Hasta La Gadget!

Residing in hall space a fair distance away from the likes of the Toyota and Sony, the automotive division of Alps Electric was demonstrating a forward-looking vehicle interface at CEATEC 2012. Connecting together the company’s existing capacitive touch technology with motion sensors and eye movement cameras, the system centers on the multimodal commander — that mysterious-looking orb located below the gear stick. Navigation through it can be done through waving your hand over the device, swiping or rotating the orb like a dial. This can then move through weather, music and map programs, which are all integrated into the car’s touchscreen, while an overhanging motion sensor will also detect where your hand is headed. An Alps spokesman said that this means the system can try to predict your intentions, adjusting the UI before you reach for the controls. We’ve got a hands-on video from pretty busy showroom — and more impressions — after the break.

Continue reading Alps Electric integrates motion sensors and eye detection into vehicle cockpit of the future (video)

Filed under: GPS, Transportation

Alps Electric integrates motion sensors and eye detection into vehicle cockpit of the future (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 08:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota had said its all-electric RAV4 would be ready to tour the California streets at some point “late summer,” and with the warmest of seasons coming to an end, the Japanese company’s declared September 24th as the date the SUV will go on sale. What’s more, today’s press release reveals the RAV4 EV boasts a brilliant 103-mile range and 78 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent), which, as Autoblog points out, makes this the first non-Tesla-branded EV with an EPA rating of 100-plus miles. If all that is still not enough for you to shell out the $50,000 (not counting rebates and tax credits, of course), Toyota dealers are expected to offer a 36-month lease option for anyone in The Golden State who prefers a shorter-term commitment.

Continue reading Toyota RAV4 EV hits California roads on September 24th with 103-mile range

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Toyota RAV4 EV hits California roads on September 24th with 103-mile range originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Sep 2012 10:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A future that has self-driving cars inside are certainly not a daunting thought at all – in fact, I believe that many people who have to slug through traffic gridlocks each day as they head off to work will more than appreciate a self-driving car, especially when you do not need to engage the services of a human driver, letting you rest and relax in the vehicle’s cabin all by yourself. One of Google’s more successful side projects has been the self-driving car that you see above, and we are proud to say that this particular ride has clocked up more than 300,000 miles on its odometer, where its journey has seen the vehicle cover a huge range of traffic conditions, without a single accident happening under the guidance of its computer control.

This is definitely progress in the right direction, but I would assume that there is still plenty of work left to be done for the future. In order to deliver the best kind of self-driving vehicle experience, Google believes that they will still need to master various road conditions such as snow-covered roadways, interpret temporary construction signals while juggling a slew of other rather tricky situations which everyday drivers encounter.

Needless to say, members of the Google self-driving car team will begin to use the vehicles in a solo ride instead of being in pairs, and this new way of travel will be used to test out everyday routes such as commuting to work. Bear in mind that this would mark an important milestone, since it would brings such technology one step closer to every commuter. What would you do in a self-driving car if you knew you had an hour or so during the commute? Would you take that opportunity and doze off to catch up on your beauty sleep, or do you prefer to utilize the freed up time and indulge in a little bit of reading instead?

Many of the team members will also continue to carry out tests on their algorithms on a new type of vehicle that Google has already added to the self-driving car family over the past few months, where this step is hoped to refine their systems in various environments and on different terrain. All the best to the Lexus RX450h!

Press Release

[ Google’s Self-Driving Car clocks up 300,000 miles copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]