The heat has arrived without warning and has knocked out half the city. Going outside is like traversing a poorly optimized game map: pedestrians stopping dead in their tracks, drivers running red lights, and blank stares. They look like zombies, but without the charm of The Walking Dead. The thermometer has gone from 0 to 100 in two days, and human performance has dropped below the minimum required to execute a basic task: crossing a crosswalk.
AI development to detect pedestrians in power-saving mode 🧠
Current driver assistance systems, such as those based on computer vision with convolutional neural networks, are trained on predictable human movement patterns. But a pedestrian suffering from heatstroke does not respond to those patterns. Their reaction time slows down, their trajectory becomes erratic. To adapt, datasets labeled with thermal fatigue states and models that prioritize detecting slow movements and anomalous blinking are needed. Something like a zombie mode in the LiDAR sensor. It's not science fiction; it's a necessary firmware update.
Low-cost solution: a USB fan and a airplane mode sign 🌀
While engineers rack their brains over AI, the most effective solution is a USB fan strapped to a backpack and a sign hanging around your neck that says airplane mode. Because if you can't beat the heat, at least let the cars know you're running at 1 FPS. And watch out, some drivers already have the AC blasting and such a glazed look that they seem to be speedrunning GTA during rush hour. The asphalt is steaming, and we, the NPCs of this real world, only ask for one thing: don't run us over while we're melting.