In Brief

Publications Pictures of the Future Spring 2002

Transportation

In the near future, information and communication technologies will transform driving as well as traffic dynamics. Comfort, personalization and security will be vastly enhanced
Starting in 2003, head-up displays will provide drivers with crucial information that appears to be projected on their windshields. Drivers will no longer need to take their eyes off the road and will be able to comprehend traffic-related information more quickly and directly
By 2010, many vehicles will be equipped with digital color displays that can be personalized. Within 15 years projection displays or flexible organic light-emitting diode displays will cover large sections of the dashboard
Infotainment applications and navigation systems will be voice activated and controlled. These will go far beyond current systems. By 2010 or later they will be able to respond to casual language
Radar and video sensors will allow cars and trucks to have a 360-degree view. This will open up applications in stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, pre-crash sensing, blind spot detection, pedestrian detection and automatic parking
Starting in 2003, cars and trucks will start to become part of a telematic chain. Their onboard sensors will not only help to guide drivers out of harm's way, but will become the eyes and ears of a comprehensive, real-time travel information system that will become increasingly detailed with each new vehicle that hits the road. Crucial informa-tion about road, traffic and weather conditions derived from sensors will flash through each vehicle's navigation system for geographical postmarking before being zipped to a service provider for processing. The same information will be broadcast. Each vehicle that receives these messages will channel the data through its navigation system to determine whether the information applies to its "flight plan" and, if so, will suggest course or speed alterations to its driver