New technology makes life easier, but can sometimes become an annoyance too. Take Apple’s Airpods and a wireless mouse for example. You now have to charge your earphones and mouse just to get them to work. Sometimes new technology can be a fad like the Segway, and worse, it can even be fraudulent like Theranos’s one-drop blood test.
In 2018, we heard the news of the Audi E-TRON and the Lexus ES replacing the standard side view mirrors with side-view cameras instead. Also making a debut in 2018 was the hybrid McLaren Speedtail which also came with side-view cameras. Although the ones on the McLaren are retractable.
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Why replace a simple mirror with such a complicated camera? Well, the reason given for the replacement of mirrors with cameras are as such:
- Aeroacoustics improvement (sound when travelling at speed)
- Minimized blind spots
- Reduced drag
Aeroacoustics improvements is something you would care about more in a premium car. Minimized blind spots, on the other hand, is something we could all benefit from safety-wise. Side-view cameras can also be of great assistance for pre-collision warning systems in addition to existing front cameras.
Reduced drag, however, is more significant if a single side mirror was the size of a cricket bat – which is exactly what it is on your standard cargo truck. The new Mercedes Actros features tiny side view cameras that reduce fuel consumption by 1.5%.
Side-view cameras are also a stepping stone to even more refined autonomous driving. If you think about it, cruise-control, ADAS, electronic parking brake, and the engine push-start button are all paving the way for a fully autonomous future. Even door controls could be electronic like the Tesla Model X. It’s all coming together. And then John Connor will save us all.
Previously an engineer in an automotive manufacturing company and a highway concessionaire. A part-time research student on biofuels and diesel engines. Obsessed with vehicle electrification and the future of transportation.
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