Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Parking assist one-upsmanship: New VW system doesn't need driver in car]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/23/parking-assist-one-upsmanship-new-vw-system-doesnt-need-driver/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/23/parking-assist-one-upsmanship-new-vw-system-doesnt-need-driver/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/23/parking-assist-one-upsmanship-new-vw-system-doesnt-need-driver/#commentsFiled under: , ,



The honchos at VW decided that Park Assist (PA) wasn't enough. That's where the car parallel parks itself while you twiddle your thumbs behind the wheel, and when the Fasten Seat Belt sign is extinguished you can get out and go on about your business. The latest development from VW is called Park Assist Vision (PAV), and it will park the car for you in any kind of spot -- parallel or perpendicular -- and you don't even need to be in the car.

A PAV-equipped car is ringed with cameras and ultrasonic sensors, and when you find a spot you want, you select it on a touchscreen. You place the car in "P" and get out if you have that much faith in technology not to scratch your paint. Your remote control keyfob tells the car what to do from then on, and the car parks itself, shuts down and locks itself up, as any happy android car should.

PAV is still in development, but it's a neat idea. It could especially come in handy when trying to slip into one of those ever-shrinking "compact" parking spaces, since it's so hard to get out of the car once you get in the space. Now if they could develop a feature that actually locates available parking spaces for you, we'd be in business.

[Source: Autocar]

Parking assist one-upsmanship: New VW system doesn't need driver in car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>driver aiddriver aidsDriverAidDriverAidspark assistpark assist visionParkAssistParkAssistVisionparkingtechnologyvolkswagenvwWed, 23 Apr 2008 17:27:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1175467/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/04/23/parking-assist-one-upsmanship-new-vw-system-doesnt-need-driver/1175467/article-detail.xml 1175467 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/vw_pav_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/vw_pav.jpg <![CDATA[BMW named top brand for telematics]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/30/bmw-named-top-brand-for-telematics/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/30/bmw-named-top-brand-for-telematics/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/30/bmw-named-top-brand-for-telematics/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

According to the Telematics Research Group (TRG), the crafty engineers at BMW are the most technologically savvy bunch selling cars in North America-- at least as far as telematics go. The upscale Bavarian marque headed the TRG Automotive Technology Index thanks to its range of available "key telematics, infotainment and driver assist technology." Composed of 30 different metrics in six categories, BMW edged Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac to take the top spot, with Infiniti and Lexus rounding out the top five.

Advances in driver assist technology like lane-departure warning systems and adaptive cruise control have largely been introduced in brand flagships like BMW's 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz's S-Class, with features trickling down to the rest of the lineup as time goes on.

That said, innovations like BMW's all-in-one metallic porkpie hat (otherwise known as iDrive) have had their share of detractors and glitches, with not everyone warming to the influx of electronics in their vehicles. Obviously, however, that hasn't deterred the brand from moving forward with various technological initiatives.

[Source: DrivingToday.com; AutoReview.ru]

BMW named top brand for telematics originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Apr 2006 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BenzBMWDriver aidDriverAidGPSGUIiDriveS-ClassTelematicsTRGUltimate Driving MachineUltimateDrivingMachineSun, 30 Apr 2006 19:04:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/613414/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2006/04/30/bmw-named-top-brand-for-telematics/613414/article-detail.xml 613414 http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/04/idrive-with-hand-resized_thumbnail.jpg http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/04/idrive-with-hand-resized.jpg -1 2