Samsung has designed a new webcam-LCD screen system that will help drivers overtake in the safest manner possible.
This system, called the 'Safety Truck', will be particularly effective while driving behind a large vehicle. As part of the technology, a webcam will be mounted on the vehicle in front. An LCD display unit will be installed on the rear of the same vehicle. A set of four screens will provide a see-through view of the traffic in front, helping other drivers behind massive vehicles.
The view is transmitted wirelessly and will not be affected by weather or poor lighting conditions. A truck with the webcam system from Samsung is undergoing testing in Argentina.
A similar video system was tested by the University of Porto in Portugal in 2013. The system was implemented in a driving simulator, and then on an actual car. The biggest issue with the 2013 version of the system was a 200-millisecond delay in the video relay. The issue was solved by fixing both the camera and display on the same car.
This 'Safety Truck' system also has a separate 'Night' mode which will display an infrared image of the road on the rear-mounted LCD screens.
See-through systems have been designed by other carmakers too. Toyota, for example, used retro-reflective materials and video cameras to make the rear seat and boot of the Toyota Prius “invisible”, helping improve parking and reversing.
Jaguar has also built a 'Smart Windscreen' that employs a 360-degree camera arrangement to eliminate blind spots, and allowing for an X-ray-like vision from the driver’s seat.
The Samsung Electronics 'Safety Truck' is still being worked on and the company has not revealed any information on when this technology will be commercialised.
Lenny D'sa
Saptarshi Mondal
Uday Singh
Viraaj Bhatnagar
