Thursday, January 10, 2008

Technology Controls Our Lives

The prospect of autopilot in automobiles has been with us for some time, reaching back as far as Jules Verne. But it's quickly gaining currency. This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, for instance, Infiniti introduced lane-departure warning technology to the U.S. market. The Infiniti EX35 system uses optical sensors to pick up road markings and alert the driver if he or she has crossed a line without signaling.
Using a constellation of cameras around the car, the around-view monitor (AVM) creates a composite image, a virtual bird's-eye view that shows the car from overhead. With the AVM engaged, you could parallel park into a teacup if you wanted to.
With the new EX35, Infiniti offers an additional overlay: lane-departure prevention. If the driver opts into the system -- by way of a button on the steering wheel -- the car will automatically nudge itself back into the lane by gently pulsing the brakes, should the sensors and algorithms dictate. -- Dan Neil
(NISSAN)

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