In the never ending story of how GPS has allowed drivers and travelers alike to get to their destinations faster and easier, another addition to the saga of the errant GPS and their likewise errant drivers. As in previous posts regarding GPS and their ability to go wrong (extremely wrong) and give wrong directions drivers in the UK have had their common sense so to speak driven out of them as they drive into bridge overhangs and other structures which were not taken into consideration by the GPS mapping systems. The article came to my attention from Gadzooki which has a post dated on the 18th of April which shows hilarious yet serious statistics of drivers running into bridges like the ones shown in Mr. Bean cartoons and movies. These drivers trust their high-tech GPS navigation devices so much they forget to keep their eyes on the road and mind structures their vehicles may encounter. GPS has indeed made driving a pleasure by giving the right directions and even telling us when and where to go but it would also be a good idea to consider and include real-time traffic and positional data (not forgetting to take into consideration the location of low lying bridges and structures that may not accommodate the various types of vehicles that are on the road) which is already in some advanced high-price units.
The UK is a growing market for GPS and various gizmos and gadgets are coming to the public being sold as aides to UK drivers. The advantage is that the tons of camera’s in and around major cities allows UK traffic authorities to provide up to date traffic information where the driver can select alternate routes. The growing number of vehicles on the roads of Britain are becoming more and more of a problem which results in gridlock and traffic exclusion schemes to select areas that have provided some relief.
The Uk has also been able to produce one of the most powerful computers on earth named Hector which could be used to process vast amounts of data including traffic management and other tasks for the British Government. As technology progresses and heads into the future, we would be amazed at how far it has gone in the span of our lifetimes. We would also be assured of constant laughter when technology plus humans equals less common sense which makes the drive worth taking. Watch out for that BRIDGE!!!!!!!

Written by Marcel on April 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Next in line, is technology that is mostly associated with fighter jets rather than cars. Done guessing? Its HUD’s or Head’s Up Display which display’s information onto the windshield eliminating the need, again to turn your head to change the song that is currently being played on the audio system and other car functions such as the current speed. Smarter GPS systems are getting smarter, for as more and more systems go online, so does your car. The LR2 from Land Rover has a GPS navigation system that has the ability to give directions to all the nearest emergency facilities such as hospitals. Along with the many other information such as directions, the nearest restaurant and distance from destination GPS is continuing to become more than a way top track your car and progress but enables the car to become smarter. Some vehicles have rear-view cameras that assists the driver when backing up which is usually the hardest thing to do, especially with large or high vehicles. Voice recognition technology is also finding its way into the auto industry allowing the driver to keep his eyes on the road instead of looking for the volume button or change channel on the audio system. Tied up to all the high tech systems on board, it can be used to control almost anything; the sunroof, cell phone, navigation system and much more. In the US, tire monitoring systems have become mandatory since September 1, 2007 and they have the ability to show the pressure of all four tires. Some models also have smart air pressure systems that automatically add or bleed air to maintain equal pressures as needed.

Written by Marcel on March 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment