Digital dashboard
Technology is also changing the look and feel of car controls. Over the next year, dashboards will come to resemble computer screens. Conventional gauges will be tossed aside in favor of cheaper flat-panel screens where manufacturers--or even drivers--can arrange the controls to their desire. Diversified Software Industries has released a program that lets car manufacturers design dash gauges--speedometer, oil pressure, climate control--on the fly and without programming skills.
In addition, Robert Bosch and Johnson Controls have introduced prototype panels that let drivers rearrange gauges as they see fit. The speedometer, tachometer, and other readouts appear on a large panel. Products from both companies are available now.
If dash-mounted screens start serving up everything from traffic reports and street directions to email and video games, will drivers pay enough attention to the road? Evidence based on existing technologies indicates they won't. A study by the University of Iowa showed that drivers who yak on cell phones are four times as likely to be involved in crashes as those who don't.
The auto industry's answer: voice activation. General Motors' OnStar technology is a prime example. Visteon recently showcased voice controls for everything from switching on the air conditioner to opening the doors on a Buick concept car. ATX Technologies, which runs call centers for Lincoln and Mercedes-Benz, has developed a voice recognition system using IBM technology. At the press of a button, a driver can ask for directions out loud.
For simple procedures--changing a radio station, dialing a mobile phone--voice activation works well. But for navigating the Internet and other complex procedures, background noise from the engine and highway tends to garble instructions. And machines go crazy when trying to decipher accents and other speech variations. As voice recognition continues to make inroads in the cars you drive, look for safety issues to become a concern for all of us.
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!