Connected car model gives us a glimpse of the automobiles of the future
Your dream car is (choose one):
A.) A bumper-to-bumper candy-color paint-job, ostrich seats and 22-inch chrome rims.
B.) One with everything connected cars can offer, such as in-car 4G LTE and WiFi.
If you chose B, then you have to see the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association's connected car demo. In addition to having an internet connection, it also features wireless charging capability, 360-degree proximity sensors, as well as (we're saving the best for last here) gesture control and anti-drunk driving technology. We assume the car has an onboard breathalyzer of some sort, as you wouldn't even be able to start it if you've had one too many.
If you do get to start it up, you can use gestures to control the radio and other components of the car -- similar to that gesture-based car control patent Google filed in 2013 -- but you can't exactly wave your hands around to drive. Also, it's loaded with sensors that monitor your body to determine if you're falling asleep, and it warns you to get out of the way if it senses rushing ambulance or police cars driving behind. APMA's fantasy car, which is actually a tricked out Lexus powered by QNX's Car Platform 2.0, was recently showcased at the association's annual conference in Windsor, Canada. Since it's just a demo, we'll most likely never get to see it on the road, but we wouldn't be surprised if a huge company launches something similar in the future.
