GM designing car windshield that does the looking for us

Apparently not everyone at General Motors is toiling away in an attempt to get the Volt ready for its 2010 debut, as another sector of the outfit's R&D division is busy creating a windshield that will, at its core, enable us to stop running stuff over. The futuristic glass would utilize lasers, sensors and cameras in order to help drivers see the road's edge better, recognize obstructions and enhance things ahead of us so we'll theoretically react faster. Truth be told, the device is being designed with older drivers in mind, though we don't see why younger motorists won't benefit all the same. Unfortunately, it sounds as if you'll have to keep those toothpicks in your eyelids for a few more years, but at least we're one step closer to full-on autopilot.

[farfisa @ Jul 18th 2008 5:15PM]

Don't tell me how to drive.

[Fatima @ Jul 18th 2008 6:02PM]

no, you can go ahead and murder people with your BMW.

[Sarig @ Jul 18th 2008 5:58PM]

I'm not happy until they let me drive in 3rd person perspective like in car games. All the reverse would be so much easier then!

[Kamokazi @ Jul 18th 2008 6:23PM]

You could modify this for your car:
http://www.marcowens.co.uk/avat.html

[PCIV @ Jul 18th 2008 7:00PM]

Or get a G35 infinity. Apprantelly, my cuz in law told me they have that function.

[BigD145 @ Jul 18th 2008 7:25PM]

This will turn out so much better than GPS in Britain. ......

[Sarig @ Jul 18th 2008 7:40PM]

PCIV; my searches on the webbernets revealed that they have a small camera at the back of the car and displays it in the car. Not a new feature by any means, but normally only seen on large trucks and stuff, so cool to see in a normal car :)

[Jon Doe. @ Jul 18th 2008 11:30PM]

Yah because in 30' visibility you know better then a computer. I swear the IQ on this site is dropping by the damn day. Moron.

[Boarderwoot @ Jul 18th 2008 5:19PM]

How does it know where you are looking? As you move your head your perspecive changes and therefore your perception of the edge of the road would change meaning that beam of light that highlights the curb would have to continuously change.

Enveloping your car in buble wrap might be a more efficient option.

[Fatima @ Jul 18th 2008 6:02PM]

easy...its called facetracking

[jupiterthunder @ Jul 18th 2008 10:49PM]

Why would it need to know where you are looking any moreso than your rearview mirror. It would locate the edge of the road and highlight it. And it wouldn't be looking too far down the road. Just far enough to give the driver time to react.

[mackid105 @ Jul 19th 2008 12:45AM]

what he's saying is if you lean to the left if the lines on the window dont adjust accordingly the lines are no longer a valid judgement of where the edge of the road is. So some face/eye detecting technology will need to be used in the final design

[zoara @ Jul 19th 2008 5:41AM]

Look who didn't bother to read the article before posting.

[Boarderwoot @ Jul 18th 2008 5:23PM]

first one to call you a "douche"

[Danakin @ Jul 18th 2008 5:23PM]

well, if this all works, then all that would need to be done is integrate it into the driving control system...hello auto-automobiles!

[hdbrown465 @ Jul 18th 2008 5:27PM]

Why don't they spend their time and resources on developing fuel efficient vehicles. I can see why they are on the verge of insolvency.

[metal @ Jul 18th 2008 5:43PM]

Fuel economy is just a fad. The reason that companies havent been researching it is that it hasnt been profitable. To prove my point all you have to do is go for a five minute drive on the freeway to see the ratio of suvs/ vans/ trucks to compact/ subcompact and motorcycles. If gas goes back down to 3 dollars ish in the united states people will be buying up SUVS all over again.

[Ignatius @ Jul 18th 2008 10:20PM]

Considering gas prices are double or higher in other places in the world, I really doubt we're gonna go much lower.

[thedesolate1 @ Jul 18th 2008 5:31PM]

How bout a windshield visual GPS instead?

[Ignatius @ Aug 29th 2008 6:53AM]

Sweet. Then we can retrieve more cars from the bottom of that lake where the bridge is out. Some people trust technology more than their own eyes. I'll trust car technology to a point, but since we already have people going straight off into the water following their GPS, well...

[Pip @ Jul 18th 2008 5:32PM]

If the road conditions are so bad you can't see the edge, you really ought to get the heck off the road before you kill somebody.

[Darkest Daze @ Jul 18th 2008 5:34PM]

I refuse to let a car tell me who and what I can hit, or what lines to swerve over.

[homer_lopez @ Jul 21st 2008 11:46AM]

It would be great if the laser was used to destroy the object obstructing instead.

[phanbouy @ Jul 18th 2008 11:31PM]

tell it to the judge, sociopath. unless that was 'comedy'

[AlphaTeam @ Jul 19th 2008 5:40PM]

@phanboy: WTF.

[jason @ Jul 18th 2008 5:37PM]

lol, if people rely on this as much as GPS to drive we are doomed!

[Mason Trang @ Jul 18th 2008 6:05PM]

too bad they killed the electric car!

[mvp @ Jul 18th 2008 6:12PM]

And they wonder why their stock is only at $13/share...

[Darth Abe @ Jul 18th 2008 6:14PM]

This is getting really obnoxious. Maybe put a 24 waiting period on new accounts so these assholes don't just keep making new email addresses and accounts? Anyone got any other ideas?

[Darth Abe @ Jul 18th 2008 6:15PM]

Huh.
This guy's actually been around for a while.
What's wrong with you jose?

[AlphaTeam @ Jul 19th 2008 5:41PM]

Did someone delete a reply, because I'm really confused...

[Darth Abe @ Jul 19th 2008 5:49PM]

These were replies, the original was deleted.

[5thMeridian @ Jul 18th 2008 6:23PM]

Both of you deserve to rot in hell. Go play pokemon or something.

[Ian @ Jul 18th 2008 6:26PM]

"I am sorry Dave, I truly thought the road turned left".

[Ken @ Jul 18th 2008 6:44PM]

I won't be happy until it has lines down both sides of the road and glowing barrels so I can feel like I'm back playing Night Driver on the C64. With a paddle controller.

[Prokanda @ Jul 18th 2008 6:54PM]

just like GM... design auto headlights for the fat lazy bastards that can't flick the switch in the tunnel or when it's overcast and raining.. now they're making a windshield so that all of the soccer moms who are "too cool" to drive minivans won't run over as many people in their yukon's because it's hard to stay in the lane with your kids screaming about putting in another dvd... not to mention the issues inherent with driving a vehicle that is the size of kansas.

[Twitchy @ Jul 18th 2008 8:12PM]

Meh, there'll always be a bunch of idiots making car like that for idiots who'll buy and drive them. Maybe this will give us cyclists a fighting chance.

[Maxwell @ Jul 18th 2008 9:19PM]

As it said in this article, it's aimed at older drivers who can't necessarily see the road as well. It's especially useful at night or other times where visibility isn't as good and it's a lot harder to see the edge of the road. It's nothing about laziness.

[Zapp @ Jul 18th 2008 9:54PM]

It's awesome how GM is always working to attract the consumers of the future...

... over the age of 65, who may well buy one more vehicle before dying.

It's no wonder they can't sell many cars when their target market is the same demographic as their board, which is septuagenarian+. Older drivers make more decisions based on how easy it is to get out of the front seat than on technology.

Until GM (and more critically, Ford) get some youth (or at least forward-looking baby boomers) in leadership roles they will continue to steer their once-proud American company into the dirt. Along with their remaining brand-loyal customers.

Oh, but soon we'll have the $25k, scratch that, $35k, scratch that, $45k Chevy V(olt/aporware). Please god don't let them destroy my memory of that beautiful concept in the process.

[joe @ Jul 18th 2008 8:07PM]

Anyone know how far this technology is to being somewhat common?

[hwoarang27 @ Jul 18th 2008 8:08PM]

Now if GM can design cars that people want to buy....

[diode3diode @ Jul 18th 2008 9:25PM]

The blue streak kind of makes you concentrate more on the blue streak and not on the road. What happens if on a dark foggy night an object like a deer happens to cross the road: Does that bright blue streak curve the line to avoid the deer or does the streak ignore the deer altogether?

The point is if you require this as an aid in driving, maybe you shouldn't be driving. It would be better if automobile manufacturer implement breathalizers like here: http://www.engadget.com/2004/08/24/the-alcolock-car-breathalizer/
instead of advancing gimmicks that makes us more reliant on technology that dumb us down.

[Zapp @ Jul 18th 2008 9:56PM]

It expands to include the deer as part of the driveable surface. It's science.

[diode3diode @ Jul 19th 2008 11:42AM]

Yikes! If this thing would include pedestrians as drivable surfaces then let me be the first to welcome our GM R&D overlords.

[SOCOMRAIDER @ Jul 18th 2008 9:46PM]

That is nice and all, until you get a crack in that windshield. Which you would probably have to go to the dealer to get it replaced.

So, you better have glass coverage in that insurance policy.

[Darwin @ Jul 18th 2008 9:54PM]

I, for one, am all for ushering in a new era of headlight-free night-driving by oldsters to really freak people out.

[RafaelAustin @ Jul 18th 2008 11:05PM]

Cool! Now I can finally drive at night with my lights off in stealth mode!

[Tina Darby @ Jul 18th 2008 11:50PM]

Technology sure is cool

[TIMMAH! @ Jul 19th 2008 3:16AM]

Yes but is it multi-touch?

[AlphaTeam @ Jul 19th 2008 5:38PM]

This like the infrared camera they are introducing into cars; instead of helping old people see where they're driving, how about help them drive?