Infiniti's Around View Monitor is watching
The Infiniti EX concept that will debut this week at the New York Auto Show features a trick piece of parking assist technology called the Around View Monitor. It uses four cameras placed around the vehicle to create a composite video feed showing an aerial view of the vehicle. While we don't know much about how it works, the system features cameras placed in the grille, beneath both side view mirrors, and below the Infiniti badge on the concept's rear hatch. The camera in the grille is especially tricky, as it's concealed when not in use and rolls out when activated. It's even chromed to match the grille! The obvious use of the system is to aid in difficult parking manuevers. As such, we bet it can only be turned on when the vehicle is in reverse. We'd love to see someone hack the system to record a trip in motion from the sky, though.
Check out the video from Infiniti after the jump to see how the system works.
[Source: Kicking Tires]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
CaliberSRT4 5:36PM (3/29/2007)
Whatever happened to using your mirrors or sticking your head out the window...heck even asking someone if it is clear to back up?
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nailz420 5:46PM (3/29/2007)
#1. it went the way of cranking the engine by hand and using your hands to signal turns
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Ethan 6:06PM (3/29/2007)
Sometimes you need to go forwards when you're stuffing your car into a parking spot. Besides, it'd take too long to keep opening and closing the front camera when you do. Here's hoping it's manually operated.
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Rohith 6:07PM (3/29/2007)
Well, where I live, if you stick your head out your window to see if it's clear to back up, you'll likely end up decapitated by an oncoming car.
It's a trick bit of technology. If it works, that is. The last clever bit of technology to come down, Lexus' automatic parallel parking system, isn't all that great, from what I've seen. We'll just have to wait until the journalists get a hold of it.
And the EX may need something like this: it looks like it has way too little glass to have even decent visibility.
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polar 6:07PM (3/29/2007)
That's too cool.
The M45 has a nice system already, but this knocks the socks off of it.
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DPC car videos 6:15PM (3/29/2007)
Hope this is better then the Lexus parking system. Although it works, my friends that have the Lexus with the system never ever use it. They just played with it for a month and that was it. The problem is it takes too long for a simple parking job. But the Infiniti system seems to have raised the technology a notch so it could actually be faster and do a better job.
http://www.dpccars.com
DPCcars
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brian Mita 7:34PM (3/29/2007)
Having learned to parallel park in a conversion van, I definitely see some use to this when you're not parking in a garage everyday, or in some of the super tight parking garages in the city. That is way trick the camera comes out though.
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heywoodjablomee 8:50PM (3/29/2007)
It would be nice if you could use it while going forward as well, There are many idiots out there that can judge the distance of the vehicle in front of them very well while parking forward into a space as well. I know I've been the victim of some jackass that has "tunked" the ass end of my ride more than once and not even had the courtesy to leave a note apologizing. It would also come in handy in stopping short of those pesky curb blocks that always clip off your front spoiler or scrape your front end.....
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Jonathan Fung 12:04AM (3/30/2007)
@ heywoodjablomee
The rule for not running into those "pesky curb blocks" is this: look under your side view mirror when you're getting into those parking spaces. When you can see the block under your side view mirror, you can stop. Of course, this may not work for all cars, since dimensions are a bit different for each, but it's a good rule of thumb.
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js 1:33AM (3/30/2007)
I guess you have to be careful not to hit objects that are ABOVE the cameras.
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Duncan 2:11AM (3/30/2007)
Does this make anyone else want to suspend a picture of a sprawled out body under one of the cameras, so that when the driver turns it on it looks they they just hit somebody? Anyway, pranks aside that looks pretty sweet to me. I guess you'll have to keep your car clean though.
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M B 4:22AM (3/30/2007)
The way it works:
Each camera has a viewing angle of about 185 degrees (yup more than 180) and they come with image processing hardware that allows you to pair up cameras and create a composite image from a faked view point like above the car by using footage from each camera. It's cool stuff. If its the same as what I've seen before the cameras are from Sony, but they were supposed to be a secret as of last summer. Guess the non-disclosures have been lifted.
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mr.ed 8:13AM (3/30/2007)
Can't last more than one winter in the Great Lakes salt belt. You folks who've never seen the damage can't imagine how a new vehicle is degraded in just a weekend. It's far worse than living by the ocean.
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Joel 11:18PM (4/05/2007)
This is what I need on my fifthwheel trailer.
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Booker 6:03PM (4/04/2007)
I think it'd be interesting if it was able to be remotely activated....say if your car was stolen.
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Ron 6:19PM (4/04/2007)
Maybe now some drivers will be able to detect when they are in a handicap parking space! Cool stuff. Next generation of cars will be bought on the electronic that they have installed not so much on the horsepower.
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