The Future of In-Car Technology

Car technology has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years. In the past you would be lucky to have a tape deck, however now drivers expect a certain amount of comforts in their cars. From smartphone integration to intelligent displays, almost no part of the car has remained unchanged. But what does the future have in store for this technology?

Driverless

The biggest change experts expect to see in the future is that the driver will become redundant as cars take it upon themselves to navigate the streets. Already several companies are trialling this technology and there is every chance it could be in commercial use in London before 2020. These vehicles will communicate with one another to warn about hazards, use GPS to take the ‘driver’ to wherever they need to go and will, according to experts, do all of this safer than some human drivers. This technology will not only run driverless cars but it will also be used to improve safety in manned vehicles. Cars will be able to warn about hazards, connect to citywide updates and even predict braking to ensure the car does not crash. Pioneers of the driverless car movement say this will make the roads a much safer place to be.

Health

Placing sensors in the car could alert to any changes or conditions the driver may have, and consequently, alert the necessary authorities. For example, if the driver has a heart attack, it could put the car into an autonomous mode which would safely stop it by the side of the road. The car would then notify the ambulance crew of the patient’s location and condition. This is obviously an extreme scenario, but this technology could also be used to monitor tiredness – which is responsible for 20% of accidents on British roads.

Heads Up Displays

Currently, there are many things that remove a driver’s focus from the road, checking sat-nav, monitoring speed and assessing fuel levels. New displays that use augmented reality technology to project all this information on the windscreen could stop drivers from losing focus on the road. This could help to reduce accidents and could be even more effective if a small camera that looked out the back of vehicles was also on display.

Connectivity

Smartphone connectivity is already becoming a standard feature. Not only is this set to become even more prominent over the next few years, but cars will independently connect to the internet too. This would provide even more reliable navigation systems and would give live traffic and accident updates that could help ease congestion. It would also allow for internet searches from behind the wheel so drivers could find a nearby petrol station, restaurant or hotel without having to stop. This new intelligent car would make it far easier for drivers to navigate in unfamiliar places.

Which of this technology do you find most exciting? Let us know!