Auto Sensor Watches Your Back

By Michael Santo
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

Chip maker Micron released a second generation sensor chip that functions better in low light and works with NTSC and PAL cameras.

The chip can process images at up to 30 frames per second and automatically reverses video input so that displays can show what is going on behind the vehicle. The chip can be used with lane tracking, parking assistance, adaptive cruise control, and to eliminate blind spots.

It looks like the rear and side view mirrors may soon go the way of the dodo bird. A center dashboard panel with multiple image views would eliminate having to look left, up, and right to see what’s going on behind you. Source: Wired Blogs

We Say: I’ll keep my mirrors, at the very least as backup. It’s cool, but it’s just one more piece of electronica that may break … or, as more cars have Bluetooth installed, one more thing that has the potential for being hacked. Also, I can see glare might be a problem at night … and what about mud on the lens? Finally, there’s always going to be a blind spot. Sometimes manual operation is better and this might be one of those cases.