While not a new idea, Toyota is executing a neat play on the digital road in its new Crown Hybrid series of cars. Using infrared cameras and other sensors, a virtual representation of the road ahead is displayed under the instrument panel.
It’s smart, too; pedestrians and other objects are highlighted so the driver can be informed of things in the road before he can see them. The idea is to minimize nighttime accidents, and this is a very novel way to do just that.
No word on if it can yet see through clothes, but we’re guessing the scienticians are working on that.
Cool, but I’d love to see this as a heads-up display. . . say. . . a windshield overlay. I don’t know how useful this will be if it encourages drivers to trust what they see in the instrument planel more than what they see through the windshield.
If the obstacle highlighting is eye-catching enough, it would still be an excellent visual aid during low-visibility driving. We’re moving in the right direction!