I just thought of something completely random on my way to work this morning. I was watching other cars on the road and noticed that they don't have eyes (don't ask... this is just the way my mind works sometimes), which isn't a problem, as real cars are controlled by humans who do have eyes. But how do transformers see to know where they are going when they're in vehicle mode? Do they have extra optical sensors in their headlights? Or do they have some kind of psychic alien/robot powers? Or are they just cartoon/movie characters and I'm not supposed to think about it?

I have a 40 minute drive. My mind tends to wander.

 

Well, obviously they can somehow since they do have to drive/fly/whatever to places when they need to be "disguised" (exceptions include Armada Sideswipe since he both has his head looking out his alt mode windshield and both versions of Movie Megs since his head is clearly visible in both variants of his crap-modes)

 

Considerin' the amounts of stuff they need to stuff into between slottin' and stuffin' mechanics (especially when they disguise inner components like engines) and yet havin' enough tech to act as their own vital hardware between all that... I can't say it better and thus is confusing, but the point is that they gotta have all of that stuff in really compact space or employ some degree of nano technology or...

Anyways!

So, I believe fittin' in good enough yet economic sized optics somewhere on the alt mode shouldn't be a problem.

Or then they are all like that blind guy in GTA San Andreas when on wheels.

Yeah, that's pushing it, but its a theory. ^^;

 

There's really no reason they couldn't have microscopic optic sensors covering every exterior inch, allowing their entire skin to be the equivalent of a fly's eye.

 

Or they could just have optic equivalents inside their headlights, or mounted on the dashboard/cockpit of their altmode. Also, they could have other forms of perception beyond our idea of an "eye", such as radar, sonar, IR tracking, etc. They might not even see in the same spectrum that we do in bot-mode (which would make sense, given they come from a completely different environment).

 

Thread over.

 

This.

 

Well, in Aniamted they're vision si made up of a complex network of visuual sensors. And magic.


In the movie, until they have a diguise they actually DO have eyes in vehicle mode. Hell, Megs is always peeking around.

lol Megs is a violent flyer.

 

As has been said, being mechanical beings, they must be able to percieve in numerous other media than simple sight. I'd expect sensor arrays to be positioned all across their bodies forming a network relaying the data back to the CPU. The eyes are shown to have multiple functions in TF1. Optimus generates holographic Cybertron through them and projects light via them to display the Allspark's location when focussed through the glasses.

 

Well... yeah. They'd just be crashing into stuff all the time if they couldn't.

 

IMO, it is no different than basically the Heads Up Display on a plane (and some cars have had it, too.)
sensors scan and project the information in their head or CPU and they move along.
the sensors create what they need, so unlike us, they don't have to imagine as we receive information.

seems simple enough to mw because we have animals that pretty much do that in the wild.

 

In RID the Autobots could look at the road and the driver from those little TV screens.   And yes, if they couldn't see they would be crashing into everything.

 

They can't see. They use the power of PRIMUS to lead them where they need to go.

 

I would imagine so. It has to be some sort of advanced sensory array.
It has to be something practical though, not ESP or anything abstract.
I never even thought about this, but then again, neither did the creators.  

I did hear a rumour some time ago that the original Japanese idea for the toy was for each Transformer to have a human companion that would drive them or fly them, much like Voltron, when they are in vehicle mode. That would have made things too cluttered and confusing though if they took that path.  

 

Breakaway can.

 

All Transformers have invisible seeing-eye robodogs to lead them around when they're in vehicle mode. These dogs run really fast.

For the flying altmodes they use invisible seeing-eye robo-homing pigeons.

 

Wat abot SUBMAHRINES!?!

 

I'm sure they have a sensor net all over. At least a set of sensors placed at the important edges of their alt mode. Maybe one main set of 'eyes'.

Before I saw this post I was already imagining a terrified seeing-eye dog strapped to Starscream's jet nosecone.  

Starscream: "Stop fouling my paintwork and tell me if there are any mountains coming up."