“One of the benefits of driving a “connected” car is the ability to receive warnings of hazardous weather conditions on the road ahead. Toyota is now looking at improving the accuracy of such warnings, by monitoring what vehicles’ windshield wipers are up to.
For the new project, the automaker has teamed up with Japanese company Weathernews. The latter provides users with weather reports via an app, although as is the case with weather reports in general, these aren’t always 100-percent accurate at determining where it is and is not currently raining.
With that in mind, Toyota has begun remotely monitoring the operating status of the windshield wipers on connected vehicles in designated regions of Japan. When it isn’t raining, obviously, the wipers will be off. When it is raining, though, the level of precipitation can be gauged by the intensity to which the wipers are set.”
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Much like how traffic apps such as Waze use data from drivers to gauge how fast cars are traveling on roads, now there’s a program being developed to gauge rainfall. According to officials, this data will be used to compare against radar reports to determine accuracy. If successful, it could change how this information is generated and hopefully lead to fewer accidents.
It seems like every piece of technology is connected to the internet these days. TV’s, microwaves, and even toasters. Many people are rightfully concerned about privacy but in a case like this, it’s easy to see how beneficial this connection can be. At Advantage Auto Glass, we like to keep up with the latest trends too. Call us at 612-343-8984 or visit our website to discuss your auto glass or windshield replacement needs.
