High tech driving aides are often criticized for making motorists lazier or less skilled. But a new system from Siemens VDO aims not to replace driver skill, but rather to offer something that would be otherwise impossible. The LIDAR-based system will only take action when it detects rain, fog, or snow. In accordance with driver preference, in poor visibility conditions, the electronics reduce the speed and increase the distance to the car ahead. Often, poor visibility conditions mean a driver takes far too long to react to the sudden stopping of a vehicle ahead. Since the LIDAR sensor works on a wavelength similar to visible light, it can recognize visibility restrictions caused by weather; the driver alert and speed adjustment functions are based on this. Siemens says the technology could appear in medium-sized and compact cars in the near future, as early as 2008.
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