SEAT has unveiled the Leon Cristobal concept at the
Smart City Expo in Barcelona, Spain. Named after the patron saint of drivers,
the Leon Cristobal concept is being billed as the safest car in the company's
history as it features six different systems that have been designed to reduce
the risks of being involved in a collision. The systems are probably not what
you would expect but they target the main causes of accidents such as
drowsiness, distractions, speeding, and alcohol consumption.
In order to tackle these problems, which cause 80%
of all traffic accidents, the concept features a built-in breathalyzer that
will prevent the car from being used if alcohol is detected on the driver's
breath. Another unique feature is the so-called "drive-coach" which
is a voice assistant that provides personalized safety warnings.
Designers also installed a video camera-based
display mirror that eliminates blind spots and provides a better field of
vision. There's also a Mentor mode that allows parents to limit the vehicle’s
speed and monitor its location when their children are driving . Another
interesting mode is the Guardian Angel setting which activates all 15 of the
car's active and passive safety systems. Should something go wrong, the
concept's black box will send images and data to a smartphone following a
collision.
Besides showcasing the Leon Cristobal concept, the
company showed 10 eMii prototypes which will soon become available to employees
of Metropolis:Lab Barcelona and Pier 01 as part of a car-sharing project. The
Smart City Expo also held the Autonomous Driving Challenge grand finale which
tasked 50 students from nine universities to develop autonomous driving
software that could drive a scale model vehicles through a closed course.
