Advanced Driving Hub

Many times.

Out of interest, does the kit recognise anything except speed limits? And if so, what does it do with the information? I think I foresee a future where drivers are so busy looking at a little screen in the car to see what the latest traffic sign was, that they forget to LOOK OUT THROUGH THE WINDSCREEN!!!

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:Many times.

Out of interest, does the kit recognise anything except speed limits? And if so, what does it do with the information? I think I foresee a future where drivers are so busy looking at a little screen in the car to see what the latest traffic sign was, that they forget to LOOK OUT THROUGH THE WINDSCREEN!!!

I think we're already past that. See the number of people who blindly follow sat nav instructions without applying common sense first...

I know. It was a rhetorical question, really

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:Many times.

Out of interest, does the kit recognise anything except speed limits? And if so, what does it do with the information? I think I foresee a future where drivers are so busy looking at a little screen in the car to see what the latest traffic sign was, that they forget to LOOK OUT THROUGH THE WINDSCREEN!!!

with a HUD you can look through the windscreen to see...
alternatively, without a HUD you can look through the windscreen!

Alasdair

Ah yes, HUDs. Another way of concentrating closer and closer to the end of your nose

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:Ah yes, HUDs. Another way of concentrating closer and closer to the end of your nose

Aren't HUDs focussed so that you see them clearly when looking into the distance, rather than having to refocus from far to near to see what is displayed?

akirk wrote:with a HUD you can look through the windscreen to see...
alternatively, without a HUD you can look through the windscreen!

Shouldn't that be 'without an HUD, you might have to look away from the road ahead to get the same information'?

But, along with my previous post, this may well depend on what is being displayed and how. For example, if it's an infinity focus system overlaying IR views at night that simply are not available from the visible light, then looking ahead or away may not be as good.

I've only ever driven a car with one, once. I can't honestly remember. But in order to assimilate information, you have to divert your attention to it. The temptation is for manufacturers to incorporate lots of wizzy graphics, which will end up being more and more of a distraction from the real world.

(and yes, point taken about having to look away if it isn't there, but you don't spend your whole time looking away...)

PS what is the point of using IR if the human eye can't see it?

The point, AFAIK, of IR is to supplement normal vision where visible light isn't sufficient.

As far as info being a distraction, although I've never driven one, I like the idea of reducing the number of things illuminated at night, as done by SAAB several years ago.

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:PS what is the point of using IR if the human eye can't see it?

Surely that IS the point.

The display gives a visual version, that you can see, of the real world IR, that you can't. Things like nice warm bodies dressed in black.