January 19, 2004
Self Parking Toyota
This is a very nice application for a control system: Parallel Parking. Basically, Toyota has an autopilot option that you can have installed (only in Japan), that will parallel park your car into a vacant spot.
Parking Assist relies on a built-in computer, steering sensor and a tiny camera in the car's rear and works like this:
A dashboard display shows the image taken by the camera. When you near a parking space and shift into reverse, computerized lines pop up on the display, along with arrows pointing up, down, left and right.
Using the arrows, you move the lines around until they define exactly where you want the car to be parked. Then you push the "set" button on the display.
Keep your foot lightly on the brake pedal, and the car will start backing up, the steering wheel responding to an invisible hand. Voila, the car will park itself in the spot you've chosen with the arrows.
Have no illusions, however.
Hands-free driving doesn't mean you can read a book or doze off. The system has no artificial intelligence that actually recognizes objects — so it won't stop for a person or a cat or anything else you shouldn't be running over.
You still have to hit the brakes yourself. And the system is designed so that it will shut itself off if you lift your foot from the brake pedal, making the car go too fast.
What would be more interesting would be if it could identify the spot for your car already, jusdging the size of your vehicle versus the image that it took of the spot. Still, its a pretty neat innovation.
Posted by elkaim at January 19, 2004 4:02 PM