If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your car for something a little bit more up-to-date, you might want to hold off. The future is coming sooner than you think, and you won’t believe some of the space-age technologies that are coming down the pipeline into consumer cars in the next 5-10 years. So, for now, get a second-hand car for the meantime from a site like Exchange and Mart, and start saving for the future.
Vehicle to Vehicle Communication
Private transport of the future (cars, motorbikes etc.) will all be equipped with vehicle to vehicle technology (V-to-V) which will allow the vehicles to communicate with one another. The technology will work using a number of sensors placed inside and outside of the vehicles, which will transfer data between vehicles through remote Wi-Fi.
Some examples of this are already being floated on the market. For example, BMW are currently testing their automatic lights system which sees a camera on the front of the car to detect when the weather is dark, turning on full-beam headlights when there are no approaching cars. Similarly, the lights will reduce when vehicles approach to help prevent startling.
Vehicle to Environment Communication
Along the same lines of V-to-V technology, vehicles will soon be able to communicate better with the environment they are driving through (V-to-E). One way this could be used in the future is that signs could become fully digital; changing to give drivers specific information tailored to their vehicle. As an example, if a car is speeding, the sign could change to give a warning message.
Augmented Reality Technology
One of the most sci-fi related ideas that will soon be coming to fruition will be vehicle augmented reality technology. This technology will use both V-to-V and V-to-E in order to create a digital, virtual representation of the environment around the vehicle.
This could be used in a number of helpful ways, for example in created augmented windscreen technology which could superimpose directions and vital environment-relevant information onto the window in front of the driver.
Seems like a gimmick? Imagine being told by your car to divert down a different road because there is an accident at the other end of the one you’re currently driving down – the technology is very useful.
So there you have it, some of the most exciting technologies to be emerging from the automotive markets in the near future. If you need to upgrade now and can’t wait, get something second-hand to keep you going – these exciting, futuristic vehicle technologies are only years away.
