In hectic cities car accidents happen in many different ways, one way a car accident could occur is when somebody parks and opens the door to get out and the person doesn’t realize that he is opening his door onto oncoming traffic and then BOOM! It is too late. Michael Graf has made this incident a thing of the past with his brainchild. His practical innovation is basically a door that is smart enough to sense oncoming traffic and locks the door if it sees a potential accident waiting to happen. Graf produced his invention at the University of Munich and got help from the renowned car manufacturing company, BMW. He says that his new device would cut down on car crashes is jam-packed cities and also reduce the amount of money a person has to pay for repairs. The current prototype of this machine looks similar to a normal car door; the only distinction between the two is that the prototype has a linear metal rod that is power by an electric motor. When in normal mode, the bar moves freely and doesn’t affect with door. However, if sensors detect a nearby obstacle at the same time as an accelerometer detects an attempt to open the door, the door’s swing is restricted by a linear motor attached to the bar. Also the amount of door resistance is in proportion to the proximity of an object, for example, you might swing a door halfway open without problems before it gets stiffer as it nears a lamp post. The current prototype uses ultrasound sensors located around the car, but the limited field of view of these sensors leads Graf to change these sensors to cameras that can span 180 degrees as to spot dangers and obstacles more efficiently. Reactions from 16 volunteers who tried the new door at BMW’s Munich research centre have been encouraging, and Graf says, “Then we will be able to sense the complete workspace of the door and detect people walking by the car or cycling towards it.” This system is a very basic mechanism, and is already being used in taxi’s that incorporate facilities for the handicapped however BMW has yet to decide if to put this product on the market. Other examples of this technology is being used in parking and blind spot sensors on production cars today, while more advanced systems are on the way. I think that such a basic system should have already put on the market, and I am wondering why BMW has not yet considered putting this safety product on the market, please share your ideas and comment on this post.
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