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PROTECTION TAKES
A FRESH TURN
Car innovations keep rolling in
COMPILED BY Dyan Seneviratne
High end models will no longer be the only vehicles fitted with the freshest carmaker innovations. Today, budget friendly models are also being released with top spec adaptations and the latest safety features.
So let’s take a peek at emerging inventions, as well as those that are still in the research phase, which could lead the way in the next generation of vehicular mobility.
BODY CONTROL
Magic Body Control is specially system designed by Mercedes-Benz to preempt, react to and observe road surfaces, in order to avoid obstacles such as potholes and sudden dips that can cause serious damage to the vehicle.
At the blink of an eye, the system reacts by generating a certain suspension motion that compensates for the poor surface, which makes for a smooth drive without the vehicle suffering the impact of being driven on bumpy roads.
KEY ACCESS Conventional key entry could soon be history as wristband access reaches us. To activate and unlock the vehicle, simply tap the band against a specific spot on the door panel. With a single touch, your car will open!
In addition, these bands have been manufactured with waterproof material so that drivers who regularly engage in sports or water based activities no longer have to fret about bringing their car keys along.
AR INFORMS While augmented reality (AR) test drives are becoming the new modus operandi when buying a car, AR has been utilised in vehicles to streamline segments of information such as the speed one should drive at along with step-by-step directions in the driver’s line of view.
Overall, AR merges safety and convenience, and allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road… rather than spellbinding and distracting dashboards, infotainment displays or navigational devices. For example, first-generation AR in vehicles that often feature as heads-up displays (HUDs) improve safety as road warnings and congestion updates are set out at eye level on the windscreen.
SAFETY FIRST
These days, car safety technology can automatically slow a vehicle to match the pace of traffic. Leading the way in safety innovation is Mercedes-Benz with its PRE-SAFE Sound feature. This system has been produced to emit a sound at a particular frequency inside the car in the event that a collision is imminent. The company says that the sound has been created to activate a natural reflex in the ear canal – mostly to block out loud impact and air bag launch sounds in an accident.
Mercedes-Benz and Lexus have introduced automated emergency stop assistance, which can sense if the driver has become unresponsive behind the wheel. In those instances, the system can slow the vehicle to a stop in its lane before activating the hazard lights and informing emergency services.
These models have automatic steering avoidance too, which is activated in the event of an unexpected intrusion on the road – for example, a trishaw rushing out from a side lane. This feature allows vehicles to swerve automatically and dodge such obstacles or careless pedestrians.
