 Run-of-the-mill side mirror. Click image to enlarge |
Article and Photos by Justin Pritchard
Not too, too long ago, after what seemed like 87 weeks of waiting, my new cell-phone arrived in the mail. It was to be my first cell-phone with a built-in camera.
“YAY!!!!” I thought. “Now I can take pictures of cars and friends and activities and all of the cool stuff I see and do and need to photograph on a daily basis! What a fantastic time to be alive!”
What a massive disappointment. It had a camera, all right. It took photos, too. Thing is, hook the images up to a PC and blow them up any larger than a postage stamp, and you were on a one-way trip to fuzzy-pixel land.
I think I took about three photos with this stupid thing and got over it.
Today, I have a different cell phone, with two cameras on it. One on the front for taking selfies and snap-chats, and a bigger one on the back with enough megapixels to make me wonder if I really need to lug my big SLR around. It’s that good. And all of that in a device that’ll fit in my pocket. And make phone calls. And play tuneage. And surf the web for videos of cars doing epic burnouts that other people have shot with their cell phones, too.
The point? Cameras have gotten a lot better, a lot more common and a lot cheaper in just a few years. Automakers have picked this up, of course – and they’re using these new, cheap, and powerful cameras in more innovative ways than ever. Here’s a closer look at some ways how.
A Do-It-All Back-up Camera: Did you know that on some Nissan models, the back-up camera system has numerous added responsibilities? In addition to displaying a real-time image of the area behind the vehicle reversing, the wide-angle camera watches the area at the rear of your vehicle for signs of trouble, even while you’re driving.
“Guys, check this out,” said someone at Nissan when they were inventing this system. “Forget using radar like a sucker – let’s use the freaking back-up cam! Boom!”
 Camera-driven driver aids. Click image to enlarge |
Since the rearview cam can see the road markings, it powers the Lane Departure Warning System, which alerts drivers if they’re accidentally on their way out of their lane. The backup camera can also see the vehicle’s blind-spots, and powers the Blind Spot Warning System to tell drivers if they’re about to side-swipe a Corolla when changing lanes. Nissan’s even developed a cleaning system that pipes a single drop of washer fluid onto the camera lens and blasts it clean with a whiff of compressed air, so there’s always a good view.
Nissan’s not the only one tapping into advanced backup-camera functionality. The new Mercedes S-Class can see out of its back-up camera to determine if it’s about to be rear-ended by another vehicle. If it is, the brakes are pre-locked, helping minimize subsequent collisions.
Ford, further, offers police personnel a set of eyes in the back of their head while they’re parked for surveillance or paperwork. On interceptor models, the back-up cam can watch the area behind the vehicle, and warn the officer if someone’s approaching from the rear.
LaneWatch Camera: Honda’s been sticking small cameras on the passenger-side rearview mirrors of more models than ever lately to power their new Lane Watch safety system. Signal right, and the camera displays a wide angle video down the side of your car on the central display screen. It’s even got digital measuring lines, so you can gauge the distance between you and the vehicle you’re about to pull in front of when changing lanes. The camera can be activated by pressing a button on the end of the turn-signal lever, too.
Your writer is the son of an avid cyclist who frequently complains of being cut off by cars turning right, and this system could enhance safety for dad and his pals. From the driver’s seat, added confidence results from the ability to triple-check your blind-spot via the wide-angle camera, and to give drivers a better sense of what’s going on near their ride.
 #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.
