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Honda Accord ADAS Heinlein Wannabe
Honda has introduced its new ADAS Accord model that sounds suspiciously like Robert Heinlein's Camden Speedster from his 1941 novel Methuselah's Children:
When its setting was about to run out, the car beeped for instructions; Mary woke up and glanced
out...
The car waited for a break in the traffic, then dived into the high-speed stream and hurried north. Mary settled back for a nap.
(Read more about the self-steering Camden Speedster)
(Self-steering Honda Accord ADAS)
The new vehicle can change gears and steer itself around bends in the road. The autopilot will only function on motorways and dual carriageways with clearly defined lane markers in the UK.
The system depends upon two main components:
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
ACC is a radar sensor placed behind the Honda badge at the front of the car. It scans ahead to look out for other vehicles, responding to the result by reducing or increasing the car’s speed. - Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS)
A camera placed next to the rear-view mirror monitors the white lines along motorways and dual carriageways; it uses the received data to control the car’s steering.
Drivers cannot leave their seats; they must also touch the steering wheel every ten seconds to indicate that they are still alert. So, unlike Mary Sperling from the Heinlein novel, you cannot actually take a nap. Yet.
Read more at Physorg.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 2/1/2006)
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