New Car-to-X Communication Ready to Change the World
30/06/2013
You’ve seen them in movies and read about them in books, but only in the ones that are works of fiction. Now cars that talk to each other and see each other are making their ways onto the roadway. Car-to-X technology is now reality and it is ready to make its way onto the road. The technology allows vehicles to talk to each other on the road, to look through bands of trees, and through large trucks, like lorries. The purpose of this technology is to warn drivers in advance of serious hazards on the road, allowing them to take an alternate route, change lanes, or prepare to act safely long before they ever reach the hazard.
Made by the organisation, Safe Intelligent Mobility Testfield (Sim TD), the Frankfurt-based technology will be tested by German vehicle manufacturers and other with factories in the country. Some of the involved automakers include Audi, Ford, Opel, Volkswagen, Daimler, and BMW. Recently a test to determine whether the technology could operate appropriately in the real world was conducted on the streets of Germany. More than 500 drivers participated in the test. According to the results, the test drivers travelled a collective 1.7 million kilometres. Although motorcycles were not a part of the test, according to Sim TD, the car-to-x system can be integrated into the computer system for a motorcycle. According to recent announcements from Sim TD, the first car-to-x integrated cars will be talking to drivers around the world in 2015.
A first look at the car-to-x cars reveals nothing spectacular. In fact, reports and photos indicate that you cannot even tell that you are looking at a vehicle with the talking car technology. But when you get inside, it’s a whole new story. The monitor for the car-to-x technology is the most visible difference in the car and it is mounted quite visibly on the dash. Sounds and images on the monitor are meant to alert drivers to hazards on the road. But if a more pressing matter comes up, like a serious accident that has just occurred a several hundred feet ahead, the car-to-x technology’s alarm sounds and the screen on the monitor flashes bright red.
Some car makers are taking the technology a step further. Audi is one of those car makers. Currently the company is testing the use of a vibrating steering wheel and even a pedal that will not allow the motorist to accelerate if a hazard is present. The alerts are meant to get the attention of the driver and in most cases, according to reports, will not be noticed by the passengers riding in the vehicle.
Other benefits of these intelligent cars include the ability to tell how long you’ll be at a red light, how fast you’d have to drive to make the green light at the next intersection, and where you can find a free parking space nearby or at your destination. Other intelligent traffic items, like traffic lights, are being discussed.
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