DIY guide: How to add new tech to old cars
DIY guide: How to add new tech to erstwhile cars
For those of y'all jealous of all the cool tech in the new cars my colleague Bill Howard gets to write about, there are lots of alternatives for adding technology to your current motorcar. In nearly cases, add-ons aren't equally slick, or as powerful, as the versions yous can get if y'all go all-in for a new vehicle. But they're a lot less expensive, and some are quite effective. Done correctly, aftermarket solutions can even more flexible and future-proof than OEM systems. Remember when car phones were built into vehicles, and they got sometime actually fast? Or when navigation systems all got congenital in and they got old really fast? Now, most of us use our smartphones for both of those functions — tied into our cars.
Many of the add together-ons we'll look at in this article also leverage your smartphone, while others have advantage of the rapid stride of change and decrease in price of consumer technologies.
Nuance cams
Most every day we are treated to a viral video of some sort recorded by a car-mounted camera. Whether it is a traffic accident, an encounter with constabulary, or simply a shocking outcome that randomly unfolded in front of a motorcar (several include airplane crashes), they have helped fuel dramatic growth in dash-mounted and windshield-mounted cameras (east.g. dash cams). First generation cameras were pretty straightforward, recording either constantly, or when a button was pushed. If your smartphone was mounted appropriately, you could fifty-fifty mimic ane using a simple app. As the market for simple cameras has saturated, vendors have begun to layer on boosted features to help differentiate their offerings.
GPS allows many electric current dash cams to provide speed and crimson light camera alerts, also every bit other location-specific information. It also allows them to gauge your vehicle's speed, which is a key element in layering on commuter safety functions. Combined with a gyroscope for sensing force, units similar the Thinkware X550 that I road-tested can besides be certain to tape impact events — even if you don't have continuous recording turned on. One additional tweak Thinkware has added to the X550 is that bear on footage is recorded on both the SD card and internal retention, providing back-up in the effect the camera is damaged in the standoff. Our local auto-add-on dealer and installer also recommends Blackvue as a well-built, reliable make of nuance cam.
Some dash cam vendors besides offer a backup camera option. This is an attractive way to go for those wanting the additional safety of a backup camera — as these integrated solutions offer a smaller lag than the backup cameras solutions that rely on connecting directly to your smartphone. Typically these are wired to your nuance cam, so be prepared for some DIY or paying an installer.
Nuance cam commuter safety features leave a lot to be desired
Equally function of trying to stand up out from the crowd, nuance cam vendors have been racing to market place with ADAS (Advanced Driver Help Systems) features. They include Lane Departure Alarm (LDW), Forepart Collision Alert System (FCWS), and Front end Vehicle Divergence Warning (FVDW). Those are the same terms used to depict common features available in loftier-terminate new automobile packages. However, that'south where the similarity ends. Ane obvious difference is that add-on systems currently on the marketplace can't actually control your car. The best they can practice is warn you with a audio, so that y'all know to take action. Of course, that takes time — while you hear the audio, identify it, sort of the threat, and react. It also isn't fail safe if you're not paying attention or are incapacitated in some other way. Done correctly and reliably, even a alarm tin can exist a lifesaver, but a non-reliable system is essentially similar not having one at all.
Unfortunately, simple dash cam-based systems are not that reliable when information technology comes to safe features. Beingness based on a single camera that doesn't take all the processing power of a high-end GPU or CPU, means that all the low-end and midrange dash cam products we tested produced enough of false positives and missed lots of other incidents. In particular, driving along a mottled-sunlight-and-shade road frequently set off the Front Collision warning. Conversely, in many cases driving up to a stopped vehicle at a fairly high speed ofttimes didn't cause a alarm. The Forepart Vehicle Departure warning is a convenience feature, only often was triggered when cross traffic went past if I was first in line at a stoplight. If you weren't paying attention and started to move based on the alert, it could exist dangerous.
If you want ADAS-similar features, step up to a pro-installed system
At ane betoken, it looked like in that location would be a real aftermarket ADAS solution from startup Cruise Automation. However, GM has caused the company, and is planning to utilise its technology for shared vehicle fleets, and not sell information technology direct to consumers. However, by using aftermarket camera and radar-assisted systems, you can become ADAS-blazon warnings in your current vehicle.
Israeli startup Mobileye came out with some of the first products in the market. Its Mobileye 560 has been out for four years, simply is nonetheless the favorite of professional person installers. It has an integrated vision flake (and is very like to the camera and processor that is traditionally built into the Tesla Model S). Information technology's much better at motion detection and object recognition than unproblematic dash cams, merely of form information technology even so can't control your machine. Mobileye hasn't come out with a new model for several years, although it does still practice updates to the software. Instead it has been focusing on integrated systems for car makers.
Similar other dash cam solutions, Mobileye's is camera-only. Only by relying on precise calibration (pregnant professional installation), and a more powerful on-board vision processor, it achieves significantly improve results. It can even recognize speed limit signs. The downside is you'll need a professional installer and a upkeep of about $1,000. Mobileye has proven especially pop with older drivers, and with parents purchasing them for their children who are new drivers.
Recently, Mobileye has been in the news for its messy breakup with partner Tesla in the wake of a crash in Florida, and Mobileye criticizing Tesla for deploying its products inappropriately. Competitor SafeDrive goes a step further by using a radar in its RD-140 family of products. The base RDR unit uses a forepart radar just, while the higher-stop model adds a camera for lane divergence warnings. Either one requires a pro installation, and will fix you back virtually $1,500 to $2,000.
Fill-in cameras
Fill-in cameras are considered so important that they will be required on all vehicles sold in the US past May 2018. In the meantime, there are literally hundreds of aftermarket products, but all leave something to be desired. For starters, unless you have wires for a trailer, yous'll need to tap into your car's internal wiring for ability. And then, especially if you've wired to your tail lights (then that the camera and its app "know" when you're backing up), y'all'll accept to wait for it to turn on each fourth dimension you shift into reverse. If you opt for the convenience of an otherwise wireless install, then the camera has to connect to your phone over Wi-Fi, adding some hassle, and some lag, to the brandish. The lag, in particular, takes some getting used to.
Pearl's RearVision is the cat's-meow of backup cameras
One backup camera system that stands out from the rest is Pearl Auto'due south RearVision. Commencement, information technology is solar powered, so yous don't have to wire it in at all. Second, the camera talks to a defended, always-on OBD-Two adapter (that simply plugs into the OBD-Two port found under your dashboard in all cars made since 1996). The adapter is powered by a beefy viii-core CPU — the aforementioned one used in the Galaxy S5. The dedicated connection and horsepower hateful it can avoid some of the lag and connectivity bug inherent in systems that connect directly to your telephone. It also has enough horsepower to run calculator vision algorithms for 3D reconstruction and object detection. The OBD-Two adapter in plough uses your smartphone screen for display. Somewhen, you may also be able to encounter your engine data from the OBD-II port, merely that isn't a primary focus for Pearl. (If that's all you lot really desire, in that location are lots of standalone OBD-Two adapters that will prove data on your smartphone).
Pearl's RearVision uses two HD cameras: ane a regular daylight camera, and the other optimized for Infrared and night vision. They transmit to the video processing software running on the OBD-Two adapter. The vision software allows it to create a 3D map of the area behind your automobile, and provide obstacle detection warnings. In my fourth dimension with a RearVision, I constitute both the simulated machine-trajectory guidelines and the obstruction detection (technically in beta) to be quite authentic. I was as well stunned by the quality of its images at night; seriously, it's impressive.
Currently, RearVision doesn't find cross traffic besides as systems with dedicated sensors congenital into accordingly-equipped new cars. Still, information technology is an agile surface area of research for the team at Pearl. When I spoke with them, they sounded optimistic that they'd be able to do an excellent job on this characteristic as well. Considering the arrangement is designed to be fully upgradeable (both the software on the adapter and the app on the phone), this is the type of capability they will exist able to roll out to all users. Because the Pearl isn't wired, it can't tell currently tell when your vehicle is in reverse, so you need to launch the app yourself to view the camera. Longer-term, Pearl has some ideas about how to harness OBD data to reach this.
In the meantime, my solution is to dedicate a second telephone (an former one) to the Pearl, and mount it near my center console. I utilise my primary phone, mounted on my dash, for navigation and entertainment (via Android Auto). The only catch with Pearl is the price. At $500, this unit is several times the toll of most of its competition. But if you have the upkeep, it is easily-down the best product in its category. It also saves you from having to pay for the installation of a wired system, and so its total price is closer. Plus, I expect information technology to continue to better, which is not true of the typical fill-in camera.
I institute information technology awkward to launch the Pearl app when needed, so I mounted an old telephone to my centre console and dedicated it to the backup app
Add together-on backup cameras with dedicated consoles
If you lot want a organisation that minimizes lag, simply don't want to spring for a Pearl, so one with a dedicated monitor may be your best bet. For all-time results, running a wire from the console to the backup camera is needed, merely many offer a wireless option. Some come every bit part of a more complete system, like the Magellan MiVue, or the Rand-McNally OverDryve. OverDryve is actually built around a tablet that can as well provide navigation and in-motorcar amusement. 1 cautionary note is that nigh of these systems use proprietary interconnects, so yous tin can't mix and lucifer consoles and cameras between brands.
If y'all want to meet more than but what'south behind you, ImageNEXT's omniDrive provides a full 360-degree environs camera solution. Using iv cameras on the corners of your car, it synthesizes a 'birds-eye' view — like that found on some new high-stop cars. When omniDrive is bachelor — expected to be in early 2017 — information technology volition clearly crave a professional person install. The company also hasn't appear pricing yet, merely I am planning to get a demo when the company shows information technology off at CES in Jan.
Where to start?
Based on my experience with various devices and apps, a fill-in photographic camera arrangement is the most helpful for safety. A dash cam will get you video records, only I wouldn't bother with anything less than a Mobileye if you also expect it to warn you almost budgeted cars or pedestrians. Separately, equally an overall tech upgrade, getting a new stereo caput unit that supports Android Auto or Apple CarPlay will upgrade your nav and entertainment experience over relying on your phone alone — although you tin at to the lowest degree mimic the Android Automobile feel with Google's standalone app now. If your auto has limited visibility out the dorsum, or you get tired of swiveling your head completely around all the time, a quality backup solution is a great identify to start.
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(Top image credit: Mad Max: Fury Road)
Source: https://www.extremetech.com/electronics/239794-adding-new-tech-old-cars
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