Everyday convenience for you

InTrans / Sep 06, 2017

Go! Magazine

posted on September 6, 2017

Artificial intelligence (AI), or intelligence displayed by machines instead of humans, is on the road to establishing a new kind of relationship between a human and their car. We’ve talked about how AI is advancing autonomous cars and vehicle tracking and personalization, and now we’re going to talk about how AI could make your vehicle generally more convenient from day-to-day.

In this article, we’re looking at two particular features on the forefront of a new era of on-the-go convenience: biometric vehicle access and active window displays. Here’s where stuff starts to look really futuristic, with digital displays on windows and opening up your car with something as simple and easy as your own fingerprint. AI opens the doors wide open for optimizing your day-to-day driving experience. If you’re wondering how your car could better serve you in the next few years, look no further! Everyday convenience is here!

Active windows displays

Active window displays could be the next norm for cars.

Also called heads-up displays or HUDs, this technology was originally designed for the military to display information, such as speed, quickly and easily. With a heads-up display, certain information about the road or vehicle is displayed on the windshield, and the driver no longer has to divert their eyes to check their speed or other information.

Future in-car entertainment system? Photo from Flickr user JCT 600.

Universal heads-up displays are already on the market, but are typically just a plug-in or a reflective film that you can install. What we’re looking at in the future are cars that come pre-equipped with this technology. Drivers could access an uncountable number of apps and information from a heads-up display.

One of the most important HUD capabilities would be GPS (global positioning system) navigation. With a window display, the driver would never have to look away from the road to figure out where to go next. Keep in mind, these displays wouldn’t alter or block the driver’s line of sight, they would be off to the side and toward the top or bottom of the windshield. Active window displays would also allow a driver to do more things hands-free, meaning it would be easier to live your life on-the-go while also driving safely.

Heads-up display in a plane. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

Biometric vehicle access

Biometric vehicle access isn’t exactly new, but like the active window display concept, it has a lot of room to advance in the next couple of years.

There’s a lot of different variations of biometric security systems out there now, like voice verification, fingerprints, hand geometry, and retina or face recognition. Think spy movies—you see a lot of this kind of stuff when your hero is accessing top secret rooms or vaults. Now imagine using that technology to access your car!

Car owners already have options like keyless ignition, but so far it’s mostly something that’s done post-market. But in the coming years, we could see biometric vehicle access come a long way. Companies like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ford, and Volkswagen are already working on this technology.

So, what’s the benefit of biometric vehicle access, aside from it being high-tech and fancy? First, it provides accurate and effective anti-theft protection. It’s also user friendly and makes using your car day-to-day more convenient overall. This technology also can also track unauthorized attempts to access your vehicle. Since it’s an automated system, it can collect and store this information, forwarding it on to its owner.

The future of convenience

Artificial intelligence is changing life as we know it. Although there are causes for concern, there are also many ways that AI can help humans navigate the road more safely. From autonomous cars that could decrease accidents and improve fuel efficiency to vehicle tracking that allows companies to more accurately charge their customers to new and exciting ways that the internet can help you live your life on-the-go—AI is paving a new road for car technology.

Check out the videos below for the full experience!

References

www.cartrade.com/blog/2015/car-automobile-technology/biometric-vehicle-access-1204.html

InTrans

Institute for Transportation