Archive for the ‘Smart Cars’ Category
Author: Christine Harrell
Although the concept of car shipping may seem simple, car owners often find many of the decisions they have to make confusing. For example, what’s the difference between terminal and door-to-door service and how do these choices impact you?
Terminal Shipping
Many car shipping companies use terminals to coordinate their loads. A terminal is often simply a big parking lot. The car owner drops the car off at a terminal near the starting point. The car is held there until sufficient vehicles are heading in the same direction. The vehicles are all loaded on a truck which drives to a terminal near the destination where the owner can pick it up.
Some shippers offer discounts for terminal-to-terminal auto transport. This is a convenient method for people who live in dense downtown areas where door-to-door service might be impossible.
On the other hand, the car may sit in the terminal for days, subject to theft and vandalism. The terminals have better security than the owner’s garage, but the concentration of cars is a tempting target for criminals. The car is likely to be exposed to the elements which can also lead to damage, and the contract will almost certainly have a clause to absolve the shipper of weather-related damage. Read the rest of this entry »
Time is a key factor in today’s active lifestyle of people that translates into a need for fast, effective and efficient means of transportation. To cater to the needs of modern day transportation, innovative technologies are coming forth almost daily. For the tasks as common as going out to and coming back from the work place to the more complex needs of transporting goods, the automobile industry seems to be coming up with ever new concepts and producing new means of transportation.
Cars, Buses, Electric Trams and many other ways of transportation have been developed. Automobile industry is a popular industrial sector and there is ever increasing need of automobiles resulting in their increased production. New faster, safer, trendy and effective vehicles are being introduced in the market continually to cater to the needs of this ever-increasing demand. With this enhanced demand and the resultant increased production of the automobiles, a major concern which has emerged is of environmental pollution resulting from the direct exhaust emissions as well as the indirect impacts resulting from the procedures employed in the production units. This fact coupled with the fact that the fossil fuels are in limited supply and the dependence on these has to be curtailed especially for the sake of our next generations, vehicles with improved performance and with less dependence on fossil fuels are the need of the hour. Fortunately many governments, the environmentalists and the engineers are taking the matter more seriously and are trying to develop more environment friendly means of transportation to minimize environmental pollution. Newer and more efficient industrial procedures are being employed to reduce the indirect environmental pollution effect as well. To cater to these objectives, there are hybrid automobiles in the market that promise better performance and low (ill) environmental impact. Biofuels are also gaining popularity as an alternate fuel. Read the rest of this entry »
By Mike Trudel, Freelance Writer
If you believe that your cell phone is only capable of making a phone call, then you also likely believe that your car key is only able to start your vehicle’s engine. The fact is, much as your cell phone has evolved into a multitasking communications device, your car key has undergone quite an evolution since the simple brass key that turned the engine of the Model T. Motivated by sophisticated technology, customer convenience and industry efforts to reduce auto theft, automotive manufacturers are introducing high-tech car keys that do more than just unlock your door and start your car.
It started innocently enough when key fob technology first emerged in the 1980s…a convenient device to remotely lock and unlock doors, open the trunk or activate car alarms. Vehicle security took on added importance in the 1990s when vehicle thefts were costing car owners billions of dollars a year, thus spawning the development of anti-theft ignition immobilizers.
Ignition immobilizers consist of an electronic chip in the key that communicates with an on-board vehicle computer. When the key is inserted in the ignition, its chip performs an encrypted communication with the car’s computer, asking it if an algorithmic code ? a number with billions of combinations ? is correct. If the code is correct, the computer starts the car. The code is reset with a different series of numbers each time the key is used.
Due to successful advancements in automotive engineering, that’s now ancient technology. Today’s new key technology has progressed far beyond ignition immobilization. In some new systems, you don’t even need a key!
One of the new systems on the market allows the owner to activate the locking and starting systems by simply having a keyless fob in a pocket or purse – within a few feet. Imagine struggling with an armload of groceries. Upon reaching your car, instead of fumbling for car keys, you simply pull open the door, unload your packages, jump in, hit the engine “start” button and drive off. How does it do that? When the owner approaches and touches the car, antennas pick up the signal and validate the key code. Inside, another antenna validates the keyless fob’s presence, allowing the owner to simply press the start button and drive off.
Another new car key technology is giving parents of teenage drivers added peace of mind. This type of car key allows parents to add all types of remote supervisory features to a new car. Each key can be programmed to limit top speed, add extra seat belt warnings, limit the volume of the car stereo and more.
For example, the seat belt-reminder feature can be programmed to continuously alert the driver to buckle up rather than shutting off after a few minutes. And it can shut down the audio system and add a reminder on the display that lets the occupants know that buckling up will unmute the stereo. Additional programming can include an early low-fuel warning that can be set to go off at 75 miles to empty instead of 50, and limits can be placed on the vehicle’s top speed.
As with all new technology, these new advanced keys take some getting used to. For one, today’s keys, with all their electronics, can be expensive to replace. Keys and key fobs can cost from $50 to $300 to replace, which includes the hardware and reprogramming costs.
There’s also a learning curve when it comes to getting acclimated to these advanced keys, especially the sophisticated keyless systems. For example, users of keyless systems have to remember to turn off the engine after exiting the car and remind themselves to give the fob to valet parking attendants.
So where is the future of the “key” heading?
How about using your car key as a replacement for your credit card? The idea behind this developing key technology combines a high-tech microchip system with a vehicle’s key fob to produce a secure contactless payment system and key in one package, ready to pay for everything from parking, tolls and maintenance, to groceries and clothing. Such integration of devices into a single unit, especially disparate technologies like keys and credit cards, functions to simultaneously downsize the growing amount of “stuff” we have to tote for everyday survival while bonding its users into that particular system…a strong loyalty marketing ploy.
Experts believe the next evolution will probably be biometrics…recognizing fingerprints, an iris or speech. Much research and development remains as biometrics entails an order of difficulty that is much higher, particularly since it’s hard to recognize biosystems accurately and quickly. But make no mistake, like everything else on our cars, vans, SUVs and trucks, key and key fob technology will continue to gain in sophistication.
About the Author: Mike Trudel, Freelance Writer. Delphi Corporation is poised to apply its expertise and know-how to provide vehicle manufacturers and consumers with in-vehicle entertainment and connectivity. To learn more about Delphi Corporation, please visit www.Delphi.com/4Connected.
Source: www.isnare.com
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By Brenda Williams
The automobile industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, specific attention is paid to the design of an automobile and the art of designing automobiles has a lot of science involved to it. Designers need to even look at the ergonomics when they are designing the appearance of a car. The people working on the design of a car are called automotive engineers. Normally, these people hold degrees in industrial design or transportation design.
Developing the visual appearance and the overall aesthetics of the car is the major job criterion. It is further divided into exterior styling, interior styling and color and trim design. The design of the vehicle needs to be in harmony with all its functions and accessories. Exterior styling refers to the exterior shape, surfaces, proportions and the external design of the car. Virtual models are first created before the actual prototypes. The main purpose of interior styling is to provide maximum convenience and comfort to the passenger. The shape, proportion and surfaces are also important here. The instrumental panel, seats, doors, windows, dash board etc are fall under the broad category of interior styling. The color and trim design team is primarily responsible for researching, designing and developing all the colors and materials which will be used in the interior and exterior design of the vehicle. Often, these designs follow a particular theme or concept. With the advent of computers and technology, computer-aided design is used by graphic designers to design 3D models of cars.
Historically, automotive design was not as significant as it is today. In 1924, a turning point occurred when General Motors decided to make annual model changes and urged the customers to develop a need to replace their car each year. Alfred P. Sloan Jr., the head of General Motors, referred to the strategy as dynamic obsolescence whereas critics slammed it as being planned obsolescence. Ford did not adopt this strategy and hence by 1931 General Motors outsold Ford. After that period the design of the car has acquired utmost importance in the eyes of a customer and car manufacturers constantly update models, even if the underlying function and design of the car remain the same.
Along with the physics of the car and a need to be aerodynamically stable, car manufacturers also need to focus their attention on the psychology of the customer. When a powerful car is mentioned, the image of a sleek design with a low and wide base comes to the mind since many of the sports cars manufactured follow that general theme. However, we have internalized these notions and we tend to generalize along these lines. It is difficult for manufactures to go beyond these stereotypes and beyond the psychology of the mass audience to innovate greatly. Car manufactures are constantly looking for major innovation to cater to market differentiation. Concept cars are often produced as prototypes to judge the reaction of people. Many car manufacturers believe that a concept that lacks context is simply confusing so there is great interest in developing stories around concept cars to create popularity.
About the Author: Auto Transport Company
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By Brenda Williams
There is a going trend towards microchip based sensing mechanisms being embedded in consumer electronics to ensure a greater capacity of these products to react according to the environment. “Smart” technology has changed the world of electronics by giving them an ability to mimic the human ability of thinking. It does so by following a series of processes. The technology is also being used in cars to provide greater convenience to the customer. Cars already have advanced navigation systems and GPS but there is an integrated transportation system in the works, which could potentially electronically link all cars to direct drivers away from traffic jams and provide alternative routes. Present day navigation systems can also be updated with real time traffic updates to facilitate drivers.
There are many innovations that are already available in the market today whereas the others are still in the developmental phase. Let us now look at some of the possible features of future cars individually. Advanced flexible fuel systems will allow car users to use different fuels interchangeably, increasing mileage and convenience significantly. Hybrid cars use this technology but researchers are looking to combine all the technologies in one car. Active tires are being developed to handle different road conditions accordingly. Autopilot is a common feature in airplanes but soon it can become a part of everyday cars as well. The technology of GPS can be extended or roads can be magnetized to make this huge futuristic leap in the world of cars.
One major cause of concern is the high number of accidents that take place on the roads. A lane-changer warning system is being developed, prompting the driver to change lanes when it is safe to. Cars such as the 2007 Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90 are offering technology like this but on a very limited scale. Collision mitigation systems are being developed as well to improve braking and to provide tightening of seatbelts where there is a possibility of an accident. Engines that will save gas and cause less pollution by controlling the amount of air drawn into the engine are being developed and the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class has an engine like this. One major hassle for customers is the damage caused to the paint of the car due to scratches and marks; a self-cleaning paint is being developed to solve this problem. Nissan is already looking into a topcoat made from an elastic resin that can prevent some scratches. A popular feature being developed in smart cars is the ability to park itself. Toyota has developed cars with such technology in Japan for parallel parking whereas BMW has gone one step further and the driver can actually operate from outside the car as well. A cool feature in the works is called Electric Window Tinting, which will enable the windows to switch from clear to tinted or opaque just by the push of a button.
Certain features are already being integrated in cars but their use is not widespread. Keyless entry and ignition is one such feature, the use of it is expected to increase in the future. Adaptive Brake lights are also being used, specifically by Mercedes-Benz in limited models. Cars with an economy mode are also being manufactured where the car turns off non- essential features to conserve fuel. Don’t be surprised if these features form a part of everyday cars in the future.
About the Author: Auto Transport Quote
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