Published on May 25th, 2018 | by Sunit Nandi

What Technology Innovations Are Coming to Cars?

We’re living in an exciting time where technology and cars are merging. With the reliance we have on tech products in our everyday lives, the car industry is paying attention and bringing us some noteworthy innovations. These new advancements span across all areas – safety, entertainment, practicality, convenience, and sometimes, just aesthetics. So, what exactly are these technological innovations coming to cars?

Cars That Communicate

Sounds crazy, right? Car manufacturers are looking into developing cars that can communicate with each other, and with the road or objects around them. This means that if you are driving through an intersection and a car turning left doesn’t see you, rather than colliding as you would, your cars would be able to send and receive signals to each other, warning you of a potential collision.

Your car might even have the ability to hit the brakes for you, an automatic function that would be engaged when danger is detected. This type of technology is called V2V, or Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication. V2I is also being tested, which is Vehicle-to-Infrastructure.

Currently, researchers are looking into algorithms that would work, and how the cars would be able to calculate the information on speed, location and direction, as well as traffic signals, road signs, and other infrastructure. This type of technology is expected to drastically reduce collision rates. Imagine your Ford 150 being able to self-brake in a dangerous situation? Amazing!

Augmented Reality Dashboards

While we already have cars with the capability of displaying information on windshields, augmented reality dashboards will be able to identify external objects in front of the driver, and display information about these objects on the windshield. Much like we’ve seen in sci-fi or action movies, when a robot looks at a person or object, information is automatically brought up in front of them regarding that specific person or thing.

This will work in much the same way and benefit drivers in a potentially dangerous situation. The AR dashboard will be able to tell the driver how far they are from an object, how to maneuver around the object or car, and what lane is safest to merge into to both avoid the object in your path, and to ensure you don’t collide with other cars.

Airbags to Help Stop Cars

Up until recently, airbags have mostly been used as a safety measure when a crash occurs. Now, car manufacturers are experimenting with airbags that act as active agents, rather than reactive. They are being tested to deploy from underneath the car, intending to help stop the car from crashing at all. Working with the sensors we mentioned earlier, the airbags would be part of the entire safety system.

No longer a one-channelled approach, the safety systems are looking to become an entire team that works to prevent a collision from happening. The airbags would have a friction coating that helps slow the car down, doubling the stopping power of the car. They would also lift the vehicle up, countering the dipping motion that usually happens when the brakes have been hit hard.

The Digital Multi-Screen Experience

Our infotainment and digital in-car experience is getting upgraded from center screens to the digitalization of almost all touch points. Overtaking stagnant knobs and buttons, it’s likely that touch technology will be prevalent in the years coming, digitalizing almost all interfaces. This is made possible with cost effective technologies like OLED and QLED displays. This new multi-screen and surface touch enabled tech will give the car interior and dash a clean look. It’ll save weight, and be much cheaper and easier to manufacture.

And for car owners, cleaning the inside of your vehicle will be a lot easier than trying to get around a bunch of knobs and buttons. Along with this all-immersive touch technology, personalization will be largely apparent. Both drivers and passengers will have the ability to configure the type of information they want to see, and integration with home voice assistants will likely make appearances in newer models as well.

These are just a few examples of some of the big changes we expect to see in the world of automobiles in the next five years. With the way technology is advancing, the car industry is moving full speed ahead!

Tags: cars, coming, innovations, technology

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.