It is a bit ironic. Most of the technologies in cars are now used to help us be safer on the road. But when you delve into the origins of certain technologies, you will be surprised to find that their original purpose was To effectively eliminate the opponent.
GPS
Do you believe that the technology that allows you to reach your destination accurately was originally designed to make nuclear missile strikes more accurate. The Global Positioning System is an invention of the U.S. Department of Defense. The purpose of its invention is simple: to enable a submarine carrying a ballistic missile to accurately hit the target with a nuclear bomb.
Thankfully, its original functionality has never been used. Since the 1990s, it has played an important role in the civilian field. With the help of GPS, we successfully abandoned the heavy driving map and simply entered the destination wherever we wanted to go.
Radar
The system that helps your car maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you when adaptive cruise is on originated in Britain during World War II. Before the Nazi bombers entered the visual range, this system could detect and locate the target and issue an early warning, so that the British army could prepare for the battle in advance.
This system is called "Chain Home", and it uses the same technology as the "radar" (short for radio detection and ranging) we use today. It has played a pivotal role in commercial and military aviation since the British proved its usefulness in wartime, but it was only in the past decade that it became popular as a safety feature in cars.
The application of radar systems also drives the popularization of AEB (automatic emergency braking system) technology. The principle is that a radar transceiver emits radio waves in front of the car, and objects in front will bounce these waves back into the car. The system calculates how long it takes for these "echoes" to reach the car, which then tells the computer how far away the object is, as well as its approaching speed and approximate position relative to the car. If it thinks a collision is imminent, the car can take over the brakes and accelerator to avoid a collision.
Night Vision System
High-end models such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8 have been equipped with front-view night vision cameras a few years ago, which allows Drivers can detect potential obstacles, wild animals or pedestrians in advance outside the range of headlights.
But what are the origins of this technology? Embarrassingly, we have the Nazis to thank.
During World War II, the Third Reich developed the first feasible night vision system. Its working principle is to use infrared spectrum illumination to find targets. Using this system requires a large infrared spotlight. The United States later built its own system, the Soviet Union followed suit, and eventually during the Cold War, night vision goggles were shrunk enough to fit on a soldier's rifle or helmet, without the need for any infrared lighting to work.
Nowadays, some night vision systems work by detecting emissions in the infrared spectrum (meaning you are not looking at light, but the heat emitted by people, vehicles and the environment, as shown in the image above) , often called thermal sights, while the more common green-tinted night vision systems are image intensifiers that amplify existing light levels and work simply using ambient light from the moon and stars.
Car-based night vision systems tend to use thermal cameras rather than image intensifiers, and now this technology can help you avoid wild animals on dark country roads.
Fly-by-Wire
In fact, most people prefer mechanical connections between their hands and feet to electronic control of a car's steering, engine, and brakes. However, technology extracted from the aerospace world is slowly making its way into everyday road vehicles, promising better performance, lighter weight and greater reliability.
Whether it is a military aircraft or a civilian aircraft, fly-by-wire flight control technology has been adopted decades ago. This technology combines the traditional mechanical connection between the pilot's joystick and control components, such as rods, Cables and hydraulic pipes, etc., are changed to electronic connections.
The main reason is to reduce weight and eliminate systems that are more troublesome to maintain or less reliable.
On the other hand, using computers to execute the pilot's actions can make the aircraft more agile. The F-16 fighter jet uses this system, and the effect is very good. The pilot's controls simply tell the computer what the pilot wants the airplane to do, and the computer sends faster, more precise signals to each control unit to carry out the order, and the control units often operate in ways that humans can't intuitively understand. , or cannot be physically input by humans.
Nowadays, most cars use electronic throttles. Its principle is similar to the above example. The accelerator pedal only informs the car's ECU how much power the driver needs, while the computer fully controls the engine's throttle opening. Doing so results in more responsive engine performance and better fuel economy.
Based on the same principle, steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire systems also emerged and are used in the Q50 and Giulia.
Head-up display
Aviation technology has become the largest source of technology in the automotive world. Head-up displays have become so common over the past decade that you can now find them on mundane vehicles like the Mazda3 or Toyota Corolla, yet for much of the Cold War the technology was only available on frontline combat aircraft. superior.
The Head-Up Display (HUD) was developed from a simple reflective projection device that projects moving graphics onto a glass panel in front of the pilot or driver.
HUD is crucial in fighter aircraft because it can put key information in front of the pilot's eyes, allowing them to see relevant flight parameters while keeping an eye on the target and use weapons more accurately. They are used in cars for similar reasons, allowing drivers to focus their eyes ahead by projecting speed, navigation instructions, and more. On the other hand, HUD can reduce the number of times the driver's eyes need to refocus every time they check the speed, thereby reducing eye fatigue.
ABS
Imagine that on a rainy night, you are flying a four-engine bomber, weighing about 70 tons, that needs to land, and there is a nuclear bomb on board.
You want to make sure the bomber stops before the end of the runway, but slippery ground and a heavy plane can cause you to run off the runway. Fortunately, ABS (anti-lock braking system) was invented for this very reason, to ensure that the heavy bomber stopped without the wheels locking up, causing loss of control, a tire blowout, igniting the fuselage, or crashing on landing. Off the track.
The early anti-lock braking system was launched by Dunlop Company and was named "Maxaret" at the time. The early anti-lock braking system was completely mechanical and relied on flywheels and hydraulic connecting rods. move. If the system detects a locked wheel, the system reduces hydraulic brake pressure to that wheel, allowing it to rotate again, then reapplies pressure to restart braking.
British nuclear bombers such as the Vulcan were the first users of the "Maxaret" system, but it was eventually used in cars. Later innovations made ABS technology develop in the direction of electromechanics, eliminating the flywheel and improving braking performance. Today, ABS systems have become standard equipment on new cars.
Airbags
Engineer John Hetrick was a major advocate of the use of airbags, although he was by no means alone in the concept of providing a soft surface to cushion passengers in a collision. idea, but he was the first to patent the idea, and his airbag scheme certainly pushed the technology forward.
Hetrick, a former U.S. Navy engineer, was inspired by the compressed air system used to launch torpedoes on submarines and thought the system could be used in cars and provide the airbags needed to inflate. energy.
He was proven wrong, but later research found that another military innovation, the compact chemical rocket engine, was the secret weapon needed to realize the airbag. Airbag inflation systems work on the same principle as solid rocket boosters. The airbag system ignites a "solid propellant" that burns extremely quickly and produces large amounts of gas to inflate the airbag.
Then, the airbag exploded out of its original installation position faster than the blink of an eye! After 1 second, the gas quickly dissipates through the small holes in the air bag, the air bag contracts, and the passengers can move freely again. ?
The very few positive aspects of war are the advancement of science and technology. In fact, if it weren't for World War II and the Cold War, many of the things we take for granted today would either never have been invented or wouldn't be in the advanced stage they are today.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.