New Technology Promises to Make Cars Safer
Examples of the new technology were on display at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018 in Las Vegas. Devices that will communicate with you, other vehicles and roadway infrastructure were part of this glimpse into the internet of things available now or in the near future.
Eye Scans to Operate Your Vehicle
Everyone worries to some extent about a stolen vehicle. While car insurance lends a buffer, it is not something anyone wants. Besides, your car insurance premium can increase just because someone stole your car. With the introduction of iris scanning technology, this may be a thing of the past. Using Gentex ActiveIRIS®, the scanner is located in the rear-view mirror. The system scans the driver’s iris, and once the scan authenticates the driver, the car starts. The device is also able to set personally chosen parameters such as GPS coordinates, music, steering wheel height, and seat adjustments. If the driver uses a connected device such as Alexa, this provides a much-needed authentication before unlocking doors, turning the oven on, geofencing, staying within the speed limit, or even letting Fido out before you arrive home. Toll payments using a dual step sign are anticipated in the future, so all transactions conducted inside the vehicle are safe.
Use of Artificial Intelligence on the Horizon
Artificial intelligence is part of some existing and yet to come new technology systems. The use of this technology is limited to sound and smartphones right now, but newer applications are not far off. For now, Hyundai is leading the way with its Intelligent Personal Agent. This technology is voice-activated and has been developed along with a leader in AI systems, Soundhound. It works in a similar fashion to Google Assistant or Siri and is able to recognize a string of separate commands. The driver simply says “Wake up, Hyundai” to activate the unit. It can then be used to adjust vehicle components such as the heat or door and window locks. The driver can check on the weather, text, or make a phone call. It is expected to be on the market in 2019.
Communication With Everything
This new technology is capable of allowing vehicles to talk to each other and the environment around a driver. It is called “cellular vehicle to everything” or C-V2X. It will permit one vehicle to talk to others and make a payment at the gas pump. It also allows vehicles to communicate with traffic signals and roadway warning systems such as when construction hazards loom ahead. Since it works without cellular signals, it can also be used to see around corners and discern the safety of the roadway in icy or other inclement conditions. Once detected, the system can warn a driver to be cautious. While vehicle-to-vehicle communications exist, this newer and enhanced version is quicker and cheaper. With this in mind, automakers see C-V2X as a motivating force for its incorporation into most vehicles in the near future.
Smart Traffic Signals
Cars will soon be able to communicate with smart traffic signals. The lights will need to be integrated into a central management grid. This is dependent on individual municipalities. Audi is working with a traffic technology company to work out the details.
Dealerships May Be a Stopgap Issue
While such technology is fascinating, the key to getting it out there after its development is at the dealership level. For now, many dealerships need to be educated on how the devices work for the public to accept them. As technology advances, both drivers and salespeople need to be taught about what it is and how it operates. In short, the future of vehicular technology depends on it.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. Even with new technologies that promote the safe operation of a motor vehicle, accidents can happen. When they do, many people are left with medical debts they are unable to pay. Turning to an experienced injury lawyer to obtain just financial compensation is essential. Reach out to me anytime by calling locally to (916) 921-6400 for free, friendly advice or (800) 404-5400 nationwide. You can use our online contact page too if it makes it easier for you.
I’ve worked with Sacramento residents to regain their footing after truck and motorcycle accidents and wrongful deaths for 35 years.
You might want to see what others say about my practice. Use Avvo, Yelp, and Google. Go to my settlements and verdicts page for information on how I resolved other cases.
I’ve been able to obtain million-dollar verdicts and settlements for clients. Because of this, I was inducted into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
I founded and own AutoAccident.com. It is available to help you learn about personal injury law.
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/car-three-dimensional-vehicle-shape-3075497/
:cd [cs 829] cv