Microwave Journal
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Increasing Presence of Military Technologies in Vehicles

February 28, 2004

Most people are familiar with vehicle navigation systems and how they read GPS signals from US military satellites to determine location. However, other military defense technologies are continuing their life cycle in the automotive platform, according to a new study from the technology research firm ABI.

Automotive systems such as head up displays, originally developed for combat planes, are becoming common on a growing list of vehicles, from Buicks to BMWs. Additionally, new lidar- and radar-based systems are being installed in vehicles to detect surrounding vehicles and objects. In the near future, these systems will be able to track pedestrians, scan vehicle blind spots for hazards and insure that the vehicle stays in lane.

“Many Tier One automotive suppliers have engaged in strategic partnerships with defense technology providers,” notes Frank Viquez, ABI’s director of automotive research. “The result is a host of highly sophisticated automotive safety and convenience systems to be introduced over the next few years.” The new ABI study, “Vehicle Safety Systems: World Markets for Stability Control, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning and Other Next-generation Technologies,” offers insight into several automotive safety applications. For more information on this study, please visit http://www.abiresearch.com/reports/VSS.html.