Posted on 08/23/2003 7:00:14 PM PDT by yonif
It is the next big thing in vehicle automation: the self-parking car.
In a revolutionary development for lazy and skill-deficient drivers, Toyota engineers in Japan have developed a car that can perform a perfect reverse park between two objects.
The system will be launched in Japanese showrooms late next month as an optional extra with the second generation Prius petrol-electric hybrid car, which sells for about $40,000. The system took three years to develop and is being touted as a step towards the ultimate in vehicular automation: the self-driving car.
The self-parking system uses a rear-mounted camera and a computer program to perform its task.
After electronically measuring a parking spot and marking out a "turn-in" point with a virtual flagpole, a computer turns the steering wheel automatically, swinging the rear of the car into the spot followed by the front. It can monitor white lines and gutters, ensuring no scraped wheels and making the driver look like an expert every time.
During a recent test drive by The Age, the system worked well, expertly missing vehicles and parking in perfect position. Toyota will not say whether the self-parking system is destined for other vehicles.
Chief engineer of the Prius project, Masahiro Inoue, said the system could ultimately steer the car and keep it in lanes during regular driving."It recognises the white lines, so technically we can do that," said Mr Inoue.
"But at the same time we have several issues to avoid when it comes to drivers. We have to overcome those situations."
The clever Toyota.
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