Toyota cooks up new technology

In-car security and pre-crash detection

By PH Staff / Wednesday, 7 September 2005 / Loading comments

In-car security camera

We've been alerted to a couple of technology ideas being cooked up by Toyota, although both are due to appear only in Japan for the moment.

The first may well be a good idea, and consists of an in-car security camera. In the event of the car being broken into and stolen, it sends a picture of the thieves back to Toyota's security HQ. The lowlife who nicked your wheels can then be traced and brought to book. At least, that's the theory -- until they learn to start wearing ski masks.

The second idea? Well, you decide. It's what Toyota calls a pre-crash safety system. It provides early warning of an imminent collision when it detects the driver is not looking straight ahead. Working in conjunction with a radar-based collision detection system, it uses a camera mounted on the steering column and an image-processing computer. It detects the orientation of the driver's face and, if it reads that the driver is not facing forward when it determines that the probability of a collision is high, it will warn the driver sooner than when the driver is facing forward, aiming to lessen collision injuries. It will be offered on a Lexus vehicle in the spring of 2006.

So, no more surveying the urban scenery, guys...