From Western mail - do you want Insignia items on this site or should they go on Vectra/Signum Forum?
THE CAR that sees for itself will be here next year-thanks to a high tech
camera system developed by General Motors Europe and auto-electrical giant
Hella.
The forthcoming new Vauxhall Insignia will be the first car to be made
available with the new all-seeing-eye system - a dual-function camera that is
capable of reading speed limit and no-overtaking signs and displaying them on
the instrument panel.
The system will also alert drivers when they unintentionally veer out of their
lane.
Known as Traffic Sign Recognition and Lane Departure Warning, the two systems
improve driving safety, reduce stress and can even prevent costly speeding
tickets.
"These new features follow Vauxhall's philosophy of enhancing driving
excitement by assisting drivers without reducing their level of control, "
explains Hans Demant, managing director of General Motors Europe Engineering.
"That means the system gives drivers information, but it doesn't intervene."
Known as the Front Camera System, the wide-angled, high-resolution camera and
processors were jointly developed by Vauxhall /Opel engineers and specialists
from Hella.
The camera, located between the windscreen and the rear-view mirror, detects
road signs and lane markings. It's not much bigger than a mobile phone, yet can
take 30 pictures a second. Two signal processors filter and read the photos.
Depending on light conditions, the Traffic Sign Recognition function begins to
repeatedly read signs at 100 metres.
When a match is found in the car's computer software, the sign is displayed in
the instrument panel; it will even prioritise a no overtaking sign over a speed
limit warning sign.
When the Lane Departure Warning function is turned on, it uses a second signal
processor and software to read traffic lanes and record a driver's normal
lane-changing behaviour, taking into account steering input and indicator
usage.
If any deviation is detected, an audible and visual warning is sent from the
instrument panel, preventing hazardous situations such as a driver falling
asleep at the wheel.
The Front Camera System will be available as an extra-cost option on the new
Insignia in 2009, with other Vauxhall models benefiting from the system in
future.
Copyright © 2008 MGN Ltd.
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Topic: Insignia the Car that Sees for itself (Read 567 times)