Beneath glitter and form is the wonder of high-tech
By Bud Wells
Though not as visible as the shapely new Volvo XC60 or the shapelier Pontiac Solstice, high-tech innovations such as Ford’s “active park assist” and Audi’s surround-sound audio system are important attractions for showgoers at the Colorado Convention Center.
Or, how about the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution’s advanced Super All-Wheel Control system, which recently was chosen as “best new technology” for 2009 by Canadian journalists. The dynamics control system is intended to read driver intent and regulate drive torque at each wheel, controlling the active center differential and yaw control of rear differential, stability and the antilock brakes, for better traction and more security.
Take a look at the Chevrolet Traverse’s backup camera, for which the image appears at the driver’s side of the rearview mirror, better positioned than the normal placement on the navigation screen in the center of the dash.
Many makers have improved driving safety through the addition of blind-spot warning systems in sideview mirrors. These light up or blink when another vehicle moves into the “difficult to see” area along the rear sides of the vehicle.
And in Infiniti’s lane-departure warning system, not only does a buzzer sound alert when either front tire touches the stripe alongside of the road or the center stripe, but also the vehicle dynamic control applies slight brake pressure on the side opposite the wheel which has triggered the lane-departure warning. The lane departures are detected by a small camera behind the windshield. If the directional signal is engaged, the warning is inactive.
Push-button start, navigation, rear-seat entertainment, SmartBeam headlamps, Bluetooth connectivity, they’re all there awaiting interest from the consumers.
Of Ford’s active park assist, Ali Jammoul, chief chassis engineer for Ford Motor Co., said, “This one takes the stress out of the parking situation.” The system uses an ultrasonic-based sensing system (sensors at the front and rear of the vehicle) and electric power-assisted steering to position the vehicle for parallel parking, calculate the optimal steering angle and steer the vehicle into a parking spot. The vehicle’s operator need only operate the gas pedal and the brake; no steering input necessary. The optional assist system will be available later this year on the 2010 Lincoln MKS sedan and MKT crossover.
In sounding out another field of innovations, as the stereo is turned on in an Audi A8, emerging at each end of the dash are small aluminum-finished cylinders. Audi calls them acoustic lenses, and they’re a part of one of the most outstanding sound systems in an automobile. The system, by Danish sound experts Bang & Olufsen, supplies 14 speakers with more than 1,000 watts of power. Each of those acoustic lenses at the end of the dash contains a tweeter with its own built-in pressure chamber. A dedicated amplifier is connected to it. The vehicle’s operator can choose from among four modes to optimize the acoustic image to the number of people in the car.
