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Jessica Garcia
English 114B
Professor Hamalian
1 May 2013
Automotive Industry and Technology
Have you ever noticed your use of technology? We live in a world surrounded by
technology and have learned to heavily rely on it. Technology forms part of our everyday lives
such as in cell phones, television, computers, schools and even in the cars we drive. However,
one of the greatest, and fastest advances it has made over the past few decades would be in the
automotive industry. Every year, faster, smarter and fuel efficient cars are created. Without a
doubt, technology continues to innovate the automotive industry and plays an important role in
what cars have to offer.
As the years go by, technology is incorporated into more and more areas of our daily
lives. Everything from address books, notes, doors and even cars require technology. The
automotive industry in particular has evolved by incorporating technology. Currently most new
cars are equipped with the latest technology, some more than others. Features such as GPS, built
in telephone link, and touchscreens are just a few of the many incorporated.
New smart technology advances include the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s
(NCAR) road weather system, part of IntelliDrive which is a new proposal overseen by the
Department of Transportation in order to reduce car incidents. This new system notifies the
driver of any near by hazard, giving them the opportunity to slow down or take the necessary
precautions to avoid a car crash. The NCAR road weather system will propose alternate routes in
case of an accident occurs and can even notify you if a reckless driver is driving (running red
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lights) near by. This system will transmit sensed information through a central data base that
links it to weather and traffic observations which will then process the data and update the driver.
The ultimate goal for this new system is to reduce car accidents by ninety percent by the year
2030. Systems such as these and many more are being created with new technology to facilitate
driving and reduce fatal accidents
Adaptive control technologies have also evolved as a result of technology. Cruise control
is and adaptive headlights are a few of the many. Cruise control is a new automotive technology
that controls a vehicles speed by ensuring that a driver preset distance is kept while the vehicle is
in motion. Cruise control is generally used on long roads or road trips as it is designed to
facilitate driving and give your foot a rest while stabilizing the vehicle. Cruise control was first
offered by the Mitsubishi automakers in nineteen ninety five and was followed by Mercedes
Benz and Toyota in the late nineties. By the start of the twenty first century, most automakers
incorporated cruise control and invented their own version of the system. In the year two
thousand thirteen most if not all companies incorporate a cruise control version, which is seen as
a standard or common feature for all vehicles. Technologies like such, are systems that continue
to emerge and become prevalent in cars, paving the way for more and more automotive features
to form part of the latest vehicles.
Another great adaptive control technology is adaptive headlamps. The typical old
headlamps only project light on the vehicle path straight ahead and shine light in the direction of
the car. Instead, adaptive headlamps are a great technological advancement that allow late night
(or dark) driving to be safer. These new lamps contain optoelectronic technology that steer the
lamp in the direction of the upcoming road. By automatically steering the lights towards the
vehicle path, the driver is able to see what lies ahead and better maneuver the car.
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Adaptive climate control and sound technology are also new features along with cruise
control and adaptive headlamps. Adaptive climate control is a neat feature that adjusts a
vehicle’s interior climate according to the number of occupants and state of the windows as well.
This system operates through the heat, ventilation and air –conditioning (HVAC) technology that
neutralizes the temperature. As I mentioned before, sound technology is also a new system that
works similarly like the others mentioned previously. Sound technology basically adjusts sound
levels based on the location and number of occupants with the current interior sound levels.
Citroen, a French automobile company has also created new innovative technology of
their own. Citroen released a C4 family car model in Europe, equipped with innovative
technology that is not commonly seen in the United States yet. The C4 model includes six
sensors that monitor the painted lines on the road for safer driving. Citroen’s C4 model also
features driver’s seat vibrations that notify the driver if his or her car drifts out of a lane without
speed of fifty miles per hour or more without activating a turn signal. The vibration is intended to
warn the driver of a potential hazardous situation he/ she might be causing.
Aside from safety features, technology has also assisted in the development of a new
form on air fresheners. The Citroen C4 model, is also the first commercial model to feature built
in air fresheners. Parfum d’Image, a French company developed a perfume cartridge that is
inserted into the vehicle’s dashboard, which pumps the scent to the cars interior through the
ventilation system. Basic scents include vanilla, bamboo, and scents that help combat tobacco
addiction. This new form of air fresheners, eliminate the need for a hanging cardboard that
looses its scent within a week.
Today the music and automotive industries have both incorporated technology in to their
systems and transformed the way in which they function. Technology has helped create great
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music and vehicles by taking them to the next level and designing high tech products. The film
Sound City by David Grohl, documents the role of technology and what it has allowed artist to
do vocally. It demonstrates pro tools, a system that assists artists with their sound and allows
more eliminates the need to sound perfect while recording. The newest system; auto tune, does
the same and if fact has the eased the process and need to be naturally talented. Conducting
simple vehicle maneuvers and common sense skills just like skills needed in the music industry
are a few that media affects.
With so many technological advances, newer, faster and smarter cars are produced every
year. However, too much technology makes us much more dependent and handicap. Though it
seems that technological advances are needed, they can sometimes cause more harm that help. In
the medical field, technology helps saves lives but in an industry such as the automotive, it
decreases our skills. The reality is that technology has made it so easy to rely on its features that
it eliminates the need to learn how to properly operate a vehicle. Technology in vehicles is
rapidly talking over and facilitates the population’s driving skills making it easier to learn while
eliminating skills that they once would have acquired
Over the years, the world keeps evolving along with technology in our daily lives. Today
in the twenty first century, technology forms part of our culture and is incorporated in our
phones, television, food process, and in our transportation systems too. The automotive industry
has particularly taken the use of technology to the next level and continues to do so. Technology
in automobiles helps create better, faster and stronger cars that help and harm us as human
beings. New systems in cars have completely transformed vehicles physically as well as the form
in which they operate. It currently seems like every technological advancement is only as good
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as the next and has allowed societies all over the world to lead the lives they do, and drive the
cars they have. (Word count: 1289)
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Jessica Garcia
English 114B
Professor Hamalian
1 May 2013
Works Cited
Frost, Laurence. "Automobile Technology." Cincinnati Post: 0. Sep 25 2004. ProQuest.
Web. 29 May 2013.
Gharavi, H.; Prasad, K.V.; Ioannou, P., "Scanning Advanced Automobile Technology,"
Proceedings of then IEEEE, vol.95, no.2, pp.328,333, Feb. 2007
URL: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=4144594&isnumber=4142917
"Smart Car Technology Advances." Air Safety Week 23.17 (2009): n/a. ProQuest. Web. 1
May 2013
Sound City. David Grohl. Rosswell Films, 2013. DVD. Film via DVD.