Crash course

A radar on your car could tell you when you’re about to crash. Sensors
mounted in the bumpers and car doors detect the distance and velocity of objects
within a 20-metre radius by picking up reflections from the 24-gigahertz radar.
If a collision is imminent, intelligent software takes appropriate action to
reduce the chance of injury to the car’s occupants. “It would tighten the
seatbelt retractor or adjust the headrest for a crash position,” says Martin
Kunert of Siemens, the company developing the radar. A BMW spokesman told
New Scientist that the company is interested in the system.