Research Team Issued Grant to Develop Advanced Collision Detection System
Cars are becoming safer and safer every day thanks to the latest technologies, but as an San Jose auto accident attorney, I know that there’s still work to be done. That’s why it’s such a relief to see money put aside for tests that could lead to marked improvements in collision detection and safety.
Over at Leeds University in England, a team has just been given 500,000 pounds by the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) to further develop a project known as FORWARN, which aims to create an intelligent FORward collision WARNing system, hence the name.
The ultimate goal, say project leaders, is to create a system that can actually tell the difference between when a driver is paying attention to a possible obstacle and when he or she is not, thus reducing the potential for intrusive warnings popping up when they aren’t necessary.
Such systems prompt the driver to brake when needed, and some even do the braking for you. These products have been tested in North America, but some worry that outside of field tests, false warnings will simply create another driving hassle, not prevent one.
The challenge then becomes creating a product which actually tracks different driving styles. This can be achieved through infrared eye tracking, something that’s proven effective in testing situations, but which project leaders say is not quite ready for real world reliability. The ultimate goal is to have a warning system that can actually detect the difference between a distracted driver and one whose driving style simply isn’t in line with average driving procedures.
Some of the advances in car technology being made today really are quite fantastical, even to a car accident attorney in San Jose like myself. Even though we’re far away from the hover car interstate promised to us in so many works of science fiction, I’m still blown away by what comes down the pike by way of science fact.