Self parking Lexus
 

This is way too cool. Look at this video:


http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/clips/lex...iew-196551.php


Lexus Self Parking Car Video and Review

Lexus invited Gizmodo along for a ride in the new LS 460 L super rich guy sedan. The thing is packed to the gills with tech. In fact, I'd call it the most geeked-out car evar, next to the Tesla.
But even the Tesla car can't park itself. Explanation of how the Advanced Parking Guidance System works, information on how this thing rips CDs, and other e-goodies, after the jump.

UPDATE: The video had some hiccups. Fixed.


Here's how it works.

1. You drive past a parking spot at 12mph or less. The four rear and six front sonar sensors detect the cars, and the gap between them.

2. Putting the car into reverse activates the wide-angle backup camera. There's a little button on the bottom of the screen that looks like a car parking. Hit it. If the spot is more than 6.5 feet longer than the car itself, the car enters Advanced Parking Guidance System mode. This is where the magic happens.

3. Crawl backwards, keeping your foot on the brake. If you touch the gas, or the wheel, the mode shuts itself off. Make sure to stay under 2.5mph, or it'll shut off, too. The wheel, as you can see from the video above, spins itself like its being ghost-driven. The sonar system is constantly measuring distance, beeping with more urgency as you get closer to obstacles.

4. When you're in the spot, the computer will announce that parking is complete.

Sonar Panels

Parking Mode buttons



Pretty sweet. Dan Neil, automotive journalist for the LA Times, and one of my favorite writers evar, sat next to me when I got the demo. He said he thought it was a pretty neat system. And that he could use it, since his better half was also the better parallel parker.

That's the best part of this car, but it's not the only awesome thing about it.

The car has adaptive cruise control, which uses millimeter-wave radar to slow you if a car in front of you hits the brakes. If the system detects a collision, it'll add pressure to the brakes to help stop time, and electronically tighten seatbelts.


It has the world's first 8-speed transmission, which uses fewer moving parts than the old 6-speed, in about the same space. I thought a car with 8 gears would flip through them like playing cards, but they were geared fairly tall to take advantage of the grunty 4.6-liter, 380-horsepower V8 engine. By the way, the pair gets the car up to 60mph in 5.4 seconds.

Like the Prius and other late-model Lexus cars, its key uses radio frequency to enable the door lock and starter buttons from a few feet away. Seems like a hack waiting to happen. But there's another drawback: One journalist took the car back to SF from Marin county, and left the key at the restaurant. The car keeps going, until you shut it off. Then, get ready to call AAA for a tow.

The headlights were inspired by crystal wine glasses. When they modeled a plastic assembly after the glasses, it didn't shine the way they wanted it to. So they took the headlamp, made it out of crystal, and studied the way it refracted light to get a similar look. The taillights are made from LEDs.


The car is so quiet, they had to redesign motors in the windows and locks because they were intrusive at first.

The backseat is not a bad place to be. The seats are adjustable in position, and feature heating, as well individual climate controls. There's a refrigerator big enough to hold a four cans of...soda. There are individual vanity mirrors, and a 9-inch motorized fold-down screen for the DVD player. The screen also can view and control (not sure if that's by remote or touch) the navigation, in case the driver is too busy speeding. There are rear sun shades that go down when the car is in reverse, and back up automatically when the car goes over 9mph.

The controls...fo

RE: Self parking Lexus
 

It's cool to say the least; however, I don't know if I want a car to be able to do that. Too many problems I'm afraid could come out of this. How lazy are we getting for crying out loud? We have to make cars that can park for us. Good Grief!:D

RE: Self parking Lexus
 

One thing, I still remembered because I had a great football coach who could park was his technique to parallel park.

Most people never learned this skill and as a result people don't park that way and go somewhere else or they hit cars trying.

RE: Self parking Lexus
 

And how did he do that?

RE: Self parking Lexus
 

thats crazy! I honestly could say I would not want computer driving for me. Technology is only going to get better!

RE: Self parking Lexus
 

That is sort of my mentality; however, combines have satellite systems which will drive them in the fields and that has been around for a few years so I won't be surprised if they can do that correctly. The only thing is I think we depend too much on computers as it is. We don't need to get any more lazy or dependent than we are.

RE: Self parking Lexus
 

Simple, just along side the front cover and start backing up and as soon as your "C" pillar matches up with the rear of the front car then turn your wheel medium sharp and
as you are about 1/3 of the way in the start turning the wheel and slide right in. Then to complete it, just put it in drive and move forward to put yourself in between the cars evenly. With practice you can do this in 2 moves.

Bottom line: The key is turning the car when the "C" pillar matches the rear of the front car. That will set your timing the make the whole thing happen. Then you eliminate the
funny examples of people moving forward and backwards a half a dozen times then watching them give up.

You can also try this technique but you better be real good:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...22374428&hl=en

RE: Self parking Lexus
 

I would not recommend this parking technique:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...95361517&hl=en

RE: Self parking Lexus
 

Thanks for the advice. I've been lucky enough so far by having enough room to go straight in due to few cars being parked their.

RE: Self parking Lexus
 

LOL! The other one was good also.

I wouldn't recommend parking like Steve Martin did in the new Pink Panther either.:D