Electrification, autonomous functionality and connectivity technologies are ever-growing aspects, all of which will be key themes for the Mitsubishi Electric Emirai 4 concept bound for this year’s Tokyo Motor Show.
The driver assistance systems on this one are aimed at helping reduce accidents with visual cues, including a heads-up display with augmented reality using high-accuracy 3D mapping and positioning, which emphasises road markings to help the driver safely navigate in bad weather and poor visibility conditions.
The concept also employs what Mitsubishi calls a ‘knob-on display’, essentially a sliding knob which allows the driver to operate various functions without taking his or her eyes off the road. The sliding knob operates like a user-configurable key of sorts – functions assigned to the knob can be amended and consolidated into specific groupings in order to simplify the centre console area, says Mitsubishi.
For improved visibility around the vehicle, a so-called crossed images display is used, employing a half mirror with diagonal LCD and a vertical, virtual image from another LCD panel to provide 3D images of the car’s surroundings, offering the driver alerts in the form of vertical images.
The occupants within the car themselves are monitored too, where a wide-angle interior camera observes the driver’s and front passenger’s heads and postures to alert against potentially dangerous driving, while also providing smooth transitions between autonomous and manual driving.
Lighting systems in the Emirai also serve as visual cues toward active safety. Sensors within the car body detect when a door is about to be opened, and will illuminate an indicator that is projected unto the road surface and another on the car body itself, which helps nearby road users identify that a door is about to be opened, potentially into their paths.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
