Self-driving Cars May Not Be a Thing of Our Dreams if Hyundai Has Their Say
When you hear the term “smart car,” you may think of the brand name. But what if there were actually a car that had the intelligence to essentially drive itself? Well, as Hyundai proved at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, that idea might not be as far off as you may think.
The fact that Hyundai is working on a series of driver-assistance technologies is likely not a surprise to many; however, the fact that they are expected to be available shortly might be.
Some of the features that Hyundai expects to have available soon include:
Heads-up display
Think Google glasses, without the glasses. This system creates dynamic animations which are displayed in the driver’s field of vision. For example, directions are displayed in the form of arrows which appear to be on the road; it also illuminates road signs, and detects and illuminates other vehicles that pull into your path.
Autonomous Emergency Stop System
This arm band allows your car to essentially monitor your vital signs. If your heart rate slows, or even comes to a stop, the system will alert the car, which will pull to the side of the road, turn on the hazard lights and dial 911. The system can also alert you with a buzz if there are dangerous driving conditions you need to be alerted to, such as an impending collision.
Narrow Passage Assistant System
This feature will help drivers to navigate through narrow passages or alleys by taking over steering for the driver.
Other Features to Look For
Additional features that are expected to soon be available include: a safety feature that will detect pedestrians and automatically apply the brakes; remote automatic parking; vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian communication; and weather-and-road-condition-dependent speed-control features.
Automakers are also likely to continue to integrate already-existing technology and personal devices into vehicle designs. For example, Hyundai is also developing a system that will allow passengers to sync their tablets to a central infotainment unit and control everything from the music playing in the car, to directions and climate-control in the vehicle.
These are just some of the exciting new features that you can expect to see in the coming years from Hyundai as well as other automakers. It looks like in the coming years the term “smart car” will be taking on a very different meaning!
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