Reality check
So maybe self-driving cars aren't on the docket, but GPS and wireless Web technologies have already debutedâ€"with their best performances yet to come.
Without question, navigation systems are the hottest ticket going among digital car gadgets. And costs are beginning to dip.
MagnaWorks' Navex system, unveiled in October, adds less than US$500 to the price of a vehicle. The system's map database and computing power are situated not in the car but at a call center. Route information is updated continually. If the driver makes a wrong turn, the system provides new directions.
Vehicle makers can't wait for Global Positioning System navigation to work with wireless access to the Net. BMW is at work on its Bluetooth-based iMobile system, a wireless interface that could be used in conjunction with a car's GPS unit and a wireless phone or laptop. A Web-enabled device could snatch travel route data from the GPS, mill it through a Web site, and then point the driver to the closest burrito palace. Using Bluetooth, a BMW could also transmit self-diagnosed mechanical problems directly to a dealer. But BMW officials predict the technology won't show up in cars for at least two years.
Visteon, a supplier to the big automakers, signed an agreement with Lucent this past fall to expand the use of Bluetooth in cars. The agreement gives the company a key role in establishing how the next version of the protocol will be used.
Virtually all carmakers have wireless Internet options in the works. Some will come to market this year, but most carmakers are waiting for the tangible signs of customer demand before they offer this type of technology. Two problems plague the technology: storage and wireless reception. Conventional hard drives don't like the pounding and high temperatures typical with cars. Solid-state storage systems initially will be the preferred medium, despite their much higher per-megabyte costs.
Wireless access to the Net isn't a problem on its own. But for it to become a useful part of your ride, broadband is a must. It requires a special antenna, and the orbiting satellites it relies on need an unobstructed shot at your vehicle. That means no e-mail in the Holland Tunnel and no Web browsing on the Golden Gate Bridge.
Usability is also a problem. For safety reasons, manufacturers won't put keyboards within typing distance of a driver. For now, voice activationâ€"especially through an intermediary call centreâ€"seems to be the preferred on-ramp to the Net.
Despite logistical hurdles, carmakers are still moving forward on the wireless Internet front. General Motors' OnStar system uses GPS, a radio link, and voice-to-text technology for the Web. When an air bag deploys, an operator can phone the car, check on the occupants, and call the appropriate emergency centers. The system also monitors the vehicle's mechanical status and can notify the driver if something is wrong. Drivers can get voice directions for a specific destination and dial cell phones using voice commands. The system is available on more than half of GM's 2001 models.
In July Ford started its own wireless Web venture, Wingcast, in collaboration with Qualcomm. Ford expects to equip more than 1 million cars and trucks with the system by 2002â€"and all of its vehicles by 2004.
Third parties are bringing limited Net access to cars as well. AAA plans to market a handheld device over the next few months.
With the various wireless devices slated for use in the car, it's clear that carmakers need an industry standard so that any phone and handheld device can work with any automobile. The Automotive Multimedia Interface Collaboration, a consortium of manufacturers that now includes the big three auto makers as well as Honda, Toyota, and Nissan, is working toward that goal. Look for an industry-standard connection in cars within the next 18 months.
The BIG QUESTION about computers-in-cars is reliability in adverse conditions!
We had a bad flood recently in our part of Brisbane, and quess why late model
cars were most at risk? How water-proof is the engine-management-computer
installed in today's cars? Why isn't it always installed high-up under the dash
and throughly water-proofed?
With MORE computers coming to future cars - won't this problem get worse?
Seeing how world weather patterns are changing, and flooding is on the increase,
in my opinion amphibious cars are a major need!