It’s an industry that has always shaped the way we use technology so it’s only natural that our cars are often the first place to look for the direction that the gadgets that are with us today will move in. After all, major everyday technologies such as wireless and CD have had their reputations tested and established thanks to their role inside cars. What technologies and ideas are currently being road-tested for our future?
It’s not often that a whole industry can shape the way technology is used but the audio world has relied on their car products to test some of their newest ideas and functionality. Don’t forget, almost every car in the 90’s had a combination player that played both cassettes and CD’s to help us pass the time on a long journey. Of course, this has developed further as time has moved on with devices such as multiple CD changers and MP3 plug-ins all enjoying their spotlight after becoming popular additions on in-car versions. Nowadays, it’s even possible to connect our cars to our smartphone through Bluetooth and use voice control to play songs wirelessly whilst heading home, to work or anywhere in between – and call ahead hands-free to say we are on our way. Some audio brands are working specifically with auto brands to fine-tune the interior space and optimise the sonic experience.
Show Me the Way to Go Home
Developing satellite navigation
It’s not only popular tech that the car industry has helped shape as navigational technology has been particularly fine-tuned to be suited for in-car use. At the start of the century, we relied on maps to help us to get from A to B. The past 10 years has seen the rise of satellite navigation which now means we can go anywhere and let a computer to guide us, minimizing the possibilities of getting lost. There is still the occasional amusing headline-grabbing wrong turn, but that only goes to demonstrate our reliance on these emerging technologies. The GPS features from sat-nav has been taken further as modern systems now suggest alternate routes to prevent us getting held up in delays and even identify where speed cameras are located to enable us to identify potential accident black-spots. Now the ability to socially share these location points and add to the database – mirroring our need to be connected and help each other out – is being widely added, usually with a subscription cost.
Additionally, this technology isn’t just for getting from one place to another as it can now be used to help us find a car in a crowd at a busy event or even help track it if it gets driven away by someone who has hacked the security system! Key-less entry no less!
In-Car Net Connectivity
With such a wide variety of technologies now being developed through cars, it means that there could be some previously thought of as outlandish ideas that may come to fruition. Projects using the satellite navigation system combined with various sensors to produce a car which is capable of driving itself. Ultimately this may control whole traffic queues in peak times, where the entire motorway moves as one in a train of vehicles moving at optimum speed and distance from each other. Even though some manufacturers have made prototypes that can drive themselves, they do still need human intervention to handle some situations meaning that the technology still isn’t perfected – our inner desire to be in control is still accommodated. Cars that memorize a specific course have had coverage as prototypes, and self-park features are now becoming available in the showroom. New breakthroughs in wireless connectivity means that it will only be a matter of time before the internet revolution rolls up in our cars and they become internet cafes on wheels – or hovering just above the ground.
