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Cameras in cars: 5 Trends

Cameras create unprecedented opportunities for contemporary cars. Alphabet illustrates five significant trends.

There’s always a witness

This autumn, Citroën will be the first to launch a model that comes standard with an integrated dashcam, enabling you to take pictures and record short films: the C3. In the event of a collision, the camera automatically stores pictures for the 30 seconds prior to and a minute after the accident.

The right speed

Different makes, such as BMW, Volvo, Ford and Nissan, already currently have a camera at the top of the windscreen that records the most important traffic signs and displays them on the driver’s dashboard. Some models even have the capability to alter the maximum speed set by the speed controller based on the traffic sign observed.

360 degrees

Did you know that the human eye has a viewing angle of approximately 120 degrees? So when parking, you could really use some help. Quite a number of makes (Nissan, Mercedes, Seat, etc.) are capitalising on this with cameras that create a 360 degree image of the car’s immediate surroundings, so that you can park easily and safely.

Lane assist

Aside from radars, cameras are also essential for cars to self-drive. An increasing number of models, among others by Opel and Mazda, are equipped with a lane assist that is provided with a camera that detects road markings. Based on corrective steering, it keeps the car in the correct lane.

Smart lights

Is it possible to use lights on the road without blinding other road users? With a variety of LEDs and reflectors, matrix LED headlamps are able to form millions of different light bundles. A camera on the windscreen provides the necessary information for the perfect combination. In this film about the Audi A8 you get to see exactly how this works.

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