yes, but I have my own ideas about how it's possible, which I'll keep to myself at this point.

DK

Post by **neps** » Sun May 25, 2003 9:39 pm

The company that I work for has used electric glass before. It's basically two thin pieces of glass with material in between that is opaque as default, and transparent with electric current in between. The glass doesn't have a very long life however, with any break in the glass stops it from working. My company actually used it to encase the bathroom, a pretty interesting use. The client that we installed it in about 5 years ago just had the glass replaced with opaque glass because it was too expensive to replace.

Vchat20 · Post by **Vchat20** » Sun May 25, 2003 11:23 pm

neps wrote:The company that I work for has used electric glass before. It's basically two thin pieces of glass with material in between that is opaque as default, and transparent with electric current in between. The glass doesn't have a very long life however, with any break in the glass stops it from working. My company actually used it to encase the bathroom, a pretty interesting use. The client that we installed it in about 5 years ago just had the glass replaced with opaque glass because it was too expensive to replace.

yeah, but is it possible to make it transparent as default and go opaque with electric current? cuz keeping electric going to make it transparent would surely drain the battery.

Darknight · Post by **Darknight** » Sun May 25, 2003 11:58 pm

Some top line Mercedes' are able to modulate their glass transparency, but I don't think anyone has yet made full range transparent-to-opague glass. I'm sure it can be done, though. People just have to put their minds to it.

DK

Rockatteer · Post by **Rockatteer** » Mon May 26, 2003 4:15 am

and about the tint in the windows where it can be tinted or not at the flip of a switch. that is possible

I remember reading years ago about glass which has tiny magnitised particle of metal in it....and when a current is passed through the class the magnitism of the metal changes and casued the metal to "line up" and reduce the amount of light passing through... I think it was based on photochromic glass?

I've been hunting the net looking for it, but found something similer...which does the same thing called "smart glass"

http://www.glassonweb.com/articles/article/192/

Darknight · Post by **Darknight** » Mon May 26, 2003 11:01 pm

Great find, man. It covers all three types of changeable glass, and I guess I kinda have to halfway eat my last words, too. I say "halfway" because I haven't seen the glass yet that turns totally black.

DK

LoneKnight · Post by **LoneKnight** » Tue May 27, 2003 3:32 pm

Turbo boost would have to be a lot more than just the propulsion system itself.

There was that one cheesy music video floating around here that showed some of KITTs "landings" after he turbo-boosted. If you haven't seen it....well, it's bad. The front end of the car was pulverized by the crash.

Basically, for turbo boost it would require major and extensive modifications of the frame to make it withstand impacts from a certain feet. In KITTs case, we've seen him turbo-boost over chasms and airport hangers, let alone minor things such as walls, cars, rivers, etc. To make a car structurally sound and be able to handle the impact when landing from those heights, you would need either a new frame made of new material that would withstand that kind of pressure, able to keep the cabin intact and all other components of the vehicle intact and operating, or again, extensive and drastic modifications to the cars frame and support systems.

Next, consider the driver. When you hit the ground at heights of over two stories, it ain't a pleasant vibe (Not that I would know, but I can speculate), especially in the car. Either it would need to use some sort of air-cushioning system for the seat, or (dare I say it) the Passive Laser Restraint System so widely used in the last two seasons.....thing is, What the heck is PLRS?!??!! There are other protection systems out there, I'm just giving brief examples.

Then there's propulsion: Hydraulics wouldn't do the trick....unless they were small yet powerful enough to catapult the vehicle to the heights we've seen on the show. Perhaps a miniaturized VTOL (Vertical Take off & Landing) system similar to the ones used in the Harrier could do the trick, only super-charge the system to exhaust the vectors faster, thus propelling the vehicle further and faster. Rockets, as somewhat speculated on the show, could be used as well.

I won't even get into the laws of physics. That's just too complicated.

I think the other objective is space. Considering that you would need to make a structurally sound car with safety systems in mind for the passengers and driver, not to mention cramming in the propulsion system....that's quite an endeavor. Technology is getting better all the time, so who knows?

But just think, after you get the turbo-boost in, then you gotta cram in everything else!

cpatterson1177 · Post by **cpatterson1177** » Tue May 27, 2003 9:07 pm

Auto Cruise is definitely a possibility. I read something in Popular Science a few years back where they had concept cars that had sensors in front of them and underneath them. The concept was that there would be a cable under the pavement and that the car would follow that cable with it's sensor. Kinda like a monorail. The sensor in front would keep the car at a safe distance from the car in front.

The glass would be a cinch. They already have prescription glasses that go from dark to clear when they come in out of the sunlight. Just need something to change it on queue.

Now what about the Emergency Braking System? There is no way that that those fins can bring the car from 260-0 in a matter of feet. I know the EBS is possible, but not that quickly. It would still take about 100 yards to completely slow down. Even with the assistance of wheel brakes.

What about KITT's gadgets on the inside. Like that scanner that Michael uses to have KITT analyze paint, metal or any other material for substance.

Also, KITT must have had wireless Internet before the Internet? He could bring up information on somebody in no time.

Turbo Boost is possible from a moving start, but not from a standstill.