At the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Mobileye introduced a way of making your used car safer - a smartphone connected camera that makes any used car as safe as the latest models rolling off the assembly line.
Isaac Litman, CEO of Mobileye, took a few minutes during CES to explain the Mobileye 5-Series to me and demonstrate all of its capabilities on a real-life simulator. (Think you're a good driver? Try using a safety device on a simulator.)
Mobileye 5-Series is the next-generation offering in road safety, enabling the driver to receive critical real-time warnings about potential road dangers straight to their Smartphone. Mobileye 5-Series reads traffic signs; automatically controls the headlamps, all in addition to lane departure warning, forward collision warning, headway monitoring and pedestrian and bicyclist collision warnings.
"With Mobileye 5, your car has vision capabilities," explained Litman, adding that its artificial eye incorporates sophisticated logarithms that can detect problems. The warning is then sent to your smartphone for instantaneous alert. "We are the only company in the world that does an aftermarket product like this," he proclaimed.
It's the aftermarket capability that's going to make your used car safer. Litman said it wil work with any used car currently on the road (except maybe a Model T). That means a 2006 Chevrolet Impala can have all the safety features of a 2012 BMW 5 series.
According to Litman, 73% of all accidents are caused by inattention in the 3 seconds before a collision. He said Mobileye tested its product over one million miles and accident rates dropped 40 to 45%. He backed up his info with some statistics. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2009, nearly 5,500 people were killed and 450,000 more were injured in distracted driving crashes.
He said the invention of the airbag nearly 45 years ago protected the driver from collisions, navigation systems constituted a milestone in driver experience; now Mobileye 5-Series helps prevent and mitigate collisions, making our highways safer for everyone.
The cutting-edge Mobileye systems include a smart camera and proprietary algorithms and microprocessor work together to detect and alert drivers to unintended lane departures, imminent collisions, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists on the road and even has the ability to read speed limit signs, intelligently controls hi beams and alerts drivers of the most common forms of accidents, rear-end collisions. It acts as a third eye, providing precise calculations to offer the safest driving experience, ever.
OK, maybe that's a bold claim to make but I do see the MobilEye adding immediate value to your used car. There are certain bad options in used cars but this would not be one of them. The new series will include Bluetooth capabilities, which will allow for Mobileye 5-Series to work in tandem with the driver's Smartphone to provide them with visual alerts for critical conditions on the roads. Additionally, Mobileye Smartphone Applications provides users with the ability to constantly benefit from upgrades and enhancements, including statistics related to driver experience. "The introduction of Bluetooth technology and our intelligent Smartphone app allows drivers to be more in tune with their surroundings," stated Litman. "The app also provides drive statistics including how many speed limit indications or headway collision notifications were presented if the user chooses the option on the display. This makes the driver more aware of his driving habits."Safety Functions include:
- Mobileye Lane Departure Warning (LDW) - this advanced system alerts the driver when unintentionally veering into another lane. This also conditions the driver into using turn signals when changing lanes.
- Mobileye Forward Collision Warning (FCW) - a driver can be alerted up to 2.7 seconds before a collision, allowing enough time to react and avoid collisions. This was the most fun to experience during the demonstration Litman gave me. You would intentionally ram into the car in front of you in spite of all the warnings. Go ahead. Even on a simulator it's intimidating to intentionally ram the vehicle in front of you.
- Mobileye Headway Monitoring and Warning (HMW) - provides programmable visual and audio alerts before collisions. It also serves to educate the driver to keep a safe following distance from the vehicle ahead.
- Mobileye Pedestrian Collision Warning (PCW) - prevents or mitigates accidents during the daytime with visual and audio warnings up to 2 seconds before an imminent collision with a pedestrian or bicyclist. The MobilEye system is currently used on the Volvo S60 for automatic braking in these kinds of situations. BMW, General Motors, Chrysler, Hyundai and Ford have also incorporated Mobileye into their vehicles.
Convenience features include:
- Mobileye Intelligent High Beam (IHC) - lowers and raises high beams without inconveniencing oncoming or preceding traffic.
- Mobileye Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) including Speed Limit Indication (SLI) - detects and classifies various traffic signs including speed limit signs. This is fascinating to me. It worked well on the simulator but time will tell how well it works in real life situations.
"Mobileye was founded with the goal of assisting drivers keep themselves, their passengers and fellow motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians safe by avoiding accidents," said Litman. "Beyond mitigating or preventing accidents, the Mobileye systems actually enhance the driving experience by helping the driver to control his hi-beams and by reminding him of the recent traffic signs. The system acts like an electronic co-pilot. Additionally, insurance companies will soon be offering incentives for safe driving offerings such as Mobileye, so not only will Mobileye be able to save lives and create better drivers but will also be able to help the consumer save some money as well."
Pricing and Availability
The Mobileye 5-Series is available now in two models, the Mobileye 560 and Mobileye 550. The Mobileye 550 has a list price in the USA of $749 and the 560 model is listed at $849. It requires professional installation and is mounted behind the rearview mirror where it is wired into your car's onboard computer system. It's available at specialty dealers. Find out more at MobilEye.com
