Convenience: Devices to take the work out of driving

TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

Almost every manufacturer offers connectivity as standard optional equipment, either under the Bluetooth name or under a proprietary system that links to a Bluetooth-equipped cellphone.

Jil McIntosh

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

In days gone by, having the ultimate in automotive convenience technology meant that you no longer had to crank the engine by hand to start the car.

Technical advances over the decades have resulted in mechanical functions that are now seamless to the driver, and automakers are now focusing on automating more mundane tasks, such as adjusting mirrors or unlocking doors.

Here are a few common examples:

Auto-dimming mirror

It can be annoying, and even dangerously distracting, to have headlights glaring in your rearview mirror. For decades, automakers solved this with manual day-night mirrors, which contain a mirrored surface behind a sheet of glass. When the integrated lever is pushed, the mirror points upward, and the headlights reflect less brightly off the glass.

Far more convenient is the auto-dimming mirror, which almost instantly darkens to reduce glare. Almost all automakers offer it, either as standard or optional equipment on specific models.

The mirror uses a technology called electrochromics, which starts with a special gel sandwiched between two pieces of glass that have been treated with a transparent coating that conducts electricity. One piece is also treated with a reflector.

Two sensors are included, one pointing forward to check ambient light – it tells the mirror if it's day or nighttime – and one that looks back, watching for headlight glare. When headlights are detected, a low-voltage current surges through the gel, turning it a darker shade and reducing the glare. Some vehicles also have auto-dimming exterior mirrors, either just on the driver's side, or on both.

Bluetooth wireless

This is technology built into electronic devices that allow them to interact wirelessly. It can only transmit data over relatively short distances, but this is fine for sending cellphone conversations from the phone to other devices, such as a hands-free headset or, in the case of a vehicle, to the audio system of a car that's equipped with the technology.

Almost every auto manufacturer currently offers connectivity as standard or optional equipment, either under the Bluetooth name, or under a proprietary system that links to a Bluetooth-equipped cellphone, such as Ford's Sync or Chrysler's UConnect.

The system only works with cellphones that have a Bluetooth chip installed, so older phones might not connect. After a one-time "pairing" procedure through the audio system, phone calls can be made wirelessly, using the in-vehicle microphone, without the need for a separate headset. Depending on the vehicle's system, making or answering calls is done via buttons on the steering wheel, rearview mirror or centre stack, or by voice commands.

Bluetooth has become increasingly popular due to Ontario's ban on hand-held cellphones, but numerous studies show that it's the call itself, not the phone, that's distracting and dangerous.

(The odd name, by the way, is for 10th-century Danish king Harald Blatand, who united warring Scandinavian factions; the technology's Swedish inventors Anglicized his name to describe Bluetooth's ability to link numerous devices.)

Advanced keys

Keyless entry is so common today that it's rare to find a new car that actually requires you to insert a key into a lock to open the door. Most require that you press a button, either on the key or on a separate fob, to lock and unlock the doors remotely. Several higher-end models now use advanced systems that don't require buttons.

The system uses a proximity sensor in the vehicle that recognizes the radio signals generated by the "key" as you get close to the car. Most of the transmitters look like conventional key fobs, although some, including those offered by Mazda and Lexus, are shaped and sized like a credit card, and are meant to be carried in a wallet or shirt pocket. Although the fobs look solid, they contain a pull-out key that can be used conventionally in case of a dead battery.

Some advanced keys also automatically activate pre-set preferences, so your seat position, radio station, climate control and mirrors are adjusted as soon as you get into the car.

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