Sensor technology lets drivers safely surf the internet while at the wheel

Despite all this, being in the driving seat is one of those rare times where we get a break from emails, the internet, and social media. But in-car information and entertainment systems, dubbed infotainment systems, are getting ever more sophisticated and are bringing Web 2.0 functionality to the driver. At the forefront of this type of technology is Harman, which designs and manufactures audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. However, one of the main challenges is how to deliver it safely without distracting the driver. "As we are moving forward in this digital age, we are putting ever more content in to the car," says Hans Roth, director of business development at Harman. "Content coming from Facebook, Twitter, or emails: we need to offer this to drivers, but critically we must provide it in a safe way." Harman has been developing various man/machine interfaces over the last few years including voice recognition, haptic touchscreens and steering wheel buttons. But it now wants to add gesture recognition to the mix. By installing infrared and camera sensors in to a car, Harman wants to make it possible for drivers simply to flick their hand or shake their head to change radio station or finish a phone call. Such a system, of course, makes a lot more sense than voice recognition, looking for buttons to push, or using a touchscreen that requires even more accuracy, meaning your eyes need to look at a console or button for longer, when they should be focused on the road. "In certain cases, simple gestures are much easier than voice recognition or anything else," says Roth. "Swiping your hand over a certain area, which you do not have to look at, to change songs or radio station for example, is faster and easier than if you give a verbal command like 'next radio station'." However, most drivers use body language fairly regularly to – for instance – wave a person across the road, thank someone for giving way, or to express displeasure at another driver for one reason or another. The last thing the driver wants is for such a gesture to trigger a phonecall to the office or change radio stations. "We often use the example of the Italians, who, from a cultural point of view, do tend to be very 'active' with their gestures whilst driving," says Roth. "The gestures used therefore need to be so simple that they are not easily misinterpreted. We are being very selective in developing this gesture catalogue. Additionally, the sensors themselves will only 'look' in a certain area." This area could be in the general vicinity of the main console and the gearstick for example and drivers would not need to be too accurate when waving a hand in front of it. Harman has developed a means of accessing internet content in the car on what it calls 'Aha Radio'. The technology acts like a radio band, i.e. FM, AM, DAB and Aha, and offers access to podcasts, traffic, internet radio and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. "The system is able to read out posts of friends, Twitter feeds, emails or local traffic," says Roth. "In terms of functionality, it is like selecting a radio station. This is the way we envisage internet usage while driving." Whether the system will be smart and quick enough to enable voice dictation to post on Facebook, tweet or reply to emails is still unclear. However, this is more than likely not far away and is something Harman is developing. However, the increased use of internet and social media while driving could not be a concern at all in the near future, following a project in Spain. The Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE) allows cars to follow a lead vehicle in convoy. The project recently demonstrated the technology on public roads with a road train comprising a number of driverless vehicles (a Volvo XC60, a Volvo V60, a Volvo S60 and a truck) following a lead vehicle, which was driven on a public motorway among other road users. The joint venture, which includes Ricardo UK and Volvo uses wireless communication to allow trailing vehicles to 'mimic' the lead vehicle using Ricardo's autonomous control; accelerating, braking and turning in exactly the same way as the leader. The project aims to allow drivers to switch on the technology, join the convoy and relinquish control of the vehicle to a computer. This will allow the driver to work on a laptop, talk on a mobile phone or use a smartphone or tablet. Linda Wahlström, project manager for the SARTRE project at Volvo Car Corporation, says: "Sitting in a car just 6m behind another one while travelling at 85km/h and relying totally on the technology may feel a bit scary. But the experiences gained so far indicate that people acclimatise very quickly. "Everything should function without any infrastructure changes to the roads or expensive additional components in the cars. Apart from the software developed as part of the project, it is really only the wireless network installed between the cars that sets them apart from other cars available in showrooms today."