Anicet Mbida 6:55 am, September 27, 2021
Every day, Anicet Mbida makes us discover an innovation that could well change the way we consume.
This Monday, he is interested in an innovation in road safety.
These are spy cameras that scrutinize our actions in the car.
The innovation of the day is a kind of “big brother” of the car. We will soon have cameras that monitor everything we do behind the wheel. If you are on the phone or writing an SMS, for example.
This is not to slap our fingers or report us to the police (otherwise nobody would buy this kind of car).
The main objective remains to improve safety.
There are already cameras that monitor the driver's eyes for signs of fatigue or falling asleep.
This time, we go much further, since the camera is able to understand what we are doing (whether we are on the phone, reading or chatting with the passengers behind).
This will allow the car, when in autonomous mode, to determine the time it would take for the driver to take control.
And to try, for example, an avoidance maneuver rather than simply sounding the alarm.
Isn't that likely to cause people to be even more distracted at the wheel?
This is the risk.
But it is also an opportunity to revive interest in semi-autonomous cars.
Today, they require you to remain attentive at all times either with sensors on the steering wheel to be sure that you always keep your hands on it;
or there again with cameras that verify that we have our eyes riveted on the road (it is extremely restrictive on the highway when there is no one there).
Hence the idea of focusing instead on the transition from autonomous mode to manual mode.
For example, by asking the driver to remain attentive, only when the traffic is denser and when he is not ready to get behind the wheel.
Another advantage: the technology will make it possible to simply point the finger at the parking space where you want to park and the car will go there directly.
A technology from the Germans of the Fraunhofer Institute which should arrive at Audi and Mercedes.