Cars have been around for nearly a century now, but the innovation and ingenuity we saw in early carmakers seems to be lacking today. With computing technologies becoming more powerful and compact, it is expected that cars will get smarter and safer in the future. Here are some futuristic automobile concepts that are very exciting and can also become reality very soon:
- Spherical Tires:
Image Source : crazyengineers.com
The credit for this idea goes to science fiction. A similar product was featured in Will Smith starrer I Robot. The concept behind spherical tires is that they will be Omni-directional unlike conventional tires that can roll only in two directions. Spherical tires would make complex operations like slide-in parallel parking or pivot-in-place U-turns extremely easy.
Companies planning to manufacturer spherical tires would have to use materials that support the airless concept. This is because the valve needed to fit these tires in place would not be easily accessible. Goodyear has already started working on this concept and their vision is going to be a reality very soon.
- Cars that change their own oil:
Image Source : bp.com
Castrol is working on a product called Nexcel that would make manual oil and filter changing a part of the past. The technology is said to be more ecofriendly and would increase the lubrication of the engine. Another advantage of this product is that it will take only 90 seconds to complete the entire process of oil change. Nexcel is already present on the car brand Aston Martin Vulcan and although the technology is quite expensive today, it could be present in regular cars of the future. - Intercommunicating Cars:
Image Source : insidercarnews.com
Cars that can communicate with each other and their surroundings would reduce the possibilities of accidents. This is probably one of the most interesting concepts of the future in automobiles. The pioneering technology is known as Vehicle-to-vehicle communication. While presently Ford is testing this concept, researchers are also exploring the possibility of interaction between vehicles and infrastructure like traffic signals and road signs. These technologies are in advanced stages of development and could be deployed on the road in the near future. - Augmented reality dashboard:
Image Source : rybrook.co.uk
Although some high-end cars already have displays on their windshields, this technology can go a long way in the future. It is a common sight in sci-fi movies where looking at something through a display automatically shows information about the object. This could come true soon through an augmented reality dashboard where the driver can readily access information on the windshield about external objects in front of the car. - Energy storing body panels:
Image Source : industryweek.com
One issue with batteries present in modern cars is that they take up a lot of space and are very bulky. Now in Europe, auto-manufacturers are trying to invent new kinds of body panels that can store energy. They are also working to ensure that in comparison to the present batteries in the market, these panels take a lesser time to charge. The panels would also be lightweight and durable enough to add strength to the car’s body. - Autonomous cars:
Image Source : media.npr.org
Often known as a self-driving car, this is not exactly a concept of the future since there are already self-driven cars in the market. Some companies are testing the advanced versions of such cars. Self-driving cars are yet to make it to mass production, but it seems that day is not far away.
95% of all traffic accidents is due to human error. The tests that are presently bing conducted suggest that self-driving cars could eliminate the human error factor and make transportation safer. Big names of the industry like Google, General Motors and Uber have already tested their own versions of autonomous cars.
It seems one change that is inevitable in the automobile industry is autonomous cars and technology in the near future would make this possible. Future cars will not only be safer but also more efficient than they are now.
