As the world enters the dawn of the era of artificial intelligence and self-driving cars, the improvements seen in new vehicles are almost too difficult to keep track of. Technology is evolving at breakneck speed, and the rate at which new developments emerge is also increasing.
This means we can likely expect more and more changes to new car models year on year at a greater pace than ever before. Features that once seemed to be science fiction will soon become standards in the cars we see out on the road and on our driveways. Here are five of the top five improvements that are becoming standard in today's new cars and why they matter.
Biometrics
Several concept cars, including the Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR and others, have paved the way for biometrics to be introduced to the mass market in the near future. The term "biometrics" refers to biological measurements such as facial recognition and heart rate and blood pressure monitoring. These can be used in a couple different ways.
First, they can help prevent car theft. Not only would a car recognize authorized users faces and voices, but it would also be able to ensure that the face or voice they’re given isn’t a recording or replica. Secondly, biometrics can be used to improve rider safety. By monitoring the driver, these systems can ensure they are focused and attentive during their commutes.
Smart Glass
Many new cars are equipped with smart glass, which can change its tinting instantaneously to limit how much light it lets through. This helps reduce sun glare as you drive, preventing some driving errors caused by momentary impared vision.
In addition to improving safety, smart glass reduces the amount of infrared and ultraviolet rays in the car. This protects the car’s interior and upholstery from sun damage and also keeps your car cooler. When your car is naturally cooler, you’ll use less energy running the AC to cool off in the summer.
Augmented Reality Systems
Many brands are installing augmented reality screens into the windshields of new cars. These offer a wide range of applications. For example, they can alert the driver to any emerging threats on the road and inform drivers ahead of time of any moves that the car's automated driving system is going to make. They can also be used to show navigation directions on the windshield, removing the need for drivers to look away from the road while they’re driving.
This technology has the radical potential to reduce the number of accidents on the road as well as to eliminate much of the anxiety typically associated with getting behind a wheel in uncertain conditions or heavy traffic.
Connective Technology
In the era of unprecedented interconnection between devices and people, many cars feature technology that can connect cars on the road to street signs, other cars, roadside cameras, and pedestrians to eliminate accidents and improve traffic flow.
As 5G technology becomes more ubiquitous, the connections between objects on the roadway and their human passengers will increase exponentially. For example, connective technology will enable an AI-operated vehicle to interface with pedestrians using their mobile devices to create a "roadmap" of objects on the street and, in turn, take measures to avoid any potential collisions.
Fuel Efficiency
Fuel efficiency—the amount of gas that it takes to move a car from point A to point B—is something that car companies are constantly working to improve. It has been consistently improving for decades, and car companies will continue to improve it for decades more.
Moving forward, we'll see powertrain technology, hybrid, and electric technology further cut down the environmental burden of private car travel.
Future developments that the car industry will offer remain a mystery. Thanks to the advances in technology that we've seen in the early part of the 21st century, car companies can push their innovations. Going forward, we’ll see features once thought to be fantastical on our own streets.