1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Where is the control for the LASER on the front of our Prius?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Jim in NC, Apr 28, 2016.

  1. Jim in NC

    Jim in NC Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2015
    217
    266
    28
    Location:
    Myrtle Beach, SC
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I would really love to zap some annoying drivers on my morning commute! :LOL:

    On Tuesday afternoon when I was picking up my new Prius 4 this came up. You all know the drill.

    The last stage of the car buying experience where the salesman sits in the car with you, the engine running no less. (All the time, I'm thinking about how much gas this is wasting and it's lowering my average fuel economy!:p). Many times we, who have done some reading and research, know more about the car than the salesman!

    He did the usual. He showed me how to pair my iPhone and then input my home address in the nav for that setting.
    The very next thing he said was, "This Prius has a laser on the front of it. ....." My mind wandered away from what he was saying and I thought, "Oh my God! Do this thing have some feature I haven't heard about? I sure hope so!"

    Wouldn't it be neat if there was some sort of tech feature that give people a gentle 'nudge' or tap on the shoulder? Or maybe to make their stereo system shut down because it was vibrating your car from half a block away?

    Anyway, I think he really meant to refer to the sonar sensors for parking or some such.

    I got a chuckle out of it. Thought you might too. :ROFLMAO:
     
  2. ETP

    ETP 2021 Prime(Limit),Highlander HYB Plat,B52-D,G,F,H

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2009
    2,799
    1,170
    0
    Location:
    Auburdale FL
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    Use mine all the time. Also do a clear path for one mile in both directions.
     
    pilotgrrl and dstahre like this.
  3. Kenny94945

    Kenny94945 Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2016
    758
    387
    0
    Location:
    Sausalito
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Four
    Typically the laser is between the male passenger's legs.
    Kind of like a pointer.
    Plus usually has a heat seeking function.
    haha
    Yes, with some make/ models of cars buyers know more than sellers.
     
    pilotgrrl, ETP and Frederickdawg like this.
  4. Frederickdawg

    Frederickdawg Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2016
    596
    335
    0
    Location:
    Florida Unfortunately
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    The good old days for me, when ones laser had decent penetrative power.

    LG-H901 ?
     
    ETP likes this.
  5. Grus

    Grus Member

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2015
    79
    80
    14
    Location:
    China
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    It is a radar, you can find the operational instructions in your Owners Manual Sec. 4-5.
    Have you ever heard about the MiG-25's radar, which was powerful enough to burn through the electronic countermeasures of enemy aircraft?
    They have many similarities.
    You can zap some annoying drivers' electronic devices with distance options from approximately 100 ft. to 160 ft..
    Please use it only when necessary.:ROFLMAO:
     
    #5 Grus, May 5, 2016
    Last edited: May 5, 2016
    pilotgrrl, bwilson4web and ETP like this.
  6. ETP

    ETP 2021 Prime(Limit),Highlander HYB Plat,B52-D,G,F,H

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2009
    2,799
    1,170
    0
    Location:
    Auburdale FL
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    Think many of us may have had sterility issues because of the radar location. Oh well two were enough
     
    Frederickdawg likes this.
  7. JohnF

    JohnF Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2009
    497
    428
    0
    Location:
    Essex, CT
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I read somewhere a few years ago that the police were going to be getting some device that could shut down your car's computer from a distance, forcing the car to a stop. Haven't heard anything more about it lately.
     
    ETP likes this.
  8. DonDNH

    DonDNH Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2004
    1,711
    654
    0
    Location:
    Nashua, NH
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    This capability exists to some extent today. I saw a TV news article last week where the technology was used to drop a drone out of the sky.
     
    ETP likes this.
  9. dstahre

    dstahre Member

    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2016
    74
    35
    0
    Location:
    Cahokia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    sharks with lasers on their heads - Bing video
     
    ETP likes this.
  10. ETP

    ETP 2021 Prime(Limit),Highlander HYB Plat,B52-D,G,F,H

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2009
    2,799
    1,170
    0
    Location:
    Auburdale FL
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    Bet it is getting pretty up there!!!!!!!!!:):):):):):cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:
     
  11. DavidA

    DavidA Prius owner since July 2009

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2009
    2,325
    1,811
    18
    Location:
    Chicago western burbs
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    You can actually buy a Shark With Frickin' Laser on its Head. If you attach it to the front and make it into a Prius hood ornament, then the salesman can be vindicated.



    And zap annoying drivers on the morning commute? Count me in if that's possible.
     
    pilotgrrl, dstahre and ETP like this.
  12. ETP

    ETP 2021 Prime(Limit),Highlander HYB Plat,B52-D,G,F,H

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2009
    2,799
    1,170
    0
    Location:
    Auburdale FL
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    Vaporized 10000 vehicles yesterday. Jeep on steroids got double zapped.
     
    pilotgrrl and bisco like this.
  13. pakitt

    pakitt Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    2,173
    1,311
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    What the sales guy should give is a user's manual, in color without all the safety and legal crap, getting to the point on how to use the most used features and with reference to the page in the bigger manual for the rest.
    And the let the buyer just drive away. The fact he is taking the time to explain some things is "nice" but if it has to be explained, not good - it means it is complicated.... :D
    Not considering that often they don't know what they are talking about because they are the first ones not to read the user's manual and whatever documentation they get delivered from Toyota.

    And what it would be nice is some feature that detects drivers looking at Facebook on their phone or talking with their phone at the ear, because they are too cheap or too stupid to set up BT in their BMW3 that costs 40.000k€ worth of ceramic brakes and 21" wheels, and generates a wall in front of them to crash and destroy the damn thing.
    So next time they will *look* in front of them while driving, because they forget that they are *driving* a potential death machine, instead of the screen for the latest FB or instragram update....
     
    pilotgrrl and ETP like this.
  14. ETP

    ETP 2021 Prime(Limit),Highlander HYB Plat,B52-D,G,F,H

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2009
    2,799
    1,170
    0
    Location:
    Auburdale FL
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    This is a very complicated car that I have still not figured out. My wife can walk behind the car without it moving and I get a warning. But no warning in a parking lot backing out for a pedestrian.??????????????????????????????????????????????????????
     
  15. pakitt

    pakitt Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    2,173
    1,311
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    The backup sensors are based, unfortunately like all cars, on ultrasounds. They are not very reliable if you or the object is moving too fast relatively to each other and they don't reflect well. I.e. if you are moving and the object, pedestrian is moving, you might not get an immediate, if at all, notification. Even worse if it is not metal, or concrete that can reflect better sonic waves.
    I have had cases parking in my garage with wooden doors and thin bicycles parked at the rack in the back, that if I move "too fast" it will start beeping later than I would expect. If I crawl, they beep correctly. Otherwise said, the ultrasonic sensors work well with fixed metallic objects or concrete if you are moving or the other way round if you stand still. A pedestrian moving, relative to the car which is moving too, not the best....
    The rear traffic sonars on the side of the rear bumper I don't know if they are small radars or also ultrasonic. Considering their range, I suspect they are some kind of cheaper less powerful radars, that work well with metal objects, i.e. cars and not with pedestrians.
    This is also why pedestrian detection at the front, relies on the camera, by silhouette recognition (image recognition), not with the radar...
     
    ETP likes this.
  16. ETP

    ETP 2021 Prime(Limit),Highlander HYB Plat,B52-D,G,F,H

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2009
    2,799
    1,170
    0
    Location:
    Auburdale FL
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    Size does mater.:ROFLMAO::LOL:

    The parking lot victim was skinny and fast.
     
  17. Grus

    Grus Member

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2015
    79
    80
    14
    Location:
    China
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    There are two types of sensors could be found in the rear part of a Prius 2016 FOUR Touring:
    millimeter wave radar sensors for Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) system and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA) system (standard)
    and
    sonar sensors for Intelligent Parking Assist (IPA) system (optional)
     
    #17 Grus, May 30, 2016
    Last edited: May 31, 2016
    ETP likes this.
  18. ETP

    ETP 2021 Prime(Limit),Highlander HYB Plat,B52-D,G,F,H

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2009
    2,799
    1,170
    0
    Location:
    Auburdale FL
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    We need to change the voice on the Prius to the depressed robot.

    Do you really want to park there? That is a lot of work. do it yourself.
     
    wrprice and pakitt like this.
  19. pakitt

    pakitt Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    2,173
    1,311
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    If they are radars, as I expected - thanks for confirming that, they will not work well with non metallic objects (i.e. humands and their clothing)...
     
  20. DonDNH

    DonDNH Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2004
    1,711
    654
    0
    Location:
    Nashua, NH
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    Does your wife have a key fob in her pocket book? The warning you're getting could be from the hatch SKS sensor.
     
    ETP likes this.