New windshield by GM may allow the vision impaired to drive again
GM is working on a new technology that might just get the aging 65 plus drivers with vision problems back on the road. This new technology involves radical technology that will work in conjunction with the windshield.
Using lasers, infrared sensors and a camera this new technology will enhance visibility of the environment through the windshield using visual cues. According to Yahoo because the 65 plus population will more than double in the next 20 years this technology may become more crucial for a large part of the population.
One of the examples given how this technology will help the elderly is by displaying the edge of the road during foggy weather using a laser indicator or showing visible cues to objects, people and animals in the road as well.
Not only is GM working on such technology it seems Chrysler is working on a similar technology of their own. These automobile manufacturers are banking on statistics showing the explosion of senior citizens in the next decade.
This technology all sounds so fantastic like from a sci-fi movie but many seem to doubt it’s usefulness.
GM researcher Thomas Seder indicates the type of opposition he has been getting by stating:
“They say, `That would be very frustrating or confusing, to have things on my windshield. I need to see the world,’” Seder said. “I’m enhancing the world. I’ll take a feature that should be important to you, like the edge of the road, and paint a line over the real edge.”
I can see the issues this technology could also raise. The concept sounds sound and promising but what happens when the windshield fails to display a person properly and an accident happens to someone that normally shouldn’t be behind the wheels?
I can see so many legal and political ramification this could give rise to. Who would be responsible the driver, the technology or the manufacturer?
Like Stan Lee puts it wisely “With great power comes great responsibility.” Excelsior!
Related Posts:
