Few technological advancements have been as important in the auto industry as the development of carbon fiber. Lighter yet stronger than most materials that were once used in building vehicles, carbon fiber has become an integral element in the development of some of the world’s fastest and most powerful cars on the planet, including Formula One race cars.
On their end, Lexus knows a thing or two about supercars with the development of the LF-A. The company has even taken to new lengths to provide the LF-A with the best possible materials by building their very own carbon fiber loom to create the carbon fiber materials that will be used in the LF-A.
The revolutionary loom is able to weave three-dimensional carbon fiber shapes that will be put in the company’s supercar, including the steering wheel and the A-pillar. Knowing the great lengths company’s go through to outfit as much carbon fiber as possible on their supercars, Lexus saw fit to take the game to a whole new level with the invention of the carbon fiber loom, a technology that’s the first of its kind in the world.
Eventually, the machine will also be used to create materials for other Lexus models, signaling a concrete step in helping bring the weight down and improve performance of the company’s future vehicles.
Check out the video featuring Lexus’ new carbon fiber loom. If there ever was any indication just how fast technology is shaping the auto industry today, this is it.
Watch what you’re thinking because Ferrari may soon be able to read your mind and interpret what you’re thinking! Sound scary? Well it kind of is. The Italian company is working on a new revolutionary technology that will be able to read a driver’s mental and physical state and adjust the car’s stability and traction control to coincide with them.
Here’s how it works: "The biometric sensors may comprise a piezoelectric measuring device for measuring the driver’s respiration, a device for measuring the driver’s blood pressure and heart rate, a television camera for monitoring the driver’s eyes (blink rate) to determine the driver’s alertness, a device for monitoring the electric activity of the driver’s brain, a device for recording the driver’s surface temperature and a device for recording the conductivity of the driver’s skin (to determine the degree of perspiration)."
Ferrari believes this technology is necessary because "Drivers tend to miscalculate — in particular, overestimate — their driving skill and, more importantly, their psychophysical condition, with the result that driver-selected dynamic vehicle performance simply reflects the driver’s wish, as opposed to the driver’s actual psychophysical condition and proficiency."
Basically, they are telling us that we are all too stupid to realize that just because we want the car to do something, doesn’t mean it will actually do it. The bad part is that, with some people, they are probably right. What would be cool is if this technology could kick out the drivers that text while driving, or better yet, the ones that drive under the influence. That would be a lifesaver.
Audi has unveiled today a new version of the Autonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peak, the car that can drive itself. The new TTS Pikes Peak will make its first high-speed test runs up Pikes Peak in Colorado this fall.
The Autonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peak is based on a street-ready Audi TTS sports car. An Audi TTS was chosen due to its native systems. The drive-by-wire throttle and a semiautomatic DSG gearbox were a good fit with the electronics that allow the car to drive without human input.
The design of the TTS Pikes Peak was inspired by the rally car themes from the 1980s.
“We were very much inspired by the Pikes Peak race cars,” noted Raul Cenan, Lead Designer on the TTS project. “But there was very different technology used in those cars overall. So we decided to go with more modern elements that were heritage-inspired.“
The hardware added to the TTS is really no different than any laptop computer. The car currently uses two computers in its trunk – one running safety critical algorithms using Oracle’s Real Time Java (Java RTS) and the other running vehicle dynamics algorithms. The two sets of algorithms are what enable the TTS to drive at the limits of handling on a variety of surfaces, speeds and conditions.
The differential GPS system keeps the TTS within two centimeters of its mark on a normal course. Since Pikes Peak is anything, but normal, the research team would like to get that number down to one meter.
The Audi TTS Pikes Peak will also be attempting a Guiness Book of World Record as it makes a land speed attempt at the El Mirage Lake dry-lake bed in southern California or another nearby location in the Fall as well as attempting fastest speed in an autonomous vehicle.
UPDATE 11/19/2010: The Autonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peak has climbed Pikes Peak. Hit the jump for the details!
All you speed demons with no regard for road rules better be careful. A new speed camera with state-of-the-art technology is going to be watching your every move, and there’s a pretty good chance that its cameras will capture all your road indiscretions, right down to the smallest of seconds.
The system, which is being called ‘Asset’ – short for Advanced Safety and Driver Support for Essential Road Transport – performs a variety of functions designed to detect traffic infractions. Not only can it detect the car’s certain speed at any given point in time, but it can also run your plate number to ensure that the vehicle’s insurance and tax are on the up and up. It can also measure the distance between two cars to determine if tailgating is being done, as well as take photos of the car’s interior to ensure that the occupants, especially the driver are all wearing seatbelts. And the most amazing part? This camera can run through all of those actions in a matter of seconds.
The system’s testing and development is being done at the VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland with funding estimated at somewhere around £7million. If everything goes according to the timeline, the system should be up and running in Europe in 2013 with each system costing around £50,000 each.
There has been much excitement following Audi’s first ever appearance at SEMA, with show goers anticipating great things from the German marque. They failed to disappoint by unveiling a very cool wireless charging system.
Everybody hates annoying wires in their daily lives, especially in their cars. How many times have you had your phone plugged into the lighter socket and it rang. You answer it and realize the cord isn’t long enough to reach your ear. It may seem inconsequential, but we assure you that it is both annoying and impractical.
Audi Electronics Research Lab have, in collaboration with Qualcomm Incorporated and Peiker, developed a very effective solution to charging your mobile device while on the move. The technology works using a single connection that ensures the device is also close at hand. Arguably its best attribute is that it still maintains both Bluetooth and Wireless abilities while connected, meaning you can still surf the net or transfer data all while the device is charging. The system will be available as an option in their vehicles next year.
The wireless charger is another example of how Audi is enhancing its customer convenience through innovation in electronics and connectivity, said David Tait, Audi of America lead After Sales executive. "The Audi experience is one that continues to evolve, even as owners discover new ways to enjoy their vehicle and integrate its benefits into their lifestyle. We’re very pleased to introduce one more example of that with the hassle-free, wireless charger," said Tait.
Hit the jump for other interesting Audi innovations at SEMA.
In the seemingly never-ending battle of one-upsmanship between Audi and BMW, the latter has somehow managed to make fun of the former’s fabled - and original - Quattro system all while promoting its very own xDrive system that, not coincidentally, is celebrating 25 years of using all-wheel drive technology on its vehicles.
Quite a handful, isn’t it?
If you had problems following that, then let this video do the explaining for you. In it, we see two SUVs being tested on its all-wheel drive capabilities, the Audi Q5 and the BMW X3, while trying to drive up a steep metal incline. Surprisingly enough, the Audi Q5 – with that Quattro system – struggles to even get a sniff of the second platform whereas the BMW – with the xDrive system – does so with relative ease. Since this looks to be a BMW press event, we’re going to withhold judgment on the X3’s seemingly dominant all-wheel drive system and instead chalk it up to BMW pulling the proverbial rug on its competitor once again.
After all, the Quattro system can’t be that bad, can it?
We’ve already caught a glimpse of the future Mercedes SLK featuring the brand’s new Magic Sky Control system with a spy shot captured a little over a week ago, and although finally seeing the technology cleared up the questions we had about its aesthetics, the whole technology part is still a little unclear. In an attempt to part the clouds of uncertainty, Mercedes has released a series of images that they are hoping will explain this phenomenon.
Magic Sky Control is in fact a transparent glass roof that can be darkened on demand in a matter of seconds. It’s like the transitional lenses people wear that go from clear to dark when stepping out into the sun. It works by using electrically-governed particles that shift to allow only a certain amount of UV light into the car. The technology is said to help keep away UV and infrared rays and can reduce the 1,000 watts per square meter into a measly 50-200 watts. Bringing that shade to the interior of the vehicle should make for quite a pleasant driving experience during those warm, sunny days.
The images provided by Mercedes include results from testing performed on the new Magic Sky technology. The tests were done at temperatures higher that 50 degrees Celsius in the shade, and, with an open roof, the load from the sun in the heat of Death Valley reached 1000 to 1100 W per square meter. With the transparent glass roof it dropped to 200 W, and when the roof was switched to darkened mode with MAGIC SKY CONTROL, it dropped to 40 to 50 W – 1/20th of the original value.
Don’t get too excited though; the Magic Sky Control doesn’t come cheap. The price for this technology is an extra 2,000 euro ($2,700 at the current exchange rates) on top of the base price for the car.
Automakers the world over have been using composite materials such as carbon fiber on their race cars for quite some time. The material is five times lighter than normal steel and yet twice as strong. Until now, mass produced vehicles could not feature exposed carbon panels, due to the way they degrade thanks to the harmful effects of the sun’s UV rays. With no other choice, automakers just chose to paint them, leaving the naked weave of the carbon material as a very sought after aesthetic – especially on cool fast cars, needing that race-bred look.
Mark Voss, senior design engineer of the Corvette ZR1, explains: “Everyone said it couldn’t be done, and we were crazy for trying.”
Undaunted, Voss and his team toiled away for three years to develop a high gloss, UV-resistant clear coat that now allows exposed carbon fiber panels on the body of the ZR1. The high-tech coating also protects the components from stone chips and scratches. No cheap carbon look rubbish for the ZR1 then. Instead the roof panel, roof bow, rocker moldings, front fascia splitter, and the underside of the hood will all get new panels that will feature the exposed-weave carbon fiber. The ZR1 has carbon fiber floor panels as well, although not in the exposed-weave format.
Hit the jump for the full story as well as a video that explains the new technology.
The Japanese carmaker has bold claims about its ground-breaking technology with efficiency at its forefront. With a statement like that you’d be expecting news about a novel EV or hybrid, but that is not the case with Mazda’s SKYACTIV tech. Instead they have somewhat re-engineered conventional platforms and technology that make up basic internal combustion. It’s safe to say then, that the results are quite impressive. SKYACTIV centers around optimizing all aspects of a vehicle: chassis and suspension, engine and transmission, and of course, the body.
Takashi Yamanouchi, President and CEO, said, "Mazda is renewing its entire powertrain and platform lineup at the same time as revolutionizing every manufacturing process from R&D through to mass production. There have been no compromises in addressing conflicting goals. Instead, we have implemented a ’breakthrough’ approach to technical innovation in all areas that has produced incredible, unexpected results. One of our success stories is the next-generation engine that will first appear in the Mazda Demio (Mazda2 elsewhere). Achieving an outstanding 30 kilometers per liter fuel economy, the SKYACTIV Demio will be a fun-to-drive fuel sipper that will satisfy anyone’s desire for driving pleasure. And there will be many more exciting new products coming to the Mazda lineup in the years ahead."
The first teaser image of the next generation Mercedes SLK already revealed that the future sports car will be offered with a new system called "Magic Sky Control," but the full-on look of the technology has been spied in these first shots taken of the future Mercedes. Kind of deflates the importance of the teaser image, doesn’t it?
The transparency of this panorama roof is controlled by electrically-governed particles that can shift to adjust how much light is filtered into the car. The technology is said to help keep away UV and infrared rays and can reduce the 1,000 watts per square meter into a measly 50-200 watts. Impressive, but you can’t get it for free. The price for this technology is an extra 2,000 euro ($2,700 at the current exchange rates) on top of the base price for the car.
The base SLK should have around 230 HP from a six-cylinder motor, while the higher end versions could get a 3.5-liter. There were rumors about a turbocharged four-cylinder, but that doesn’t seem likely.
The AMG version will probably have the new 5.5-liter turbocharged V8.
