Networks drive car of the future

摘要

Ready to back out of your driveway, you put the car in reverse and press the gas. Nothing happens.You get out and find your neighbor's child on a tricycle behind the car and below your field of view.Your car was smart enough not to go. Sound far-fetched? Not according to engineers who specialize in automotive electronics. The development of high-speed, integrated communications systems that link what were stand-alone systems — such as the engine and braking systems — could make so called virtual bumpers possible in five to 10 years. Already 30% of the cost of a new car is in the electronics: the chips, wires and networks that support features ranging from automatic door locks to anti-lock brakes to airbag deployment.Today's cars have more computing power than was used in the Apollo moon landing more than 30 years ago.