[Skippy]

This is a pretty interesting article I found at Detroit News Online


DETROIT -- From a vehicle sensor that detects lane markers to wireless technology that lets vehicles talk to each other, the latest and greatest electronic technology was the hot topic Monday at Convergence 2006 in Detroit's Cobo Center.

The biennial conference focuses on the blending of electronic and mechanical technology in vehicles. Convergence 2006 is expected to attract about 8,000 registrants this week, including engineers and executives from the transportation electronics and automotive industries.

The conference began more than 30 years ago, but is all the more relevant today.

By 2010, 90 percent of vehicle innovation will come from electronics, and software will make up 80 percent of this innovation, according to the Convergence Technical Council, which planned the event hosted by General Motors Corp. and administered by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

Among the advances in the spotlight at Convergence 2006:

Safety improvements

# High-tech sensors: Drivers are no stranger to advances in technology that help prevent deaths in collisions, like air bags. Even as engineers work on perfecting these options, others are working to prevent collisions in the first place.

NEC Electronics America Inc., for example, developed an image recognition technology that detects lane markers in real time. Later this year, in the 2007 Lexus LS460, it will be used as part of a pre-crash safety system with image recognition technology that detects when objects get too close or when a driver drifts lanes.

# Talking cars: GM is developing wireless technology that will allow vehicles within a quarter of a mile to communicate with each other. It will take a few years yet, but within the decade, GM's cars should be able to talk to each other on the road, said Varsha Sadekar, group manager for active safety and driver assistance systems at GM's Research and Development center.

# Electric brakes: At Siemens VDO Automotive, engineers are working to perfect an electronic brake to replace the mechanical version in most cars. This type of brake will have a shorter stopping distance than its mechanical counterpart and will run on less energy. Karsten Hofmann, director of product marketing at Siemens VDO, says electronic brakes should be in cars by 2010.

Also in the future

# Self-parking car: Continental Automotive Systems is developing technology that uses infrared technology to help drivers parallel park. The system would scan for possible spots, and once it finds one large enough, would take over from the driver and park the vehicle.

# Simpler controls: As electronics in cars get more complex, manufacturers are seeking ways to simplify the controls. One example is in the cockpit systems developed by Siemens VDO. The company is combining entertainment and dashboard gauge controls, replacing them with menu options on computer screen that can be selected with just a few buttons on the dash and between the front seats.

Previous systems of that kind have baffled drivers, but automakers are trying to come up with a user-friendly solution. "As we have to manage more features, there has to be a way to make (them) easier and easier to use," said James Bayley, business development manager for cockpit modules and systems.

The result is a less cluttered dash and more space for storage.



The article can be found Here



-Skippy