The spotlight over the last year has been on the automotive industry as massive recalls have been issued by Toyota due to faulty throttle pedals and other systems that caused vehicles to accelerate out of control in some cases. The resulting recalls were some of the largest in automotive history.
Another result of the recalls has been a push by automakers and the federal government to include new safety features on vehicles that include things like brake overrides and airline-style black boxes to record crash data. Chip making giant Intel is working on technology for intelligent cars that could take advantage of sensors installed on vehicles already on the road to report a wide variety of things to insurance companies and authorities.
The technology would use sensors and recording capability to capture and transmit video and other information to police and insurance companies in the event of an accident to make it easier to find the cause of a crash. Intel even envisions the technology allowing the car to take over from a driver in the event that the motorist loses control. Telegraph reports that Intel has been in talks with automakers to integrate this sort of tech into vehicles.
The proposed camera systems in the car would record video footage inside and outside the vehicle. The video would also allow the car to recognize street signs. If a driver was trying to go the wrong way down a one way street the car could take over and stop the vehicle before an accident occurred. One nice feature of the intelligent vehicles would be using GPS and sensors on the car to detect potholes and turn the location of the potholes in to maintenance depots for repairs.
The smart technology would also allow the drivers to lock and unlock their vehicle via a smartphone or a computer and the car could also be started using the tech.
Intel's Justin Ratner said, "We are looking at a whole range of enhancements that will improve the driving experience, safety and security of vehicles. The intelligent vehicle is what we are talking about here. Once a car is connected, more or less on a continuous basis, all sorts of interesting possibilities present themselves."
