• New Technology Coming Soon

    Automakers, engineers, scientists, and dreamers continue pushing forward the capabilities of the automobile.  Here is a look at what they are promising for the future.

    Mapless Navigation

    MIT has a new system to allow self-driving cars to navigate without a map, potentially opening up the nascent technology to millions of miles of roads and helping to prevent future accidents. Many autonomous vehicles on actual roads rely either on highly detailed 3D maps or upon systems that allow the vehicle to navigate well-marked lanes in an urban or highway environment. But the vast majority of American roadways haven't been 3D-mapped in detail and/or can't be reliably counted on to provide consistent lane markings. So MIT is working on a solution.


    Continental A-Pillar

    Continental has developed technology to help remove forward blind spots by making the front support pillars, which anchor the windshield and support the vehicle’s roof virtually see-through. These A-pillars are often identified as visual obstructions for the driver, and over the years they have gotten wider to improve rollover safety and meet more rigorous federal roof-crush standards. Increased safety for the driver and passengers poses an increased hazard to pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles who can easily be obscured from the driver’s view.  This new technology uses cameras and displays, along with head tracking, to make the pillar disappear.

    Read the Press Release

    Augmented Reality

    Augmented Reality Goggles also overlay graphics in the driver’s line of sight displaying navigation aids, street names, object detection, and driver warnings. They can also 'see' through the solid parts of the car, thanks to strategically placed cameras.  The goggles are portable, so they are also able to provide navigation guidance outside of the car.


    Air Taxis

    Small, 4- to 8-passenger jets may operate from thousands of small airports across the U.S. ... Air taxis could make a trip to the beach or a visit with relatives go from taking six hours on the highway to a quick, no-hassles plane ride. Lilium is developing a revolutionary on-demand air taxi service that is powered by the all-electric, vertical take-off and landing Lilium Jet.


    Solar Powered Cars

    With the price of solar and electric vehicle (EV) batteries predicted to continue falling, and the cost of fossil fuels rising, many industry experts are forecasting the inevitable rise of solar power in consumer and industrial markets. The dropping costs, coupled with advancements in efficiency, may very well lead to marketable solar-powered cars.