Richard Blackburn of the Sydney Morning Herald discusses forthcoming automotive technologies that may bring us closer to "the world's first uncrashable cars". Some of the advanced technologies available now or soon should help drivers to remain stability, stay in lane, avoid low-speed rear-end collisions. Looking further ahead, your car could tell you whether it's safe to overtake or whether you're approaching a corner too fast, help you decide if you have enough time to get across an intersection before the oncoming traffic arrives. You car could even drive itself in a “platoon” formation on the freeway, and automatically avoid pedestrians.
Toyota's product planning manager, Peter Evans, is cautious about predicting dramatic reductions in the road toll in the next decade: you can build an intelligent car but developing intelligent roads and drivers is more of a challenge. "It's that old saying about the nut behind the wheel being the most unreliable part of the car," he says.
The SMH points to intelligent speed adaptation technology being considered by the New South Wales Government in Australia. The technology relies on satellite-linked devices which can read road signs and alert the driver if he or she is speeding. The technology has the potential to actively decrease the flow of fuel to the engine if a car is speeding. Unlike some of the devices being used in the NSW Government trial, a BMW system provides information only. It doesn't intervene to slow the car down. The responsibility for that remains with the driver.
Meanwhile in Japan, car companies including Toyota and Nissan are working with the Government to develop intelligent freeways. Toyota is about to debut technology that will feed real-time traffic information from roadside sensors into a car's cabin. The technology has the potential to stop minor collisions becoming deadly pile-ups.
Interested readers should view the whole article. Source: Sydney Morning Herald. 25 September 2009. tinyurl.com/yea4ma3
i read all your "driving" ergonomics article. I like how you talk about the human factors side of it, but what about comfort and back support and all that? Would love to hear from you.
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