Cars of the future will allow passengers to watch movies, download music, surf the net and play electronic games against people in other cars.
Credit: netagi
SYDNEY: Cars of the future will be able to find vacant car spaces, track your teenager's movements and let you know when you're nodding off at the wheel, researchers say.
At a conference held in Melbourne this week, Australian and Taiwanese companies involved in vehicle telematics - the integration of telecommunications and informatics in cars - are showing off their latest innovations, and discussing how they can make the smart car a reality.
"Within 12 months, we're going to start to see these products in cars," said Bill Petreski of ITECplace, a Melbourne-based co-convener of the conference. "The car environment will be a completely different place."
Vamped up vehicles
Like mobile phones and iPods, the nifty devices on display this week might soon become the latest must-have items. According to conference organisers, the new breed of cars will be able to give real-time traffic updates, check toll-way account balances and let their owners know when they need a service. Passengers will be able to watch movies, download music, surf the net and play electronic games against people in other cars.
One device unveiled at the conference, the Speed Mate system, could be a boon for distracted drivers. Placed on roadside structures like school crossings, or hardwired into emergency vehicles, Speed Mate transmitters emit signals which are picked up by an in-vehicle receiver. The receiver then delivers a pre-programmed voice message to alert the driver to the potential hazard.
Product developer Michele Khoury, a tour operator, hopes the device will improve driver behaviour to the point where they "throw the receivers away and say 'I'm cured now'".
Another innovation comes from Qmami Messaging Solutions. It uses web-based software to pinpoint mobile phone locations on a map, and is faster, easier and cheaper than existing GPS systems. This technology means that tracking a person in a moving vehicle will be easy – internet-savvy mothers will have no trouble keeping tabs on wayward teenagers.
Fatigued drivers can get a wake-up call from the Optalert glasses, developed by sleep medicine expert Murray Johns, founder of medical technology company Sleep Diagnostics. An infrared monitor in the glasses tracks eye and eyelid movements to detect when the wearer is nodding off. The system then emits an alert signal and voice prompt when a driver is on the verge of falling asleep.
Motorbikes get a mention
While few of the telematics devices are appropriate for motorcycles, Robert Lancellotti's Xtreme Beam is designed to improve rider safety. Developed after the death of a fellow rider and close friend of Lancellotti's, the Xtreme Beam is an emergency warning hazard light that fits under the chassis.
The light can be activated manually, but will automatically switch on in the event of a crash. A diffuse flashing light draws attention to the stricken rider to increase the likelihood they'll receive medical attention quickly – unlike Lancellotti's friend, who passed away before help arrived.
Some of the technology on display this week is already being supplied to manufacturers like BMW, Toyota and VW. Organisers hope the conference will fast-track business relationships in this area and open up more opportunities for Australian and Taiwanese companies to supply car makers around the world.
