The automotive industry has never been one to remain stagnant, with new technology re-shaping how cars are manufactured, operated, and maintained ever since Henry Ford (News - Alert) introduced his company, Ford, at the start of the 20th century.
Technology's impact has already pushed the industry to re-consider how cars utilize fuel, as electric, hybrid, and solar energy systems are beginning to replace the internal combustion engine and gas-supplied engines as the future's norm.
Change is in the air, showing no signs of being impeded in its progress.
Robinderpal Rathor, manager and operator of a Take 5 Oil Change franchise in Mission, British Columbia, discusses a few of technology's additional effects on the automotive industry.
Autonomous Technology Growth
Autonomy (News - Alert) is perhaps the largest alteration within the automotive industry created by technology, and manufacturers are currently pre-occupied with the process of developing self-driving cars on a wider scale.
Systems such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) are now featured in the majority of modern cars, providing systems that utilize radar, cameras, and lidar technology to assess the approaching road and detect possible collision courses.
Typically, these systems serve to inform the drivers of a necessary action in order to avoid an oncoming accident. In the event that no response is performed by the driver, the AEB system will apply the brakes in a timely fashion.
Google (News - Alert) Car, another autonomous system presently featured in newer automobiles, possesses road-user interpretive software, programmed to decipher the common road tendencies of other drivers. This is achieved by shape and motion descriptors, which are responsible for the car's central processing unit's ability to make rational decisions in response to the movements of drivers nearby on the road.
Also, the system is capable of verifying if the road users are operating automobiles, bicycles, or motorcycles, relying on laser sensors to identify their speeds and movement patterns.
Self-Driving Systems on the Horizon
One example of a built-in, stop-and-go function is found in Audi's adaptive cruise control system, a tool that requires the collaboration of 30 control units to evaluate the surrounding environment of a vehicle. Robinderpal Rathor notes that the Audi's cruise control regulates the speed by considering the distance between the driver's car and vehicle up ahead from 0 to 155 miles per hour.
Two radar sensors are installed at the front of the vehicle, enabling the system to assess the distance. Users may adjust the system's rate of acceleration; however, it is still rather limited in how smoothly it can slow down.
Our market is becoming increasingly flooded with these groundbreaking vehicles: BMW's 7 Series comes with the perk of parking itself without the owner's assistance, while, in 2015, Google began testing self-driven cars with remote sensing technology by mounting a laser on the roof for the purpose of generating a 3D map of the encompassing area to navigate automatically.
Cruise control systems and self-parking systems, constantly expanding in their efficiency, are indicators that fully autonomous vehicles are the logical next step that the industry will strive for.
User Interactivity
Dashboard computers have enhanced user interactivity in automobiles, as all modern-day cars now come equipped with an onboard computer that controls numerous functions. GPS, cruise control, vehicle temperature, and exhaust emissions are just a few of the alterations handled by the computer, commanded by your finger.
Smart dashboards have been implemented into automobiles with tablets that give users the freedom to read their phone messages and play music through the stereo.
Worldwide, user interactivity is no longer a bonus, luxurious add-on, but rather an imperative feature in a vehicle's design and usage.
Smart Car Technologies
Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto have evolved their technology to empower drivers, as they can now utilize a phone's features without fidgeting to grasp it. People will be less inclined to stare down at their phone, neglecting the road, because of the bigger user interface available in the car.
To ensure that drivers stay focused while traveling, manufacturers are incorporating features like gesture control, which controls the radio via hand movements. The BMW 7 Series includes a small sensor in the control panel of the roof to monitor the area in front of the screen, interpreting your motions. Drivers can also consider inputting their own custom configurations if they would prefer to.
Final Thoughts from Robinderpal Rathor
As autonomous systems become more predominant in the automotive industry, Robinderpal Rathor believes that consumers will naturally demand greater user interactivity options during their driving.
While these outstanding features and the idle time that they afford will definitely be viewed with glowing optimism, personal assurances of our safety remain an inconclusive finding.
