| The Vauxhall That Sees For Itself | ||
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(Thu 19 Jun 08) One of the most impressive optional extras on the new Vauxhall Insignia will be the Front Camera System, which becomes available early in 2009.
The system can do two things. It has a Lane Departure Warning function, which provides both audible and visual warnings, and it can also read traffic signs and display their information on the instrument panel. At the heart of all this is a camera, slightly larger than a mobile phone, which is mounted between the windscreen and the rear view mirror. The camera takes 30 pictures every second (for comparison, a television camera takes 24), and these images are read by two signal processors which in turn send the appropriate signals to the display. It's up to the driver what happens next. "These new features follow Vauxhall's philosophy of enhancing driving excitement by assisting drivers without reducing their level of control," Says General Motors Europe Engineering's Managing Director Hans Demant. "That means the system gives drivers information, but it doesn't intervene." The same system is due to be introduced to other Vauxhall ranges after making its debut in the Insignia. |
