Mitsubishi Electric Develops Futuristic Concept

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. says its Emirai 4 concept car is designed to optimize future autonomous, connected electric vehicles.

The sporty roadster, which will be displayed later this month at the Tokyo auto show, is designed to smoothly transition between manual and autonomous operation. This is accomplished in part by a wide-angle camera that monitors a driver’s readiness to take control of the vehicle. The dual-purpose system also can be used for gesture recognition control for both the driver and front-seat passenger.

The car’s heads-up display unit uses 3D-mapping and augmented reality technology to highlight lane markings and a vehicle’s position within the lane. A sliding knob at the base of the instrument panel can help users operate various functions without taking their eyes off the road.

An intelligent lighting system includes sensors that detect when a person is approaching and is about to open the door, then illuminates part of the roadway and vehicle to alert other drivers. Images from the exterior cameras are displayed as 3D images on an LCD display integrated into the rearview mirror to quickly alert motorists of potential obstacles.