 #parkony averted. Photo by Jonathan Yarkony. Click image to enlarge |
360 Degrees of Awareness: Imagine being able to see 360 degrees around your vehicle on a single screen when you back up. That’s what numerous automakers, including BMW, Volvo, Land Rover, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz are doing with their advanced parking camera systems. Using inputs from cameras underneath each rear-view mirror, and one on each end of the vehicle, an image processor simulates a virtual ‘birds-eye’ view of the area around your ride in real time. Drivers get added confidence in tight quarters, since they’re able to see completely around their ride on a single screen. You’d have to be trying pretty hard to hit something with this system engaged.
Land Rover has even expanded on this type of system with camera angles that display the wheels and path of travel ahead – presumably for precise and puncture-free tire placement in an off-road setting.
Smart Rearview: Using a high-resolution camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle and an LCD monitor in the rear-view mirror, Nissan’s Smart Rearview system puts a forward-thinking take on seeing behind you. The Smart Rearview system works just like a normal rear-view mirror – although it’s not obstructed by rear seats, passengers, interior panels and tall items you might be carrying in the cargo hold. Drivers get a better, wider and less obstructed view out the back of their ride, and thanks to advanced image processing software, it can see more clearly in rain, snow, in the dark, and in situations where glare might be an issue. And, if you’re superstitious or don’t like cameras, you can turn the system off and use the good old fashioned rearview mirror, if you like.
  Standard back-up camera & night-vision pedestrian tracking. Click image to enlarge |
EyeSight: Subaru is big on safety, and their latest EyeSight system takes it to new levels. Using a pair of cameras mounted side by side (just like human eyes) to see in 3D (just like human eyes) the system powers features like Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning and Pre-Collision Braking for added confidence. EyeSight can even see clumsy pedestrians texty-walking in front of your Outback and apply the brakes to avoid hitting them, in some situations. Hell, if there’s a stationary car in front of you, EyeSight can even tell the throttle to ignore your foot for a moment, so you don’t accidentally rear-end someone if you suffer a momentary case of pedal confusion. And if the car in front moves but you don’t, EyeSight will tell you that too.
Night Vision: It’s been the curse of mankind’s existence for millenniums: pesky lions, raccoons and fruit-bats can see in the dark, while we humans fumble around and whack into stuff like Jim Lahey on a Sunday afternoon bender.
Automakers have responded to our nocturnal vision handicaps and created a solution: Night Vision.
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Once reserved solely for military use in the field of battle (or Call of Duty on your XBOX) night-vision technology is available in numerous premium rides, allowing you to ‘see’ differences in temperature between various surfaces, or to see infrared light that’s blasted ahead of the ride on a special screen.
An enhanced view of the area ahead is displayed for the driver – potentially providing early warning of hazards up the road. Some systems even highlight pedestrians or animals on-screen before they’re visible to drivers in the headlights. It’s neato to watch, as the system analyzes the camera input and figures out the difference between fire hydrants, mailboxes, trees, and real-life people. On your writer’s watch, the system in one Audi model even spotted a small moose near the roadway ahead that wasn’t yet in view of the headlights.
