GM Cars Set to Adopt HUD Technology

Fighter jets have them and they look cool in movies. The head up display (HUD) or enhanced vision system (EVS), is something that has proven to be very useful to pilots who need to keep their head up and eyes looking front even as they monitor visual cues that help them fly. The HUD display may appear to be distracting at first, but tests have proven them to be helpful and improve flying performance. Now, General Motors is planning to use HUD technology in its cars.

Thomas Seder, the group head manager of the GM R&D says the HUD for future GM cars will combine different vehicle sensors including infrared cameras that allow the projection of laser lines on the windshield. Seder says the system can identify the edge of the road in a fog and can draw a line on the wundshield that will define it even as the cars moves. He says the GM HUD can also inform drivers of obstacles and other potential dangers ahead.

Seder says he was inspired to adopt the aircraft technology for cars after he came upon a transparent phosphor product made by SuperImaging, which let glowing images to be projected onto a windshield. This was what it took to take the available HUD technology developed by GM since 1988 to the next level. Before, images were only projected on small areas, but with the new phosphor product, the whole of a car's windshield can serve as a screen. You can have an idea of how this will look like by watching one of those episodes of the new Knight Rider series. Tests have proved it to make a driver better in driving and it's not the distraction that it's thought to be.

Need targeted traffic for your website? Cheap Visitors can provide it. Make it a partner in your web business now.

Hydrogen Cars Set for Commercialization with New Storage System

Hydrogen engines, along with other new engine and fancy gadget systems for automobiles, are likely set for commercialization with a new hydrogen storage system developed with the help of funding from General Motors. According to GM researchers led by Issam Mudawar, this storage system aims to make the task of filling-up with hydrogen as easy as filling-up with gasoline. The secret to a quick fill is the heat exchange system which allows the gas to be absorbed by metal hydride powder.

The process of hydrogen absorption by the metal hydride produces heat that slows down the process and at least 40 minutes would be needed to fill a hydrogen tank that allows a traveling distance of 300 miles. With the special heat exchange and removal system similar to what's used in refrigerators plus cooling fins, the time needed to get a full tank is reduced to only 5 minutes, almost the same as what's needed to get a gasoline tank full. This is what would make the hydrogen car practical and ready for commercial production.

The hydrogen gas is used to power fuel cells that run the electric motor of hydrogen cars. The main advantage of using these electric-hydrogen cars is it produces zero emissions with only water vapor as the byproduct of the energy conversion needed to run the car. Water or course, is harmless and is beneficial for life on earth. There's now a system being developed that can extract hydrogen from urine. This is a good way to make hydrogen gas cheap and readily available. People and animals like cows produce tons of urine everyday and they are good sources of hydrogen.

If all cars used hydrogen fuel, the world would indeed be a better place with air that's more breathable. With the practical technology for hydrogen production and storage and now available, tomorrow looks very green.



Keep an eye on your car keys with this key chain inspired by the eye of Mad Eye Moody in the world of Harry Potter. It's a touch of old-fashioned magic for your car. Click here or on the image to place your order.