With the new year just around the corner, let's take a look at 2015's top 5 automotive technologies.
1. Invisible Car Technology:
Invisible car technology isn't just reserved for fancy cars driven by super spies. It has some truly fantastic uses in the field of safety as well. British manufacturer Land Rover has recently revealed its Transparent Bonnet virtual imaging concept which renders the bonnet of the car invisible. This provides full visibility of what lies underneath and directly in front of the car. Cameras located in the front grille send a live feed to a Heads-Up Display which in effect, allows the driver to see through the car's hood. This concept technology will find its way onto the Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept which is expected to be showcased at the New York International Motor Show.
In a similar use of vehicle invisibility, electronics giant Samsung, has also revealed its own 'Safety Truck' concept which features LCD screens mounted to the back of the truck. These screens are fed by cameras mounted on the front, thereby allowing any vehicle following the truck to see what lies ahead of it in order to make a safe decision while overtaking.
Also Read: Land Rover Debuts Invisible Car Technology
2. Autonomous Technologies:
Another autonomous system that has found its way into the next-generation of high-end cars is a laser guided variant of cruise control which controls the car's acceleration, braking and steering in traffic jams or on highways at low speeds. An example of this technology is Audi's Traffic Jam Pilot system.
Also Read: Jaguar Land Rover is Working on Pothole Detection Technology
3. Blind Spot Detection:
One of the biggest concerns for drivers is when they aren't able to see moving traffic or obstacles that are hidden behind the car's blind spots. Sensors or cameras mounted on the car's outer extremities, at spots where the driver can't see (beyond the A-pillar, etc.), are able to audibly or visually inform the driver if another vehicle is in close proximity.
Approaching an intersection is another situation that requires technological help as drivers are unable to see approaching traffic from the sides. Ford has found a solution for this issue by implementing Front Split-view Cameras on its cars. Cameras located on the grille allow the driver to see around corners without having to slowly move forwards while craning your neck to check for traffic. The live feed is sent to a split-screen setup inside the cabin which gives the driver a 180 degree view of traffic approaching from either side of an intersection.
4. Drowsiness Detection:
With the world's population on the rise, the number of cars plying on city roads is constantly increasing which has led to traffic jams becoming a regular occurrence. In these stressful situations, it's difficult to maintain concentration. Additionally, long monotonous drives can be equally stressful and tiring. In both situations, the lack of concentration can sometimes lead to the driver feeling sleepy which can be extremely dangerous.
To mitigate this issue, companies have been working on technologies that are able to sense when a driver is fatigued. The sensors then use subtle, non-startling methods of notification to warn the driver. Jaguar Land Rover is one such company to be experimenting with this technology. Sensors in the car's steering wheel and seat are able to monitor the driver's heart rate and breathing to detect any signs of stress, fatigue or drowsiness. This information is then transmitted to the driver through Haptic peddles that gently vibrate if the system detects that the driver is falling asleep or has a lapse in concentration.
5. Cabin Air Purifiers:
Developing nations like India and China are being forced to bear the repercussions of their booming industry, the biggest of which is the alarming rise in pollution that super-cities like New Delhi and Beijing are currently being subjected to. People stuck in traffic jams are forced to breathe in the poisonous fumes emitted by swarms of cars, trucks and buses that surround them.
Taking note of this urgent issue, companies like Volvo are researching methods to purify the air within their car's cabin. The Clean Zone initiative adopted by the Swedish carmaker has introduced a larger and more efficient multi-filter in the cabin. The filter is able to catch fine particles of dust and pollutants before allowing the air into the cabin, thereby giving passengers some much needed respite from the hazardous levels of air pollution that surrounds them. Volvo's Clean Zone system is currently available on the new Volvo XC90.
Also Read: New Volvo XC90 Review
