World first for Vauxhall
23 July 2008
- System reads and displays speed limit
- Also recognizes no-overtaking zones
- Lane-departure warning system, too
The Vauxhall Insignia is the first car in the world that can read speed limit and no-overtaking signs and display them on the instrument panel.
It's all done through a camera, not much bigger than a mobile phone, mounted between the windscreen and the rear-view mirror.
It has a wide-angle lens, so it can read signs at the roadside and centre lane markings simultaneously, and can take 30 pictures a second.
Depending on the available light, it begins to read road signs from a distance of 100 metres, and when it recognises a number, it displays it on the instrument panel.
No-overtaking signs are given priority over speed limits.
The system, developed in partnership with lighting specialists Hella, also acts as a lane-departure warning system, giving an audible and visual alert if you inadvertently stray off course.
What Car?
is brought to you by
Haymarket Consumer MediaWhat Car? is part of Haymarket Motoring
© Haymarket Media Group 2013
