At the CES technology exhibition that opened about a week ago in Las Vegas, smartphones are not being presented this year, but alongside the multitude of entertainment and technology systems designed for the home, this year and more than ever, the exhibition has become a demonstration complex for the automotive industry's capabilities.
A host of future models and various technologies that will be incorporated into cars in the near future were revealed at the exhibition, another testimony to an era in which the enjoyment of driving a car depends on the advanced entertainment systems and gadgets that are offered to the driver and passengers and much less on the driving skills themselves...
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One of the interesting innovations was revealed at the exhibition by the automobile manufacturer BMW, which unveiled its i vision car of the future, which includes a host of advanced technologies, but we were particularly interested in the Israeli technology of the Gauzy company that was incorporated into the car, and upgrades the car's windows from simple glass to smart glass.
Photo: Manufacturer
The idea behind the smart glass has been known for several years and basically includes controlling the amount of light that passes through the glass, which allows the car glass to change the level of transparency from opaque to varying degrees of transparency using electronic receptors that detect light in its various forms.
According to the company, the smart glass blocks up to 99.5% of the light for shading, while the transparency of the glass is maintained to allow visibility of the vehicle's surroundings.
For example, the car's windows can be darkened at the push of a button to an almost completely opaque level, which prevents the penetration of sunlight and even helps privacy in the car, and in the hours of darkness, the windows can be brightened to almost full transparency for the benefit of better visibility.
We have already seen a product of this type, for example, in the new BMW iX in the form of the panoramic glass roof that makes use of this technology and enables the electric curtain to be waived, which also contributes to a reduced impact on the space between the passengers' heads and the vehicle's ceiling.
Photographs: Manufacturer
BMW's new "i vision Dee concept" is the manufacturer's most digital car, which among other things takes this smart glass one step further and upgrades it with advanced safety systems and an innovative entertainment system for passengers.
For example, as part of the clean design fashion (and the minority of switches) that is taking over the automotive industry, in the coming years the company will abandon the traditional elite display system that projects road data on the windshield, and replace it with a smart front window that allows independent projection of the road data in improved quality and at any point on the smart windshield , unlike today's situation where it is limited to a certain area only.
The side windows will also be able to display digital advertisements for the benefit of passers-by, or recognize the passengers who approach the vehicle and greet them by name, and in addition, you can drive during the day with the side windows in an opaque position but your avatar will be projected on them virtually.
The control of the variety of operations will be possible with the help of a system of voice commands, or through touch interfaces that will be illuminated in the driver's area, and in addition, you will be able to receive messages directly from your smartphone that will be projected on the vehicle's windshield, and even answer them using voice commands that will be converted into text messages.
You can upgrade the view that will appear to you on the way with a variety of fantasies such as colorful butterflies that will accompany you on the sides of the car for example, or replace the urban view that will be projected around you for a more interesting virtual view...
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