The Philippine Online Chronicles

There once was a time when getting in your car meant twisting a key to unlock the doors and using that same key to start the engine. Driving, meanwhile, entailed using making full use of your senses—eyes, ears, even common sense—to make sure you don’t get into an accident. And the controls were likewise “true” in terms of feel and feedback with every rut and pothole felt.

As science and technology progressed, man likewise craved more comfort, convenience and performance in just about everything he does—driving being no exception. Over the last few decades, we’ve witnessed the birth of more powerful, more performance oriented, and feature-packed cars that met these demands. As if this wasn’t enough, these same cars started to do practically everything for its owner—save for cooking their meal.

Welcome to the age of the high-tech car. Yes, technology has certainly played a large part in making life on the road more comfortable, hassle-free and safer. Here are just some of the tech that have gone into your car lately:

Doing things for you

Smart Access: Keys seem to be going out of fashion for a lot of carmakers, as a lot of them have ditched these in favor of proximity keys that allow you to unlock/lock the doors and the trunk and start/shut down the engine. From the high-end BMWs, Audis and Mercedes-Benzes, to the more “mass market” Toyota Camry and its compact brother Corolla Altis now feature this convenience. No need to take the key out of your pocket or purse to get in and start your car.

Hands-Free Parking: As the name suggests, you don’t need to hold that steering wheel to maneuver into that parking space. Seen on cars like the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, the system works best for the much-dreaded parallel parking move. Simply get ahead of your desired space, slot the shifter into reverse, set the system and wait for the prompt. Once you get the “go signal”, just control the car via the gas and brake pedals while the steering wheel “steers” for you into the space. It practically takes the guesswork out of the “sweat-inducing parking chore”.

Entertainment on the go

In-car Entertainment: It all started with the car radio followed by 8-tracks, cassette tapes and CDs. Now, cars don’t only feature the en vogue MP3, iPod/portable music player connectivity, and DVD functions, today’s ICE (in-car entertainment) systems even feature Bluetooth and wireless syncing of mobile phones and other wireless devices. You can even control these devices via the same buttons that manipulate the ICE system.

GPS and connectivity: Yes, you read it right: GPS or Global Positioning Satellite. Integrated into the entertainment system, you can now find your way around the Metro or even select destinations in and around the country via the GPS network. Some clever systems even get real-time traffic updates and show the locations of malls, restaurants and gas stations, among others. Some cars even allow you to check your email and update your Facebook status while in your car? Cool huh?

A Safer Drive

City and Pedestrian Safety: Volvo, touted as the builder of some the safest vehicles on the road, recently pioneered technologies that make driving in urbanized areas a lot safer for all. City Safety, for instance, can detect if you are about to hit a stationary object or even better, if that car in front of you suddenly comes to a stop. The system works best in slow-moving traffic and will send out an audible warning to alert the driver. If he/she doesn’t take appropriate action, the car (like Volvo’s XC60 SUV) will apply the brakes to avoid a rear-end collision.

Pedestrian Safety, meanwhile, takes this a step further as it can even recognize people and take the same action in similar situations. Seen on the latest-generation Volvo S60 sports sedan, this feature comes in handy for countries like ours which is considered as the texting capital of the world.

Drowsiness Detector: Can’t seem to stay awake while behind the wheel, especially on your way home on those late nights? Thanks to drowsiness detection systems fast making their way into our cars, this may soon be a thing of the past. Using sensors that monitor eye and facial movements, the system will emit audible and even vibrating alerts to “wake you up” and get you back on track. In fact, there are new systems being developed that can sense if you’re intoxicated and won’t start the car until you sober up (or let someone else drive).

Night driving aids: Speaking of nighttime drives, these are fast becoming safer thanks to tech. The more basic aids include HID (High-Intensity Discharge) or xenon headlamps and the more high-tech (and cooler looking) LED (Light Emitting Diode) headlights. Not only are they brighter, they likewise require less power to get them shining.

If these aren’t enough, the more high-end models like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7-Series luxury sedans even come with Night Vision Assist system. Based on the once-exclusive-to-the-military gadget, you can now see the brighter road ahead on a screen that’s usually located within the driver’s line of sight—the instrument cluster

There are many other high-tech gadgets and gizmos making their way into our cars. Of course, nothing beats good old-fashioned use of our senses (yes common sense included) to keep us safe. Moreover, you may want to try and stay awake and alert amidst all those comfort and convenience goodies. As for cars cooking your meal, this might not be too far off as traffic (particularly in urban areas) becomes worse, forcing us to spend more time on the road.

Photo from Flickr. com. Some rights reserved.