In our daily lives, there are literally hundreds of breakthroughs in engineering and design that we literally walk past, and even walk on, without even knowing about it. We take these technologies for granted because we see and use them every day. They have become so embedded into our lives that we don’t even notice when we use them. Our computers, our smartphones, and some of our own household appliances and furniture are part of these breakthroughs in technology. One everyday object that we find dozens of these in is our car.
It’s more than what’s under the hood
There’s no denying that cars are breakthrough pieces of technology that have evolved so much over the years. Inside cars are so many things that we take for granted as common, everyday objects. We don’t even stop to think about the huge amount of engineering that has gone into fitting these objects into the car’s frame and making them work the way they’re supposed to.
We don’t even have to look deep inside the car to find them. We can just look at a car and see it right there. Where, exactly? Right on the front of the car. Car headlights are amazing feats of modern engineering. Originally, on the first cars, car lights were only acetylene-fuelled lamps. Imagine going from those crude lamps to High Intensity Discharge bulbs and Light Emitting Diodes that are both cost effective and environmentally friendly. Soon, cars will be fitted with special infrared lights that will help drivers see in the dark.
Connectivity is key
For some people, growing up, they'd have fond memories of their fathers hiding the car antenna every time they parked somewhere out in public. Nowadays, we don’t even look at the car antenna. That humble aluminium rod that can retract into your car’s hood is nothing short of an amazing feat of engineering. Fitting the motor in there and automating it was probably a challenge to those who first thought about it. Now, we don’t even bat an eyelash over it.
So, the next time you park out in public, or enter a drive-in car wash, remember how not too long ago, you had to step out and hide the antenna manually to keep it getting snapped off either by people or machinery. Also, it helps to remember that in today’s highly connected world, it won’t be long before high speed Internet is brought into our automobiles via the humble car aerial.
High and dry
Keeping the windshield free of water, condensation, and other obstructions to the driver’s line of sight during unfavourable driving conditions is one of the most important things to consider when thinking of the car’s overall safety. This is why, whether we like to believe it or not, the humble windshield wiper is one of the most important parts of your car. We all know how annoying it is to drive with dirt or drops of water on your windshield. The wipers provide an elegant, yet extremely simple solution to this problem. Today, added safety features like being away from impact points, the ability to sense rain, and automation have been added to the humble wiper to increase its functionality. Now if you think you have what it takes to name other important car tech, head on over to Top Tests to check your automobile knowledge.
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