Go Back   Australian Ford Forums > General Topics > The Pub

The Pub For General Automotive Related Talk

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 25-05-2009, 10:31 PM   #1
fab4272
Regular Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 46
Default Weird Toyota Prius on the road in Melbourne.....

Ok, so I know this is not a Toyota forum, but 2 days ago in Melbourne near Carlton I saw a Toyota Prius, which looked normal apart from the following:

1. 2 off cylindrical sensors about 2" in dia and about 6-8" long, white in colour mounted on pads about 3" in dia either side of the rear numberplate angles outwards at a 45 deg angle towards the road.

2. On the 'A' pillars 2 boxes about 200cm x 10cm x 2-3cm in size, again mounted on pads about 3" in dia angled about 20 deg from center and about 20 deg towards the road outwards. The front of these had blinking red LED's and I guess camera's mounted behind a smoked lens.

All of these were bolted to the car,not on rails like the robotic Prius that has been seen overseas.

Inside the car there was a laptop bolted to the centre console about chest height.

It has me intrigued. Any ideas on what this car was?

fab4272 is offline   Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
Old 25-05-2009, 10:44 PM   #2
Fairlane
V8 Powaah
 
Fairlane's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sunshine Coast, QLD
Posts: 1,994
Default

University or CSIRO experiment?
__________________
FG G6E Turbo- Seduce & Cashmere - Sold


XF S pack Sedan- AU 302 Windsor, T5, 2.77 LSD, Many Mods
Fairlane is offline   Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
Old 25-05-2009, 10:51 PM   #3
bigdude1011
Regular Member
 
bigdude1011's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Outer-Inner-Northern Melbourne
Posts: 243
Default

Google Street View? They us Priuses/Prii for them.
bigdude1011 is offline   Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
Old 25-05-2009, 10:56 PM   #4
fab4272
Regular Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 46
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdude1011
Google Street View? They us Priuses/Prii for them.
Don't think it was that. Don't they use a camera mounted on a post on the car to get the best view? The 2 on the front were forward facing the the ones on the rear pointed downards from the numberplate to the road.
fab4272 is offline   Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
Old 25-05-2009, 11:39 PM   #5
Road_Warrior
Pity the fool
 
Road_Warrior's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Wait Awhile
Posts: 8,997
Default

Could be a Main Roads asset survey.
Road_Warrior is offline   Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
Old 26-05-2009, 07:51 AM   #6
BlackLS
yum
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,417
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by fab4272
Ok, so I know this is not a Toyota forum, but 2 days ago in Melbourne near Carlton I saw a Toyota Prius, which looked normal apart from the following:

1. 2 off cylindrical sensors about 2" in dia and about 6-8" long, white in colour mounted on pads about 3" in dia either side of the rear numberplate angles outwards at a 45 deg angle towards the road.

2. On the 'A' pillars 2 boxes about 200cm x 10cm x 2-3cm in size, again mounted on pads about 3" in dia angled about 20 deg from center and about 20 deg towards the road outwards. The front of these had blinking red LED's and I guess camera's mounted behind a smoked lens.

All of these were bolted to the car,not on rails like the robotic Prius that has been seen overseas.

Inside the car there was a laptop bolted to the centre console about chest height.

It has me intrigued. Any ideas on what this car was?
Yes! I tailed one of these south over the the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

They look like waterproof night vision cameras.

I thought it was just a weirdo who went nuts with reversing cameras.
__________________
2005 LS Focus LX
Nov05 | Manual | Black Sapphire
250,000kms.

BlackLS is offline   Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
Old 26-05-2009, 10:10 AM   #7
uranium_death
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
 
uranium_death's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Gren A Waverrey
Posts: 2,356
Default

'Normal' and 'Prius' probably shouldn't belong in the same sentence.

Come on, alternatives!
__________________
Practicing - Sleeping with a guitar in your hand counts, as long as you don't drop it.

Don't snap my undies.
uranium_death is offline   Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
Old 26-05-2009, 10:57 AM   #8
Sapper
Back to the AU
 
Sapper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Sydney
Posts: 485
Default

They're almost certainly uni projects. My uni has 2 p****** that they are doing tests with at the moment...some rechargable battery type thing. They also have a Ford Ranger which they are using to develop a car that can drive itself.
__________________
2001 Ford AUIII Falcon XR8 Manual - Can't get enough of the AU
2001 VW Bora V6 4Motion - If I squint it almost looks like a Sierra Cosworth
Sapper is offline   Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
Old 26-05-2009, 12:11 PM   #9
Elks
Donating Member
Donating Member3
 
Elks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 4,520
Default

There is a Prius that isn't weird???
__________________
Oooh baby living in Miami....
Elks is offline   Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
Old 26-05-2009, 12:21 PM   #10
Elks
Donating Member
Donating Member3
 
Elks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 4,520
Default

There is a Prius that isn't weird???
__________________
Oooh baby living in Miami....
Elks is offline   Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
Old 26-05-2009, 12:23 PM   #11
xe351
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
 
xe351's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: GOsFORD Central Coast NSW
Posts: 1,930
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by myts
There is a Prius that isn't weird???
Lol, my thoughts exactly
__________________
XB Parts Wanted

Twin Horns 8-9/74 and lower horn dated 7-8/74, GT hubcaps. GT aircleaner. Please pm me if you can help
xe351 is offline   Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
Old 26-05-2009, 09:12 PM   #12
EF Futura 07
14.915 @ 151 KPH
 
EF Futura 07's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Sydney, NSW
Posts: 995
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by myts
There is a Prius that isn't weird???
lol but they are not that slow, (off topic i know) i was @ WSID a few weeks ago and there was a prius that did 17.2 :
__________________
:evil3: 96 EF2 Futura I6 Auto :evil3:

EL XR Front, 16 inch Tickford's, Superlow's Front/Rear with Monroe GT Sport's : , XR6T Snorkle/Fram Filter, 4499's/Hi Flow Cat/2.5 inch Redback, 4.11's/LSD, 5% Tint, Sony Head Unit/ 6 1/2 Inch 190w Speaker's
: 14.915 @ 151 kph 60' 2.254 :
EF Futura 07 is offline   Reply With Quote Multi-Quote with this Post
Reply


Forum Jump


All times are GMT +11. The time now is 07:46 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Other than what is legally copyrighted by the respective owners, this site is copyright www.fordforums.com.au
Positive SSL