I n contrast with the work on UV lighting being carried
Page 33
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
out in Sweden, the Human Sciences and Advanced Technology (HUSAT) Research Institute at Loughborough has been looking at image-enhancement based on infra-red technolo9y similar to that used by the military for seeing in the dark,
The vehicle uses infra-red lighting which is picked up by a special imageintensifying camera mounted inside the cab. This enhances the image which is then shown as a letter-box-shaped "head-up" display on the windscreen,
According to David Davies, one of the three HUSAT directors involved with the work within Prometheus: 'The system has considerable potential. With UV lighting it can be difficult to pick out objects such as people wearing dark clothing. However,infra-red is based on heat. You're still looking through the entire windscreen, only the central part of the view is enhanced."
For Davies the real benefits of infrared are in bad weather conditions.
"You're driving along in fog or torrential rain and have very poor visibility," he says. 'This system throws up an enhanced image of the view ahead so instead of looking at white fog, you can see 10, 20 or 30 vehicles ahead."
While the letterbox display must be large enough to give a good workable picture it mustn't obscure normal vision, so when the main research is completed there will be consumer trials to determine the optimum viewing slot. Davies describes the electronics as: "Hot technology to be tucked under the dashboard."
Given the nature of the work prototype testing is "strictly controlled" and currently restricted to a vehicle using a test track. "Full production is still some years away," says Davies, "and likely to be market led."
So will the truck of the future come with UV lights and infra-red cameras? If it does, any technology which enhances vehicle safety has yet to be judged against the potential lowering of risk awareness. Any improvement in nighttime vision will be negated if a driver increases his speed on the grounds that he can now see "for miles". Give a driver a feeling that he's invulnerable and sooner or later he'll find out that he isn't.