It’s no secret that automotive technology evolves at a rapid pace. Buy a car today and it’ll come equipped with all kinds of gadgets and electronics. Today’s cars are a far cry from the “archaic” ones sold just twenty years ago!
Have you ever noticed how the cars we buy today seem to get smarter at what they do? You might know there’s talk of introducing driverless cars at some point in the future. Imagine a car that drives itself to your destination?
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You could sit back and relax, read a book or even have a nap during your commute to work. Of course, until that happens we still have to drive our cars ourselves. Or do we?
Over the past few years, a lot of innovative tech started getting introduced to today’s cars. Does that mean the cars we buy are now smarter than we are? Well, yes and no… You still have to “tell” your car to do something, just like everyone has done since the early 20th century.
But, it seems that cars are getting smarter at the things we want them to do. Let me give you a few examples to explain:
Park Assist
One clever type of technology many cars feature today is “Park Assist.” In a nutshell, it’s a driver aid that gets used for parallel parking.
Let’s face it; I hate parallel parking, and so do you. It can be challenging at the best of times. And it can get stressful when there’s a queue of cars waiting behind you!
Last month I was shopping for a car, and I had a browse of the motorlinedirect.co.uk website. I came across a Volkswagen that featured Park Assist. I was fortunate enough to give it a go during the test drive. It’s a system that lets does a few things:
- It detects a suitable space for your car as you slowly drive past;
- It controls the steering while you handle the pedal controls;
- It tells you what to do, and when you’ve parked.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Park Assist uses a radar system to “scan” for obstacles and detect their proximity. In essence, it’s like driving a submarine with sonar built into it. Except you’re driving a car on land, of course!
Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection
Another new technology, Night Vision is a sure-fire way to prove that our cars are smarter than we are on the road.
It’s available on some vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The system detects if there are pedestrians near your car and “highlights” them on your dash. Let’s face it; there are times where we can’t see people in thick fog or heavy rain. Night Vision is, without a doubt, a useful technology.
Parental Control
Does your offspring like to borrow your pride and joy? If so, you’ll no doubt worry about whether you’ll see your car – or your children – in one piece again.
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There’s no denying that youngsters often like to test the limits of their driving skill. Some Fords, for example, offer a Parental Control system. It can do things like limit the top speed of the car. And it can alert you if they take your car out of a particular area. Check out techradar.com for an overview of how it works.
