Fiat maybe not one of the most popular electric
vehicles around, so Samsung-owned Harman International thought about giving it
a tech upgrade. At CES 2019, the company brought a Fiat 500e concept that packs
a stunning amount of technology for a retro-styled small car. Chief among them
is a newly enhanced suite of sensing technologies that allow the car to
monitor, record and assess its surroundings. Highlights of the Fiat 500e
study, which got converted into a roadster in the process, include a Camera
Monitoring System that can augment or even replace physical mirrors.
Fusing three rear-facing cameras, corner radar, a
long-range camera, as well as right and left sensors, the Camera Monitoring
System looks behind the vehicle to enhance safety technologies such as blind
spot monitoring, lane change assist, and rear collision warning.
The car is also equipped with a Forward Facing
Camera that senses the environment and enables “advanced perception algorithms
for features such as lane, object and sign detection.” Thanks to integration
with long-range radar (LiDAR), the system can detect vehicles ahead and
maintain a safe distance while on the move. It will monitor your heart rate,
pupil diameter and even read your thoughts.
The sophisticated Fiat 500e study also packs a Cabin
Monitoring System that uses sensors to keep a close watch on the driver. It can
capture the eye gaze, head position, and pupil diameter, among other things.
The system can also analyze the heart or breathing rates of passengers “to
provide second-order biometric signals such as emotional activity and cognitive
load.” Basically, it will read the driver’s thoughts.
Harman says driver
monitoring will be critical to the success of Level 3 semi-autonomous vehicles
in the future, as it will allow cars to assess whether the human is ready to
take over driving duties.
Aside from the conversion into a roadster and the
awesome wheels, this 500e features a reworked dashboard that includes two big
screens: a “floating” touchscreen at the center and a wide digital instrument
panel. Adopting the two screens results in a less cluttered center console
which only houses the transmission buttons now.
