Eye On Innovation
I’ve been down to the plant looking once again at the new Opel Insignia. Each time I see it and drive it I feel better and better about what we've come up with here, especially the number of "Opel firsts” that are packed into this car. Probably one of the most interesting innovations we’ve made is what we call the Opel Eye. It’s a camera that assists drivers in two ways. It reads speed limits and no-passing signs and displays them on the instrument panel. It can also warn inattentive drivers when they unintentionally veer out of their lane. What I like most about these two systems is that they help drivers without taking over. That means, the Eye gives drivers the information they need, but it doesn’t actively intervene.
It’s a first not only for Opel but possibly for the entire branch because in other cars, the camera can perform one function or the other. This one can do both, thereby improving driving safety, reducing stress and even perhaps helping to avoid speeding tickets. Imagine driving on an unfamiliar motorway where construction is going on; it’s nice to know what speed you’re supposed to be driving – and to be alerted when you can go back to the faster tempo. Then, later in the evening, you get a bit sleepy. Suddenly, you hear a loud bleeping noise and realize you’re starting to veer off the road. Time to stop for some coffee.
In my career lifetime, which started off as an engineer at Opel,the technological advancements have never been more impressive and my optimism for the brand has never been higher. This camera isn’t a whole lot bigger than my Blackberry, but it can take 30 pictures per second and almost instantaneously process and read them. And we plan to keep on pushing relevant and interesting technologies into future Opel products. Next up is Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication, where cars can actually exchange information and avoid accidents. The technology will also tell drivers in advance if a car is travelling in a blind spot, or is about to enter the same intersection.
So, while you will be seeing the Opel Eye soon on the Insignia – and later on down the road on other Opel cars –it’s by no means the end to the innovations we are working on to help drivers. Of course, we plan to deliver the technology with the highest levels of rock solid engineering wrapped around what we hope you will think are truly beautiful shapes. Any way you look at it, it's a great time for Opel.
Hans Demant
Vice President, GM Europe Engineering
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- Posted in Vehicles |
- Comments (11)
Comments (11)
Jean-Charles Jacquemin said:
Thanks Mr Demant, the innovations you announce are very interesting for the security of all.
What I was wondering is if those innovations will be reserved for upper class cars.
By the times where gas and diesel are very expensive, I think (and sometimes observe) that people tend to buy smaller cars. For instance, I could have bought a Vectra two years ago but instead I bought a Corsa that completely satisfy my needs except that I would have liked to find a a similar list of options as for the Vectra or the Astra. I understand some cannot put in such a smaller frame but it would have been interesting to have automatic light control, better seats, remotely foldable mirrors, etc.
It is not because it is a small car that security and comfort must be forgotten.
The same holds for the E-Flex architecture. For instance ,I would be very interested in an E-Flex Corsa, and I am less interested in an E-Flex Vectra or Insigna.
Thanks for your attention.
JC J.
Andoni Aguirre said:
Hello, Mr Demant. These new technologies are
really interesting. By the way, the system of the communication between the cars (if bad nonmemory, the V2V), when it has thought OPEL to put it in production.
V2V seems to me a revolution in security.
Thank you very much Mr. Demant!
Hans Demant said:
Mr Jacquemin,
Thank you for your comment. Yes, new technologies typically are introduced in upper segments where the cost of options is less relevant. Still, it has always been Opel’s philosophy to offer safety and comfort relevant features in as many models as we can. Let me give you a couple of examples. Our IDS chassis system, which allows you to adapt the suspension of a car (and thereby the driving dynamics) was for years a luxury segment feature. We’ve brought that technology to the Astra – a segment first.
On the safety side I can point to our innovative light system, Adaptive Forward Lighting. This system automatically adapts the car’s lighting system to the weather and the setting (like, say, city, country road, highway). That means you get different light settings in the city than on a foggy highway. This technology, too, previously was reserved to the premium segment. We introduced it not only to the Astra but the Meriva, and Corsa as well.
I could go on – Corsa also has our deflated tire detection system, Electronic Stability Program to help avoid swerving, our FlexFix storage solution and a sophisticated infotainment system not seen on other cars in its segment. That’s just to name a few.
As for the Opel Eye? We will be introducing this safety advancement first on the Insignia, as I said. Then you just might indeed see it in other models going forward. But we can’t give away all our secrets just yet!
Hans Demant
Jean-Charles Jacquemin said:
Thanks Mr Demant,
I was not asking all your secrets, but trying to say that for the time being the demand of "big" cars will without doubt follow what is happening in the USA today. With "big" in Western Europe being considered as "medium" or even "compact" in the US.
And I agree with you that we may find a lot of interesting options even in the Corsa, but some are not there even if (from my humble viewpoint) they could be "easely" implemented .
My move by buying the Corsa two years ago was just an anticipation of ever increasing prices for gas and diesel, and was environmentally conscious, perhaps because I work in an environment aware of some economic trends.
So I continue to think - and thank you for your statement at the end of your message - that safety improvements should also go as soon as possible toward small and compact cars.
JC J.
Gereon Langlitz (Germany) said:
Dear Mr. Demant,
what about combining the "Opel Eye", as you call it, with Night-Vision, as already found at the Corvette C5 and (if I'm not mistaken) the Cadillac Deville? I think, it would be a waste to let this feature sink into oblivion.
Regarding the topical discussion, also in the US, about fuel-prices: Why did Saturn adopt the Opel Corsa not yet, as it happened with the Astra? Well, there's this Euro/Dollar exchange-rate issue, but, however, GM could start production of its fuel-efficient and sophisticated Opel-models under its Saturn-brand in the US, using those production-capacities, which will be free, due to the cuttings in SUV-manufacturing. If I recall Mr. Lutz correctly, the current Corsa couldn't be sold in North-America because of safety-standards. That's a thing I can't comprehend: How could a car, which earned a 5-star-EuroNCAP-rating, miss the safety-standards in the US or elsewhere? I am absolutely sure: The Corsa would simply be class-leading in North-America, regarding every aspect. In my opinion Toyota or Honda simply don't have subcompacts at the moment, which could beat the Corsa. The sales-figures over here are loud and clear. But that's nothing new to you, Mr. Demant. What I just wanted to say is, that Opel actually could play a very significant part in GM's turnaround-strategies, concerning the US-market. Thanks for paying attention.
kathy said:
New innovation in technlogy has great concept's. Interesting to read.
Hans Demant said:
Mr. Langlitz,
Thanks for joining the conversation. In these days of rising oil prices, we are indeed looking more than ever at our product portfolio and purchasing behavior in the U.S. with an eye on which of our Opel cars--in addition to the Astra--we can export to North America. First, let me say for the record that Corsas are indeed very safe cars. You are correct in your recollection that current Corsas have achieved five stars--the highest rating--by the independent Euro NCAP crash testing organization. But it is incorrect to state that they can’t be sold for safety reasons in the U.S. Our safety record can match – even exceed – that of larger cars.
The simplest answer as to why Corsas aren’t (yet) available in the U.S. is the exchange rate and rising commodity prices (read Carl-Peter’s June 9 post). And simply converting a truck plant into a Corsa plant is not as easy as it might sound. But, as I said, we are continually reviewing and evaluating the market, so that could perhaps change.
As for your first question about combining the Night Vision and the Opel Eye: we are investigating both technologies, however combining the two would have to be both practical and affordable. For the Insignia, we will concentrate on a system without night vision.
Hans Demant
Gereon Langlitz (Germany) said:
Dear Mr. Demant,
thank you very much for your response. As you said: "...it is incorrect to state that they can’t be sold for safety reasons in the U.S." agrees with my presumptions I already had. I just remembered a media-report, supposedly citing Bob Lutz, that safety-reasons would be an obstacle for the sale of the all-new Corsa in the US for now. So I strongly presume, the editor of this story simply understood something wrong at this time.
However, I am convinced that the Corsa would be perfect for the American market. I was visiting Florida for 3 weeks in February/March and was amazed about the awareness of Opel in the US. Well, I could imagine that converting a truck-plant into a car-plant can't be done overnight, nevertheless, it was my idea, that costly over-capacities for GMNA for sure should be avoided on the long run and simultaneously GM's market-share could be boosted by the availability of first-class (sub-)compacts, which GM (Opel) actually has.
Jonathan said:
Just a quick idea:
People might be interested in using the video footage from the eye. Either for making movies, videoblogging, timelapse etc or even for accident evidence etc.
Some insurance companies might even discount customers premiums to take into account accident prevention / black-box type features.
e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A-unBigvoY
TyroneGlover said:
great work
AngeloSilva8 said:
good job