Siemens VDO -- the same in-car gurus that brought us the oh-so-snazzy eCorner
contraption -- is back at it again in an attempt to jazz up the
plainly styled dashboards that we've (begrudgingly) grown accustomed to.
While adaptive
cruise control has become somewhat commonplace in higher-end automobiles,
that technology simply keeps you from resetting your speed every
time the cabbie in front of you eases on and off the accelerator; Siemens'
traffic
sign recognition system boasts a camera attached to an internal
computer which automatically recognizes common road signs and displays an
alert in
the driver's heads-up display. Not only will the driver see a digital
rendition of the sign without taking his / her eyes too far off the road,
but he /
she will have the option of enabling the vehicle to dynamically
adapt to changes in speed limits, theoretically eliminating any previously
valid
excuse you could give the boys in blue once pulled over. While
we're sure those speed freaks will happily turn down this convenience on
their next
car purchase, those of us who need all the help we can get in taming
that lead foot (and skyrocketing insurance premiums) can look for this speed-dictating
option in 2008.