Safety

If BMW's rumbling steering wheel, Infiniti's Lane Departure Prevention system, and Volvo's coffee-break alert are not enough to keep you awake at the wheel, then Toyota may have developed just the thing for you. According to its announcement today, Toyota has developed an enhancement to its Pre-Crash safety system that can determine whether or not a driver's eyes are open. The system relies on a driver-monitoring camera and image-processing computer, which determine the position of the driver's upper and lower eyelids. The development follows Toyota's existing face-monitoring technology--available on the Lexus LS600h--which tracks … Read more

Correction 10:35 a.m. PST: This blog initially misidentified the prime minister of Israel. He is Ehud Olmert. It also misidentified the person whose speech can be found on the Project Better Place Web site--it is by Shai Agassi--and as such an earlier version of this post also incorrectly attributed a quote from that speech.

Renault-Nissan, the government of Israel, and an electric charging station start-up founded by Shai Agassi are mounting an effort to make electric cars part of ordinary life in Israel in the next decade.

Project Better Place, Agassi's organization, will try to build 500,… Read more

A company with the unwieldy name of Making Virtual Solid has developed a new way for drivers to follow GPS directions, a virtual line projected onto a car's windshield. The technology, called Virtual Cable, uses existing heads-up-display components and standard GPS navigation systems, but would have to be factory-installed. From videos on the company's site, the system looks very usable, and a big improvement over current route guidance systems. The beauty of Virtual Cable is that it shows route guidance over real streets, as opposed to navigation screens, which show arrows on a map that the driver then … Read more

Despite the pickup truck and cow catcher styling, the prototype of the military's new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) from Oshkosh Truck and Northrop Grumman promises better maneuverability, survivability, and payload capacity over the HMMWV it's designed to replace.

The U.S. Army and Marine Corps want something that comes armor-equipped, fuel-efficient, and air-droppable. It also wants a vehicle that can run on two flats and endure sustained small-arms fire. But most of all, performance must "exceed" that of the HMMWV, better known as the Humvee--which means it has to be more mine-resistant and ambush-proof than … Read more

There are several powerful LED systems to improve road vision in cars, and just as many for bicycles to be seen by them. But with so many night-vision solutions apparently in search of a problem, there must be a way to make the technology widely available for safer driving after dark.

Digital imaging company Flir Systems, which specializes in infrared photography, has taken a step toward that goal with a deal to install its "PathFindIR" thermal imaging technology in BMWs, according to Gadget Venue. The system improves illumination and detects heat (as in warm bodies) as well, displaying … Read more

As we were just saying, bike technology is doing its best to catch up with car equipment, especially where LED devices are concerned. "Bicygnals" are no exception, and they provide important safety features to boot.

No ordinary turn indicators, these ultrabright front and back LED units are connected wirelessly by radio waves so they'll blink simultaneously as needed, according to Shiny Shiny. The absence of wires comes in handy for another reason: It's easier to pull them off the bike to take with you.

We applaud the effort, but we'd still like to see a … Read more

Readers of CNET Car Tech will be familiar with advanced safety systems such as collision-avoidance sensors, lane-departure warning devices, and adaptive cruise control. Trouble is, if you don't own a recently produced luxury car, you are unlikely to see the benefit of this technology. Mobileye is about to change that by making its AWS-4000 available in the aftermarket. Mobileye has some experience in this department as it is the active-safety supplier of choice for Volvo, BMW, and GM. The AWS-4000 (the acronym stands for Advance Warning System) is made up of three components: a monocular camera, which is mounted … Read more

Will a new anti-theft tool from General Motors and OnStar be enough to make your car not worth the hassle of stealing?

The Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, a new feature added to OnStar, takes away the ability to use a car's gas pedal, while allowing braking and steering controls to work.

OnStar, which already communicates with a car's engine through software, will now use that platform to bypass a driver's foot on the gas pedal and automatically slow down a car by preventing any further acceleration.

OnStar said it will only enable the service if a situation meets … Read more

Excitement is building in the world of car tech as the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge approaches. The event, which is the third and most demanding to date in the DARPA Challenge series, requires driverless vehicles to perform mock military supply missions completely autonomously. Over a 60-mile course, the robotic cars will be required to merge into moving traffic, navigate traffic circles, negotiate busy intersections, and avoiding obstacles. Thirty-five teams will compete in the Grand Challenge semifinals taking place between October 26 and 31, with 20 vehicles going on to compete in the final race on November 3. Check out our … Read more