Driver Safety - Technology - Cadillac

Technology has come a long way in a short amount of time. Remember (some of us) back in the day, watching or reading Sci-Fi movies and  books, where all kinds of crazy electronic gadgets were being used. Star Trek (debuted in 1966) , 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Nineteen Eighty-Four (a novel by George Orwell published in 1949), and even the Jetsons ( an animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in prime-time from 1962–1963). Who would have ever thought that what once was Science Fiction has become reality. It is all simply amazing.
The innovative technology behind Cadillac's newer breed of automobiles is a confirmation that our world as we view it is still being redesigned. Cadillac has been paying attention, and has made great observations as to what has needed to be improved on. What is and what will be required to maintain our safety when we are riding and driving on the roadways.
 “Super Cruise,” Cadillac’s semi-autonomous technology is capable of fully automatic steering, braking and lane-centering under certain driving conditions.
Many of the building block technologies for Super Cruise, (a self-driving car should be available by mid decade) are already available on the all-new 2013 Cadillac XTS and ATS luxury sedans, as part of the available Driver Assist Package. It is the first Cadillac system to use sensor fusion to provide 360 degrees of crash risk detection and enhanced driver assist features, including:

• Rear Automatic Braking
• Full-Speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control 
• Intelligent Brake Assist 
• Forward Collision Alert 
• Safety Alert Seat 
• Automatic Collision Preparation 
• Lane Departure Warning 
• Side Blind Zone Alert 
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert 
• Adaptive Forward Lighting 
• Rear Vision Camera With Dynamic Guidelines 
• Head Up Display 

With all of these new technologies in place, there still needs to be some serious road testing, to be sure that all the systems are working properly.  The latest testing ground.....The Brooklyn Bridge.
The Brooklyn Bridge’s intricate metal design and traffic volume allowed General Motors engineers to refine the radar sensors so they can tell the difference between stationary objects like guard rails and bridge structure from vehicle traffic. More than 120,000 vehicles, 4,000 pedestrians and 3,100 bicyclists cross the Brooklyn Bridge every day. Making it an ideal testing ground. "Metal structures can “confuse” some types of radar into detecting a vehicle or obstacle is approaching, causing an unnecessary warning or action from the safety systems,” said Jim Nickolaou.

About 2,000 scenarios were identified to test the sensors and radars, things such as weather, traffic volume, lighting, and radar reflections, all of which can impact radar systems or other sensors in the car. All this information was collected to anticipate a range of real-world conditions, which was needed to refine the development of the Sensor Fusion software, which is the link between driver safety and Cadillac's innovative technology.

Cadillac has been a leader in developing technology since 1902 and continues it's legacy. The future is here!
No, we are not at The Jetsons level yet... but we are getting closer with each passing year.

Keep it between the lines,
Happy Motoring.

Biggs Cadillac Buick GMC has been in the business of selling and servicing automobiles for 30 years. We are proud to be apart of this industry and take great pride in putting "Customer Satisfaction" as the number one priority.