The new "Eye of Opel" can recognise traffic signs

Opel is taking the qualitative leap it plans to make with its long-awaited Insignia very seriously, and it shows, because it is affecting several areas. The latest novelty has been the “Eye of Opel” (Opel Eye), a system based on the photos taken by a small camera the size of a mobile phone, mounted between the windscreen and the interior rear-view mirror, which takes around 30 snapshots per second of the road. These are then processed by software developed by GM, which filters them and provides information to the driver.

This innovative invention is able to recognise speed limit signs and no-entry signs from 100 metres away, and once they have been processed by the vehicle’s computer, they appear on a display in the dashboard behind the steering wheel. It can also detect whether the car is drifting out of its lane markings, warning the driver immediately so they can correct it.

According to Opel, this will help with safety by preventing the risks of speeding or distraction at the wheel, without spoiling the driving fun, and offering better quality than some portable GPS units because the camera works in real time.

The Opel Eye has been developed jointly at the Rüsselsheim plant by engineers from Opel and GM, and Hella, which supplied the camera. In principle, it will be available from early 2009 on the Insignia, but the range of models that can be fitted with it will be expanded in the future.

If it really is as effective as it sounds, perhaps they will improve one of today’s scourges, road safety, and the speed cameras will have more free time.

Via | World Car Fans