Freeway to the future for car enthusiasts!

Technology — it’s there to pamper you. It's also making driving obsolete quicker than you can imagine. Here’s a glance at engineering marvels that make your efforts behind the wheel seem like nothing:

An intelligent car

Your car will soon be born smart. So suggests Mercedes-Benz’s Intelligent Drive package of safety and driving-assistance systems. Thanks to the technology, Mercs are well poised to make your drive safer and more comfortable with features such as ability to detect and react to hazardous traffic situations, warn the driver when a collision risk arises, carry out autonomous braking, drive semi-autonomously and much more. On your part, be equipped with common sense. Your car takes care of the rest.



Let there be light

Imagine your car headlamp beams directed by your eye. Opel’s engineers think it is possible and have come up with an Eye Tracking Technology using a webcam that focuses on the driver’s head. It scans your noses and eyes to detect movement and estimates your line of sight. Opel is hoping to introduce the automotive lighting system within the next 18 months.



Get lost? Never

Navigation systems in cars have made redundant that age-old problem — men don’t ask for directions. That’s simply because they no longer have to. The technology is only improving with time. The Audi connect system offers Google Earth mapping, parking information to find available spots in advance and even a picture navigation feature that uses geo-tagged information from a digital photograph to find an address.



Drunk-driving cops

Technology built by a team from the University of Michigan can now prevent people under the influence to drive cars. The team already has installed such alcohol ignition interlock devices in newly purchased cars and claim to have led to a drop in the number of accidents. You can still hit the bar with a vengeance, but you won’t be able to hit the road after your binge.



Auto pilot driving

Self-driving cars have been talked about for a while now. With high-end electric car makers Tesla looking to introduce self-driving technology in the US shortly and other car makers also making strides forward, it is no longer a distant dream. As if you weren’t spoilt silly already.