New Technology For Acura

Anthony Fontanelle
November 28, 2007

While the demand today is increasing for green vehicles such as hybrids and pseudo hybrids, automakers are still not losing focus on making their cars more comfortable and convenient for consumers. Although millions are being spent by automakers on green technologies, they are still developing technologically advanced features worthy of a closer look.

One such new technology is developed by Honda's luxury division Acura. The automaker recently announced that they have succeeded in developing a technology which makes it more convenient for drivers to maintain the relative coolness of their vehicles’ interior.

The said technology uses Global Positioning Satellite technology to establish the position of the vehicle in relation to the sun. This is done to take into consideration which side of the vehicle is facing the sun. With that information available to the onboard computer, it will control the air-conditioning unit to increase or decrease ventilation. This means that passengers or the driver will no longer have to adjust air conditioning vents or roll down the windows to adjust the temperature inside the cabin thus reducing the risk of being distracted.

This may sound new but automakers are already using GPS technology for other functions. OnStar technology which is widely offered to General Motors products is based on GPS which determines the position of the car and gives the traffic situation ahead. Other vehicle features also use different cutting edge technologies like the collision mitigation braking systems which uses radar to determine the distance between a vehicle and the rear bumper of the vehicle. This information is used to activate the brakes or prime it when the distance between the two cars can result to a collision.

There are also features which warn drivers if a vehicle has entered their blind spot. The BLIS developed by Volvo uses sensors and cameras to determine if a vehicle has entered the blind spot of the driver. The system then warns the driver thus reducing the risk of an accident. With the advent of technology, features like these will no longer be confined to high end vehicles like Acura alternator -equipped RDX or Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, or BMW vehicles. Soon, all vehicles will be equipped with this as the drive for safer roads continues. Automakers are still continuing the development of the aforementioned features and others not mentioned. This continual development will lead to the cost of production being cut to make such products affordable for more and more consumers.

Source:  Amazines.com