Nissan shows off two more collision avoidance prototypes
[Via Gizmag]
Posts with tag automotive
Think user-controlled Transitions lenses, but for automobiles. Got it? If so, then you've got a pretty decent idea of what makes Hino Motor's concept motorcoach -- which was being shown off at this year's Tokyo Motor Show -- unique. Developed by Research Frontiers, the SPD-Smart technology covering those expansive panels there on your right "allows vehicle occupants to instantly, precisely and uniformly control the amount of sunlight, glare and heat passing through the windows, sunroofs and other glazings." Additionally, it blocks over 99-percent of harmful UV radiation and can be darkened or lightened with the press of a button. Unfortunately, we've no idea when this tech will be headed to your everyday commuter car, but we can hear window tinters the world over grumbling in unison.
Even though an almost monopolistic number of new cars come with iPod integration straight off the manufacturing line, consumers haven't relented in their search for the perfect iPod-car integration system. Based on early shots of Alpine's iDA-X001, it appears to come close to hitting this sweet spot of iPod integration. That's due in no small part to the statement that the Alpine was "designed and developed with input from Apple." Fortunately for all those iPod owners with cars out there -- we're guessing there's quite a few -- the company has started the countdown by committing to making the iDA-X001 available in February for $450.
Just in case there weren't enough alternate fuel developments going on around the world, it looks like we've got yet another vying for business over in Israel. Engineuity, a company started by Amnon Yogev, has reportedly developed a method for vehicles to "produce their own fuel" using metals such as magnesium and aluminum to create hydrogen and steam. Similar to a solar-powered "zinc-to-hydrogen" approach that gained attention in 2005, this method utilizes a "long metal coil" which would be inserted into a metal-steam combustor that stands to "separate hydrogen out of heated water." After intense heating, the metal atoms would purportedly bond to the oxygen from the water, creating metal oxide; the result would free up hydrogen molecules to be sent to the engine alongside the steam to provide the juice. The firm also insinuates that "refueling" the vehicle would be "remarkably simply," and construction could be completed on current production lines without requiring entirely new infrastructures. According to Yogev, the "running cost of the system should be equal to that of conventional cars today," and hopes to have a full scale prototype ready to rumble in "around three years."
While vehicle manufacturers are taking this "safety thing" to new heights (not that we're complaining or anything), the ole airbag sure takes a lot of heat regarding its questionable design and potentially harmful nature. The love / hate relationship with this very necessary device has been going on for years, and TRW Automotive Safety Systems is hoping to quiet the protestors a bit with its latest creation. The next-generation asymmetric airbag / steering wheel system features a "non-rotating airbag" that stays put while the wheel around it moves to meet the driver's demands. By utilizing a circumferential gear to keep the airbag stationary, the mobilized unit provides "enhanced crash protection" while allowing automotive designers to add more "convenience and aesthetic features" (read: buttons, switches, and other gadget-controlling togglers) to the steering wheel itself. Although TRW fails to point out just how much automakers will be forced to pay for its invention, it does note that it can be customized to the fit the feel, color, and style of any vehicle, and since the firm has already landed a contract with "a major European vehicle manufacturer," we could see this non-turning technology go stateside anytime.
Motorola, which has been shedding non-core businesses for years (including its semiconductor business, which was
spun off to become Freescale in 2004) will scrap another of
its classic lines, the company's automotive electronics arm, which includes sensors, telematics and safety-related
electronics. The division will go to Continental AG, a German company best known in the US for its tires. The sale
further focuses Motorola's business on cellphones and other communications technologies such as cable modems, two-way
radios and set-top boxes. The move takes Motorola out of the automotive industry for the first time since 1930, when
the company created the first successful car radio (hence the name "Motorola"). Of course, Moto's been out of
that sector for years, and most car owners are unlikely to notice that the current divestiture has even
happened, since most of the assets being sold are related to behind-the-scenes systems that don't include heavy
consumer branding.









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