WHEN YOUR CAR DRIVES YOU

IMAGINE your SUV flashing its lights at the red luxury sedan driven by the neighbourhood PYT and the sedan glares back; imagine two cars arguing with each other for a parking slot on Brigade Road; imagine your car emailing the traffic authorities on erring BMTC monsters; or your car taking the shortest route from Lavelle Road to St Marks's Road.

If you're the kind to get irritated with backseat drivers, take a deep breath. The day's not far when your car could one day tell you when you're about to screw up.

A US-based car company has recently demonstrated a vehicle-to-vehicle, or V2V, wireless communication system that alerts you when a collision is imminent. The automaker equipped regular sedans with wireless and Global Positioning System antennae and computer chips that allow cars to communicate with each other and other vehicles with similar equipment.

According to auto expert Aron Calvin, “Smart car technology may be still some time away for the common motorist, however, such technologies are being incorporated into high-end automo biles. These enhance the safety equation and help protect life and property.”

Recently an un-manned high-end SUV completed a gruelling off-road race by driving itself using satellite navigation, sensors and cameras. There is a feeling that such cars are not far away.

Filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh would love such a car. “I'd love a car that checks out happening places or finds out if a nightclub is open and takes me there. It should be able to identify available parking spaces and park itself. It should also be able to identify one-ways and use its sensors to take me to a destination through the shortest route,” says Indrajit. “These cars are our future. In fact, my wife, who is a software engineer, is working on similar projects for a German company,” he adds.

Rallyist Ranjit Ballal, too, would like a car that can find parking. “This is the biggest problem in our city and a smart car that can do this will be a boon. The car should also run itself for optimum usage of fuel and indicate to me if I am overspeeding. A car that can identify speed limits and warn me of the same, will also be useful,” says Ranjit.

However, there are glitches. “The driver becomes redundant. The driver does not control the car, instead a smart chip does the job. And for smart cars to succeed on the road, all cars have to be smart. If there are some ‘dumb' cars around, there could be some complications,” warns Aron.

Smart cars could come with...

• Collision warning/avoidance systems, which use radar technology in combination with the car's braking and stability programme, to detect, slow down or, if necessary, stop the car if it is approaching an immobile or a slow moving object

• Sensors that can catch you dozing at the wheel, shake you, the seat literally, set off a buzzer and, if necessary, stop the car

• Programmes that stop the car from starting if your sweat registers alcohol

• Video-based devices that can recognise road signs, humans, animals, etc and can warn the driver of impending danger or take evasive actions are also on the way

• Lane departure warning, that is, if the car changes lane without the blinkers on... then the driver is warned

• Night vision systems, which can detect objects beyond what the headlight beam show and project the image on a screen or the windscreen itself.