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At the giant annual CES 2017 (Consumer Electronics Show) exhibition in Las Vegas from January 5 to 8, the US firm Gentex is showing new vehicle camera monitoring products, and a biometric mirror that authenticates the driver.
Gentex Senior Vice President Steve Downing said beforehand: โAt CES, weโll be demonstrating products that address some of the major challenges facing the auto industry today, specifically the role of cameras and mirrors in rear vision systems, and how to securely deliver car-to-home automation and car-to-infrastructure transactional services. We have new product offerings in each of these areas that are ready for automaker integration into new vehicles.โ
Its new camera monitoring system (CMS) uses three cameras to give a view of the sides and rear of a vehicle. The side-view cameras are discreetly housed in exterior mirrors. Their video feeds are combined with a roof-mounted camera and stitched together into multiple composite views that are streamed to the driver via a mirror-integrated display.
Downing said: โWe believe this technology combination is the industryโs first practical CMS solution. The system realises the rearward field-of-view benefits afforded by cameras, while the downsized exterior mirrors provide generous weight and fuel-efficiency improvements. They also provide a fail-safe view should weather or system failure impede the digital view.โ
As for the biometrics system, pictured, that authenticates the driver; when the driver enters the vehicle, the mirror-integrated biometric system would identify the driver, and, if authorised, start the car and automatically adjust mirrors, steering wheel, seat, music favourites and GPS location. Downing said that the biometric could allocate payment, including road tolls and parking fees, and eventually even payment for fuel and fast food.
The firm also has upgraded its HomeLink wireless control system that uses a wireless cloud-based connection to offer vehicle-to-home automation. HomeLink consists of three in-vehicle buttons that can be programmed to operate garage doors, gates, home lighting, and other radio-frequency-controlled (RF) devices. Visit www.gentex.com.
