3 Hi-Tech Cars Of Today Creating The Future Of Motoring?
Written by Rob Nichols on October 17, 2009 · Filed under Tech
Here at Zath, we obviously love using hi-tech gadgets, thinking about future artificial intelligence developments and any other cool implementation of technology, so whenever our cars feature a new gadget or gizmo, we approve! However, just take a look at these 3 great hi-tech cars of today that could well influence future car design to the point where we are all driving around in cars that include a combination of all these car technologies!…
Assisted Parallel Parking – AUDI
The new range of AUDI’s have an optional extra, an automatic parking system. In theory, it sounds pretty simple, but the technology behind manufacturing it is something which I personally, wouldn’t begin to try and explain. Basically, the lower body of the car is surrounded in tiny camera’s, similar to those you see on the rear of some cars used for parking sensors.
When driving at speeds up to 19mph the camera’s scan for parallel parking spaces and alerts the driver when one is found. The driver will then put the car into reverse gear and press the accelerator, before the system takes over and manoeuvres the car into the space. AUDI call it ‘parallel park assist’ and for a lot of people this could relieve a lot of stress.
However, personally, I would be a touch sceptical of putting the car’s life in its own hands.
High Performance Electric Motor – Tesla Roadster
Electric motor company Tesla’s Roadster was released in 2006 and could be the car which shapes the future of electric motoring. One of the main fears about electric cars is performance. Drivers who want their cars to be elegant, flamboyant and most of all fast, are perhaps the biggest doubters of electric motor cars. However the roadster defies all of their fears.
Delivering supercar performance as well as being beautiful, in my opinion anyway. The styling is developed from the Lotus Elise, a particularly popular sports car. In terms of performance, the car runs from an AC motor with a single speed transmission. The mid-engine super car can travel 244 miles (393 KM) on a single charge and can do 0-60 in just 3.9 seconds. Perhaps the most amazing statistic of all. However, it is electronically limited to 125 Mph.
The roadster, code named Dark Star, could perhaps spell a bright future for electric motoring especially as battery technology develops and improves. Particularly with a new model due for 2010 increasing performance further. I thought I might save this until the end though, it does cost just shy of £100k. Never mind eh?
Fully Automatic Driving (Artificial Intelligence) – VW Golf GTi ’53 +1
Perhaps the most technologically advanced car ever developed. Volkswagen, the German car giant, designed and built their very own ‘Herbie’ (hence the ’53). The on-board computer assisted by a GPS system, allows the car to calculate the distances between obstacles and manoeuvre between them to within an inch of 100% accuracy. It can also move at around 150 Mph without any human intervention. That really is quite astonishing!
It has been rigorously tested and can successfuly accelerate, brake and steer in and out of cones. It can complete laps of a track without even a driver or remote control. It uses lasers which they call ‘electronic eyes’ to judge the road ahead and calculate a route avoiding obstacles. It is fairly controversial though and it is doubted whether this sort of car would ever be safe to introduce to the road.
No matter how much AI you cram into a machine, it will never be able to account for the idiocy of us humans.
Love the parallel parking assist!
It would be pretty sweet to drive that electric car and hear nothing other than the tires on the road as you carve out turns… however, as neat as that would be, you just can’t beat the sound of an American V8 thundering down the road…
Yes the parallel parking is a great idea, my wife could put this to use.
Cars like these would be less of a novelty if you they were made to be more financially feasable. It would make sense to lease an expensive car, but unfortunately, since these aren’t your everyday cars, the resale values are very iffy, making a car lease deal much less doable.
I’d rather dream than to pay for one! ;)
Parkassist on Audi & Volkswagen works really well, but in my opinion the best choice is the new parktronic in Mercedes B Class.