The Future is Now: Cutting-Edge Car Technology Redefining the Driving Experience

The Technological Revolution in Automotive

Every major automaker is deeply involved in a technological transformation. Over the last decade, the fundamental relationship between car and driver has been redefined. Technology is touching nearly every aspect of the modern vehicle, from the dashboard and passenger zones to the engine, brakes, and tires.

The Driving Forces Behind Automotive Innovation

What’s driving the future of cars? Two key forces: the demand for ever-greater safety and upcoming fuel economy standards. These pressures are pushing manufacturers to make critical advancements.

Companies like INRIX are working with major automakers to provide drivers with crucial information. Real-time data includes weather and road conditions, available parking, gas station locations and prices, traffic camera feeds, and alternative routes.

Consumer demand plays a significant role. Blind-spot detection is one example. This technology uses radar or cameras to “see” vehicles in adjacent lanes, helping drivers change lanes safely.

“What’s interesting is the consumer desire for these technologies,” says Kristin Kolodge, Executive Director of Driver Interaction and Human Machine Interface at JD Power and Associates. She notes that despite added costs, consumers are driving demand for these innovations.

Advanced Technologies and Affordability

Some car technologies remain impractical due to cost. For instance, advanced lane detection uses Lidar, which measures distance and creates a 360-degree view. The technology, however, is expensive.

As a lower-cost alternative, car makers can use multiple cameras placed around the car. These alert the computer to potential dangers.

“Cars are looking at high-resolution webcams,” says Jeffrey Miller, Associate Professor of Engineering Practice at the University of Southern California, whose research includes vehicle-to-vehicle communication. “They have 10 to 20 of these around a vehicle and piece all that data together so they have a picture of what’s going on around them.”

Communication Between Vehicles

With V2V communication, vehicles can “talk” using a 4G LTE wireless network. They can report traffic information and anticipate incidents that might otherwise cause accidents. A car in front could send info on road conditions, such as icy patches, potholes, or sharp curves.

“Cars are able to slow down a lot quicker,” says Miller. “Once the front vehicle slows down, the one behind it will brake within milliseconds.”

Adaptive cruise control automatically slows the car for the vehicle ahead. Through V2V, drivers can instantly alert each other of road hazards and crashes.

“Connected cars can share information on their speed and position at all times, as well as various actions that drivers take – such as making turns or abrupt stops,” explains Jordan Perch, a blogger at DMV. This real-time information can allow drivers to react safely or to avoid a situation entirely. This helps with safety and could also reduce fuel consumption.

The future of driving may also include this system being integrated into a city’s infrastructure, where traffic signs can send important data to your vehicle such as speed limits and stop signals.

Predictive and Smart Car Technologies

For now, the same wireless network that lets vehicles “talk” can turn a car’s interior into a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. Passengers can stream music, watch movies, or browse the Internet. Also, it lets the car send vital diagnostic information to the manufacturer, and receive software updates.

Advances in car connectivity are leading to smart car technology. These cars can link to homes and smartphones, allowing drivers to lock doors, start the engine, or check trip stats.

Future cars could learn driver preferences and behavior patterns. Car functions such as interior temperature and seat position would be set automatically. “It’s similar to what we’re seeing on consumer electronic devices or Internet searches that learn your behavior,” says Kolodge. If it’s Tuesday at 7 a.m., the car could know you’re going to work and reroute your commute.

“Or it may know you have a calendar appointment and the time to arrive will put you past the meeting start time,” she adds. “So it might ask if you want to call the doctor’s office to let them know you’ll be 15 minutes late.”

Augmented Reality Dashboards

Besides Wi-Fi and other systems, the appearance of a car’s instrument displays is also evolving. Augmented reality uses the windshield as a display screen to project information. Heads-up displays (HUD) show speed, RPMs, and gas mileage, plus weather reports and lane departure warnings.

“It will display different symbols on your windshield regarding the road,” says Kolodge. Imagine a green arrow on the windshield indicating where to turn. WayRay is developing a AR navigation system called Navion that uses holographic technology to show info without drivers looking away from the road.

The Future Appearance of the Car

These technologies should dramatically alter the car interior. The traditional dashboard may be replaced by projections or connected with a smartphone. Front seats will no longer need to face forward.

“It’s going to be completely revolutionary,” says Miller. “You’re not going to have the frustrations of commuting in traffic every day.”

While these changes could transform the driving experience, what about the automotive industry as a whole?