Opel Insignia's All-Seeing Eye Will Read Road Signs For You. But Then What?

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The new Opel Insignia in Europe will come with an optional windshield-mounted camera that can read speed-limit and no-passing signs and beam them to your dash display. The high-res camera can take 30 images per second, and uses signal processors to read the images and transfer them to the graphic display. Sounds like a nice deal for people with eyesight too weak to read the signs on their own, but how long until the onboard computer starts regulating vehicle speeds to keep them below the posted limit, or refusing to let you maneuver around an obstacle in the road in a no-passing zone? Worse yet, what would the robot brain make of this Seattle-area anti-street-racing (?) sign submitted by CarDomain member Judge Dredd? Would it let the car race, but only in the daytime? The implications are a little unsettling. Pics and video of the eye in action below the jump.

Source: Carscoop

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Posted at 8:03 pm in Insignia, Jen Dunnaway, Opel

Comments

Radacini Motors
Sep 29, 2008 at 2:35 pm

Check out the microsite for opel insignia

Anonymous
Jun 20, 2008 at 7:44 am

How I would love doing this Reverse save, looks amazing, Believe it or not… ………………………….., http://euro2008adidas.com/?um=13

7urtle
Jun 19, 2008 at 6:42 am

i think they already tried making cars do that but plaans fell through

GTwildfire
Jun 19, 2008 at 1:26 am

Advanced image capture and high-speed word recognition is one thing. These are technologies that capture and process data, then display the results.
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It’s something completely different and much, much more advanced to take that data and use it to aide in artificially controlling a vehicle.
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A good example is what went into development of DARPA vehicles. Those things cost millions to develop, using cutting edge technology and some of the brightest minds. Throw in the need for the system to operate containing and among humans in urban and suburban settings… among streets where many other cars are in motion.
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Also toss in changes in weather, lighting, readability of signage, etc.
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It will be a hall of a long time for truly autonimous vehicles to hit the streets for everyday people to use. I doubt very much it will be within and next 25 years.

Heidi
Jun 18, 2008 at 11:27 pm

I would steal that sign… *hides*