The Cars of Tomorrow

Ingenious computer technology is making the cars we drive more and more intelligent.

HEADS-UP DISPLAY

All data is within the field of vision

You’ll never lose track of the road again. With a new-generation of heads-up display, don’t need to glance at the dashboard at all. Colored lasers project information gathered from diagnostic sensors, including the current speed and cruising speed limit, directly onto the windshield. This technology is already being used in some of today’s passenger vehicles.

Info: www.audi.com

LANE ASSIST

No more straying from the road

Cars swerve into in the roadside ditches over and over again, particularly during cross-country trips. Honda’s active tracking system identifies lane markings on the road using a camera placed on top of the rearview mirror, and points out to the driver that the car’s direction must be altered. In case he does not do it, the system intervenes and corrects him automatically. The system has already been introduced successfully in Japan and Great Britain.

Info: www.honda.com

PARKING ASSISTANCE

Maneuvering without the driver

Dents on the bumper and scratches on the doors could soon be things of the past with Volkswagen’s parking assistance technology. Using cameras and ultrasound sensors, the new system not only identifies suitable parking spaces while driving, but also maneuvers the vehicle into them automatically. Regardless of whether the car needs to move parallel or backwards, the newest version of the parking assistant can handle it. All this is possible with a powerful 2 GHz processor that analyses the sensor data and makes the necessary moves. The parking assistant can be operated comfortably with a single button or through a special remote control which can be operated from the outside the vehicle.

Info: www.volkswagen.com

CROSS-COUNTRY VEHICLES

Help for off-road drivers

If you often travel across the country, then you’ll definitely appreciate some of the new features of the Renault Koleos. The vehicle reinforces the steering column while driving on slopes or making risky downhill runs with the help of HSA (Hill Start Assist) and DHC (Downhill Control). It also displays helpful information on the dashboard screen, including the vehicle’s current angle, altitude, and tire pressure.

Info: www.renault.com

NIGHT VISION

Seeing in the dark

The human eye can work at only about 10 percent of its normal capacity at nighttime, so the thermographic camera integrated into the new BMW 7 series really comes in handy in absolute darkness. The assistance system identifies animals and passers-by, analyses their proximity and trajectory, and highlights any possible danger on the central monitoring screen. While analyzing the sensor data, smart algorithms keep the number of warnings to a reasonable limit.

Info: www.bmw.com

CAR-TO-CAR COMMUNICATION

Cars exchanging data

Traffic lights turn red, vehicles stops by themselves and switch off their engines. Instantly, a computer starts downloading the latest traffic data and other current news. The signal turns green and a short radio signal from the traffic light brings the engine to life once again. The vehicle takes a turn and lines up in the correct lane—without the driver touching the steering wheel at all.

Such scenarios could become a reality in the near future. Since 2002, the automobile industry has been working on cars that can communicate with each other and with their surroundings. On one hand, vehicles will be able to relay information regarding traffic jams and accidents and can consequently regulate themselves and keep traffic manageable. On the other hand, an “automobile-WLAN” mesh network could also open up new possibilities in the area of entertainment media.