Technology

Want to put your feet up on a long drive? The technology that enables it is just around the corner. But will it be legal?Forget driverless cars, get ready for trucks that can drive themselves.Mercedes-Benz believes the technology that enables vehicles to drive themselves will be pioneered by trucks rather than cars, and they could be on the road within 10 years.“Trucks mostly use freeways, which is where this technology is already well developed and is most reliable, so it makes sense they can lead the way,” said Mercedes-Benz technology expert Ralf Lamberti during a demonstration of automated vehicle technology in Silicon Valley today.“Trucks are operated by big fleets, they have trained drivers, and there can be a massive fuel economy benefits which can save them thousands of dollars each year,” he said.The Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 released earlier this year has radar and camera systems that detect lane markings, other vehicles and red and green traffic lights.When the system is operating, the driver does not need to touch the steering wheel, the brakes or the accelerator pedal.The technology also uses GPS maps to determine the speed limit and to detect when a truck is approaching a hill -- and then chooses the best gear for fuel-efficiency.But the automated truck will never put drivers out of business because by law there must always be a driver behind the wheel.“It’s a bit like auto pilot on a plane; the plane can fly itself but of course the pilot must be there to handle any situation. So it will be the same with cars and trucks,” said Mr Lamberti.Many luxury cars today already have radar cruise control systems that keep a distance from the vehicle ahead and brake automatically when the car in front comes to a stop.When the technology is applied to trucks, however, Mercedes-Benz believes it will primarily benefit long haul drivers who use major highways between Australia’s capital cities, by making them less fatigued and using less fuel.Although it’s still 10 years away authorities have already ruled out allowing anyone to use the technology to have a nap or drink and drive.Police in Australia say drivers must remain below the legal alcohol limit and attentive to the road conditions at all times, even if a vehicle is equipped with driver aids.Automated driving has created a dilemma for authorities worldwide. At present driverless cars are only allowed to be used by specialist engineers who work for car companies and technology developers.The North American states of California and Nevada have allowed testing of driverless cars since 2012, although there must be a specially-trained driver behind the wheel at all times.To date, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Google are the only companies to be actively testing the technology on open roads but Japanese companies Toyota and Honda are also developing similar systems on their test tracks.Last year Volvo unveiled an intelligent truck that can automatically follow the truck ahead in a convoy but it did not have the ability to negotiate tight turns or recognise red and green lights.

It may have a face like a catfish but Toyota has unveiled a car that can be fuelled by garbage, generates enough electricity to power your house for a week and emits only water -- and it'll be in showrooms next year.Almost 20 years after Toyota launched the first Prius -- and more than 7 million hybrid sales later -- the Japanese company has unveiled what it truly believes is the car of the future.The Toyota Mirai (Japanese for "future") is powered by hydrogen, which can be produced by burning garbage, but is typically made in more conventional ways and delivered to refueling stations in tanks.The Toyota Mirai has an unusual appearance because its hi-tech hydrogen system needs special cooling; sharp creases in the bodywork help it slip through the air more efficiently.The Toyota Mirai was unveiled by the global boss of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, ahead of the Los Angeles motor show, which opens this Friday Australian time.The grandson of the company founder said the Mirai was a "turning point" that "redefines the (car) industry"."Imagine a world filled with vehicles that diminish our dependence on oil and reduce harm to the environment," said Mr Toyoda.Unlike pure electric cars, the Mirai can be refueled in less than five minutes and travel 480km on one tank, about the same as a regular car."Hydrogen can be made from virtually anything, even garbage," said Mr Toyoda, who added that the Mirai's on-board hydrogen system "creates enough electricity to power a house for about a week".Mr Toyoda says the Mirai has "no compromises" but there is one significant hurdle. Hydrogen refueling stations are few and far between in the US, Japan and Europe -- and there are none in Australia after an experiment with buses in West Australia was shut down seven years ago.The Mirai will go on sale in the US for $57,500 -- or on a $499 per month lease deal -- but it is not coming to Australia, at least for a few years, because there is nowhere to refuel it.

CarPlay may have a few issues but it has plenty of potentialApple's CarPlay has finally motored into Australia, although it's early days. CarPlay is a system that bonds your iPhone 5 or later model to a compatible car head unit. You can then run certain phone apps on your car infotainment screen.You select and control apps using the head unit touch screen, buttons on the steering wheel, and with voice commands using Apple's personal assistant, Siri.We looked at CarPlay on a Pioneer AVIC-F60DAB head unit. To get CarPlay now, you have to upgrade firmware on one of three local Pioneer head unit models and then link your iPhone to the unit via a lightning cable when on the road.Before year's end CarPlay will be installed on some Pioneer systems and next year, hopefully, it will be part of entertainment systems installed in a number of new cars here.So far, 29 carmakers have signed up to CarPlay, with Pioneer and Alpine committed to aftermarket units.RELATED: Police warn drivers about Apple WatchThe Pioneer AVIC-F60DAB display comprises two home screens. One links to in-built features such as Pioneer's satellite navigation, the other is the current collection of iPhone apps that work with CarPlay: Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, Podcasts and music service Spotify. While few in number, we can expect more apps to come on stream as developers tweak their code to make them CarPlay compatible.Voice commands can initiate tasks such as reading back upcoming calendar appointments.CarPlay is a hands-free system and operates basically the same way an iPhone would if you constantly used Siri.You can ask Siri to play music tracks and audio podcasts stored on your phoneYou can ask Siri the weather, get it to dial your iPhone contacts, dictate messages, read incoming messages, and ask where the nearest petrol stations are.You can ask Siri to play music tracks and audio podcasts stored on your phone. There's some nice integration too: pressing the address in, say, the signature of an email on your connected iPhone will prompt CarPlay's Apple Maps app to show you how to get there.Siri voice recognition has improved. On this implementation conversations are more natural, Siri's voice is strong, even warm, and she emphasises words naturally in sentences.There were occasional stuff-ups when Siri would insist on reading an outgoing email when asked for incoming ones.Trying to correct Siri blunders would be very distracting on the road. A bigger issue is that Siri is a network service. What you ask Siri is sent across the network and data then flows back to your phone.That may be OK for phone use, but when driving in the outback and even around town in poor cellular network areas, Siri's operation would break down, leaving it and you speechless.The same applies to maps. Apple Maps uses an internet connection to download those sections related to your whereabouts. So when you travel in the outback, your map screen would presumably be blank without that connection. Apple needs to address these areas.Fortunately, two of these three Pioneer retrofit units have their own in-built navigation systems that deal with this problem.Being a network service also means Siri is a bit slow in responding to requests. In releasing CarPlay, Apple is taking on in-built manufacturer voice-activated systems from companies such as Ford and Holden, which arguably are better integrated with car functions.CarPlay will gain functionality as more apps become compatible. The Pioneer units can be configured to manage climate control and operate newer tetchy features such as Park Assist - depending on the car. CarPlay is a work in progress but it has good potential.

Upcoming Project CARS game previewed in new Halloween-themed trailer. With Halloween nearly upon us the developers behind Project CARS have released a new trailer for their upcoming racing simulator video game.Driving a high performance sports car in the wet can be a bit scary but what's spooky to us about this preview is the realism. The trailer features entirely gameplay footage and features dark, low visibility conditions on a rain soaked track. the game is one of the most successful crowd-funded projects of all timeThe developers behind the famous Need for Speed: SHIFT series - Slightly Mad Studios - seem to have the recipe just right with Project CARS. There's superb graphics but the realism also extends to the actual gameplay.The other interesting tidbit is that the game is one of the most successful crowd-funded projects of all time, having raised in excess of $3 million USD. Coming to PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in March 2015, the game was recently delayed from the expected November 2014 launch. The delay is rumoured to be a combination of polishing of the final details as well as avoiding holiday period competition with more established games franchises like Grand Theft Auto and Far Cry. 

On reading many of your new-car reviews, I notice that often when stating the vehicle in question is equipped with a constantly variable automatic transmission you remark that CVT is not a CarsGuide favourite. Could you elaborate on the negative aspects of CVT please.

We bought a 2012 Lancer Aspire, but it is not compatible with the Samsung S4. I have spoken to both the service centre and to Mitsubishi head office and both say there is no fix and to refer to the two-line disclaimer of "Some Bluetooth devices are not compatible with the Bluetooth 2.0 interface". They say it's not their problem. People should be aware of a carmaker refusing to make their cars compatible with one of the most common phones.

Traffic fines of more than $500,000 a month are being raked in by just five high tech Victoria Police cars.Even greater numbers of motorists are about to be nabbed as the hours of use of the futuristic BlueNet vehicles will be increased between now and the end of the year as part of the force's longest and biggest ever blitz on the road toll.A sixth BlueNet car being added to the fleet early next month will also boost the number of busted drivers and help make Victoria's roads safer.Top traffic cop Robert Hill yesterday told the Herald Sun the BlueNet's automatic numberplate recognition technology allowed police to proactively target disqualified drivers who were flaunting court orders by continuing to drive."We know that unauthorised drivers create extra risk on our roads and are commonly over represented in road trauma," assistant commissioner Hill said.As well as automatic numberplate recognition systems, the BlueNet vehicles also come equipped with drug and alcohol testing equipment and laser speed detection devices.Figures provided to the Herald Sun reveal that since January this year police in the five BlueNet cars have:SCANNED more than 4 million numberplates.DETECTED 84,000 possible unlicensed drivers and 53,000 possible unregistered vehicles.ISSUED 9100 infringement notices and 1050 briefs of evidence relating to serious traffic offences.IMPOUNDED 148 vehicles.CAUGHT more than three times the amount of suspended and disqualified drivers than non-BlueNet patrol cars do.Particularly disturbing cases detected by BlueNet vehicles include a 19-year-old learner driver in an unroadworthy car who tested positive for ice and cannabis while driving alone and a female suspended driver who blew .194 after being busted for another drink driving offence just two weeks earlier.Automatic numberplate recognition cameras mounted on the roof of BlueNet cars rapidly scan every moving, stationary and parked vehicle they pass, instantly detecting suspect drivers and vehicles.The cameras scan numberplates and alert police officers every time an unregistered car or an unlicensed driver is passed.They also detect stolen vehicles and drivers with outstanding parking, speeding and other fines.Assistant commissioner Hill said the BlueNet vehicles provided Victoria Police with a contemporary road policing enforcement tool to further assist in reducing road trauma."Mobilising the technology gives us greater ability to detect and remove high risk unauthorised drivers from our roads," he said."This technology is the future of road policing and will be fully deployed during the upcoming high-risk spring racing carnival and summer period."On average our BlueNet vehicles impound double the amount of vehicles and catch three times the amount of unauthorised drivers than a normal highway patrol vehicle."A sixth BlueNet vehicle is being added to the fleet and will be deployed to Melbourne and Prahran highway patrols."This additional vehicle will substantially improve our enforcement capacity in the metropolitan Melbourne area, creating a safer road system for all road users."An ice-addicted banned motorist was nabbed within minutes of the high-tech BlueNet police car hitting the road late last week.Catching unlicensed drivers is a vital road safety measure.The 44-year-old woman wasn't pulled over because she was driving erratically.What got her stopped was information identified by one of the four automatic numberplate recognition cameras fitted to the roof of the BlueNet vehicle.It scanned the numberplate of her small Mazda and immediately pinged to alert the camera operator the owner of the vehicle had been disqualified from driving after racking up 30 demerit points for speeding and other offences.The siren and blue lights went on and she was pulled over in Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park.Every motorist stopped by police operating BlueNet vehicles is automatically breath tested for alcohol.This woman's appearance warranted the extra check of undergoing a drug test.She was amazed when told by Acting Sgt Kevin Byrne that she had tested negative."Really, I'm surprised," she told the officer."I thought ice stayed in your system longer."Different illegal drugs stay in the systems of different people for different amounts of time, depending on various factors.The ice user said she couldn't remember when she last took ice, other than it was "a few days ago".The Herald Sun recently spent three hours in a BlueNet car as Acting Sgt Byrne and Acting Sen-Sgt Tony Rayson put it through its paces.In just those three hours it scanned 2486 numberplates, detecting 24 unlicensed drivers and 23 unregistered vehicles.The busted ice addict was cooperative with police and readily admitted having used the deadly addictive drug "recently".She told the Herald Sun she didn't want to stop using ice because "I like it, just like you like a cup of coffee".Acting Sgt Byrne said a normal patrol car would not have picked the ice addict up as she was driving normally and there was nothing visibly wrong with her car."That's the beauty of the BlueNet's numberplate scanning technology," he said."There is no escaping it. If you are driving without a licence or driving an unregistered vehicle it will pick it up instantly and alert us so we can then pull you over."The four numberplate recognition cameras mounted on the roof of the BlueNet vehicles cover every angle and automatically scan every moving, stationary and parked vehicle.They are connected to a computer screen inside the car that is operated by the police officer passenger.The second a suspect numberplate is detected the screen makes a pinging noise to alert the operator and information comes up on the screen as to what possible offence has been detected, such as the car being unregistered or owned by an unlicensed driver or by a driver who is wanted for unpaid fines or other offences."We can be driving in one direction at 100km/h and another car can be driving in the opposite direction at 100km/h and the camera can still scan the plate and instantly tell us if the vehicle is a suspect one," Acting Sgt Byrne said."We can even do that at night as the cameras are infra-red."The BlueNet computer is linked to the VicRoads database so operators can instantly check details of the vehicle and driver.Next cab off the rank after the busted ice addict's Mazda was a P-plater in a Nissan Skyline who was pulled over in Dryburgh St, North Melbourne.The BlueNet cameras identified the vehicle as being owned by a 21-year-old from Sunbury whose licence was suspended after she racked up 17 demerit points.She stepped out of her car with sunglasses perched on her head, carrying an expensive Prada bag, wearing fancy jeans with designer tears and sporting a watch worth more than the average weekly wage.While polite about it, she insisted the BlueNet computer was wrong and that she did have a current licence — she just didn't have it with her to prove it.Just as politely, and just as firmly, Acting Sgt Byrne told her she would have her day in court and that she would have to get somebody to come and drive her car away because she couldn't.It only takes BlueNet half a second to scan a car as it travels past and in one shift it can check up to 7000 carsNot every motorist stopped during the three hours the Herald Sun was in the BlueNet car was busted.That welcome common sense and discretion that police officer can use — that speed cameras can't — was in evidence.The well-dressed businessman in his BMW was parked at traffic lights with his head down and fiddling with what was fairly obviously his mobile phone.As the BlueNet pulled alongside him Acting Sen-Sgt Rayson wound down his window and yelled out.The motorist looked up and got the shock of his life as the lights changed to green and he heard "don't do that again" as the BlueNet moved off.Luckiest of all that day was the P-plater pulled over while driving a truck the BlueNet pinged as being owned by a disqualified driver.It turned out the banned motorist wasn't the driver and the P-plater was quite legitimately driving a truck belonging to the company he worked for.Only problem was he only had one P-plate on display, rather than the required front and rear ones.That offence carries three demerit points and the young driver already had four of the six demerit points needed before license loss."He was a good kid and issuing an infringement for only having one P-plate on display would have meant him losing his licence and not being able to work," Acting Sgt Byrne said."I exercised my discretion after he assured me he would quickly get a second P-plate and display it."Biggest fine of the day was the $1328 ticket issued to a truck driver detected with an unregistered trailer."The boss will pay that, it's his trailer and his responsibility to register it," the driver said.The smallest was the $148 infringement notice given to the P-plater with the automatic licence who was driving a manual Toyota HiLux ute.While the bulk of offences detected by BlueNet vehicles involve unlicensed drivers and unregistered vehicles, in the past nine months they have also nabbed 880 motorists for seat belt and mobile phone offences, 2500 for speeding, 55 for drink driving and 2165 for other miscellaneous traffic offences."When I started 36 years ago it would take 45 minutes on the roadside to confirm someone was unregistered," Acting Sen-Sgt Rayson said."It only takes BlueNet half a second to scan a car as it travels past and in one shift it can check up to 7000 cars."That means that when we are in a BlueNet we know a vehicle is unauthorised before we even pull it over."Catching unlicensed drivers is a vital road safety measure.A Monash University study found about 11 per cent of fatal crashes involve an unlicensed driver.Alcohol was present in 55 per cent of unlicensed driver fatalities.

Electric carmaker Tesla announces the first dual electric motor production car and new Model S safety and autopilot upgrades.Tesla has taken the wraps off a new flagship version of its Model S sedan, with the new P85D adding a second electric motor and all-wheel drive over existing versions.The all-paw upgrade is not just about improving traction and safety over the existing rear-drivers though, as the second motor brings supercar levels of performance to the pure-electric Model S.   While not quite in the same realm as the McLaren P1 or Porsche 918, the P85D should wipe the floor with BMW's high-tech i8 plug-in hybrid in terms of outright acceleration. Tesla claims the P85D is capable of hitting 60mph (96km/h) in a blistering 3.2 seconds – clearly significantly faster then the i8 with it's 4.4 second 0-100km/h official figure.The new Tesla is also significantly quicker to 100km/h than more traditional petrol-only performance sedans like Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S (3.6 seconds) or BMW M5 (4.2 seconds). Even the Audi R8 V10 Plus developing a massive 404 kW takes 3.5 seconds to reach 100km/h. Top speed for the P85D is also 40km/h faster than the single motor Model S P85 at 250 km/h. In addition to the P85D's impressive speed and performance, this latest version also introduces new autopilot and safety features that will be fitted to all new Model S variants.  The autopilot capability is quite revolutionary and a sign of things to come. The Model S is not yet able to take full control of the driving - regulations currently don't permit it anyway - but the technology is staring to get close. Using an array of sensors, radar and a camera the car can change lanes when the driver starts indicating and automatically steer back in the lane if you start drifting outside the lane markings. It can also avoid or mitigate front collision damage when it detects other vehicles or objects are in the way.The car can basically drop you off on the driveway and then continue to the garage by itself. The radar can see through fog and snow while the camera has image recognition capability to read traffic signs as well as detect pedestrian movements. The self-parking feature is a clever feature too, having the ability to take over and park in a pre-designated spot in your garage. The car can basically drop you off on the driveway and then continue to the garage by itself. US customers will take delivery of the first Model S P85Ds in December, while Australian buyers can expect to see it in local showrooms in June 2015. Australian pricing is expected to start at around $160,000 for the P85D performance hero, but dual motor Model S will also soon be available in less performance-focused and affordable 60D and 85D variants.

Tired of returning to hot car? You need one that cools itself before you get in it. A day at the beach no longer means returning to a stifling hot car and seats that can burn the back of your legs. A new smartphone app can switch on the air-conditioning up to 10 minutes before you're ready to get in the car. There is just one catch: for now the technology is only available on a Mercedes-Benz limousine that's expected to cost $310,000 when it goes on sale next year. But it will be available on more affordable models within two years. The feature is standard on the company's first ever plug-in hybrid car, the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-In Hybrid. It can travel 33km on battery power alone before the petrol engine takes over for a further 800km of driving. The technology has created a new dilemma: save the planet with petrol-free driving range, or save your skin?  The same car also has technology that teaches you how to drive economically.  A radar system can tell if you're too close to the car in front and will 'pulse' the accelerator pedal to tell you to back off.  "As our flagship model, the S-Class always has our leading technology but you will these features on other models over time," said Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy.The Mercedes-Benz S500 is not the first car to cool itself, however. In the 1990s Mazda introduced a car with solar panels in the sunroof to keep the car cool while parked. Mazda abandoned the technology, but Toyota reintroduced it on the most expensive version of the latest Prius hybrid introduced five years ago. However, unlike the Mercedes system, the Toyota Prius keeps the cabin at an ambient temperature whereas the Mercedes will cool the car to a chill.

Police are concerned about drivers using Apple Watch while behind the wheel. The Apple iPhone 6 -- with a choice of two new large screens -- goes on sale across Australia today, but police are concerned about the Apple Watch due in February 2015 and the adverse impact it may have on driver safety.  The Apple Watch and other smartphone watches such as the one made by Samsung will be "next to impossible" for police to enforce if they’re used while driving as they are a "wearable device", according to senior highway patrol police.  However drivers will still be able to get a ticket under distracted driving laws. "There is no doubt there is potential for distraction if a driver has a message beep at them on their watch phone," said a high-ranking NSW highway patrol officer.  "Drivers will be tempted to take their eyes off the road to check the message," he said. "Drivers might not be booked under mobile phone laws but they can be booked for not paying due care and attention, or booked under driver distraction laws." The fines for dangerous driving are as severe as, if not higher than, those for using a mobile phone. In most states and territories, driving while using a mobile phone attracts a penalty of three demerit points and about $300, but in Victoria the fine is $433 and four demerit points. When asked about the legality of Apple Watch and the Samsung watch when used as a mobile phone, Queensland Police issued the following statement: "The Queensland Road Rules which apply to using a mobile phone while driving do not apply to a smartwatch. However drivers could be charged with not having proper control of their vehicle and driving without due care and attention, should they drive erratically or become distracted." At a stretch, drivers could also be booked under the laws covering display screens that can distract drivers. The exact wording of the laws vary slightly in each state and territory, but according to the Australian Road Rules: "A driver must not drive a motor vehicle that has a television receiver or visual display unit in or on the vehicle operating while the vehicle is moving, or is stationary but not parked, if any part of the image on the screen is visible to the driver from the normal driving position." This law was intended to cover TV screens and DVD players but could be used to book a driver using a smartwatch given that it has a display screen. Last month a study found one out of every three young drivers admitted to taking a "selfie" behind the wheel. A survey of 7000 drivers aged 18 to 24 found that texting and talking are only part of the dangers posed by smartphones in cars. According to a survey commissioned by Ford of Europe, one-in-three young British drivers admitted to taking a "selfie" while on the move, ahead of those in Germany (28 per cent) and France (28 per cent). Meanwhile, just as many young drivers admitted to using social media apps or websites while behind the wheel. The survey found that taking a photo can distract a driver for 14 seconds, enough for a car travelling at 100kmh/h to cover the length of more than three football fields. A study by Monash University in Melbourne found drivers are 2.8 times more likely to crash when dialing a phone than when driving undistracted. "Any distraction while on the road is dangerous, particularly for inexperienced drivers," said the chief executive of the Australian Automobile Association, Andrew McKellar. "(But) taking a photo or a selfie while driving is extremely dangerous." In December 2012, 20-year-old Brooke Richardson crashed at 100km/h near Cobram on the NSW-Victoria border moments after sending a text message. The coroner found she dropped the phone, bent down to pick it up and swerved to the wrong side of the road and hit a tree. The death came one month after the NSW Government launched its "Get Your Hands Off It" campaign. In August 2013, 26-year-old Sarah Durazza died after crashing her car into a tree on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Her boyfriend told police he was talking to her on her mobile phone at the time of the incident, and heard the impact. Meanwhile, Mr McKellar said most young drivers are unaware of the penalties they are risking. To remove any ambiguity, the laws in most states and territories have changed to make it illegal to even handle a phone unless it is in a secure cradle or windscreen mounting. Many states also ban P-Plate drivers from using a phone even when used with a hands-free device.