If you are asked to park in parallel during the driving test, you may remember the cold fear that this task brings. Just in public speaking, parking parallel in front of others is something many of us don't want to do. once. It requires judgment and skills that many people may seem to lack for evolutionary reasons.

There is no doubt that those who try to park a large car in a relatively small space parallel to the roadside often say to themselves, "Of course I hope I can see everything from above, just like a bird can See it." Well, as I said a long time ago, look for it and you will find it. Computer technology makes bird's eye view of parking situation no longer a dream, but a reality. 

Many vehicles today offer some variants of the surround-view camera system, which can provide a completely top-down view from above the car. These systems usually have a brand name, such as a bird's-eye view camera (Toyota), a surround view monitor (Nissan), or a surround view (Chevrolet). In general, JD Power refers to all such systems as surround view cameras.

Nissan and its Infiniti luxury car division are pioneers in providing surround view camera technology. The Infiniti EX35 was one of the first vehicles to provide such a system. More than a decade after the launch of the surround view camera, it has been offered in a variety of vehicles from Nissan and Infiniti, from the cheap Nissan Versa to the luxurious Infiniti QX80 SUV. Not only that, this technology has also spread to all other automakers.

Although the surround-view camera system provides images similar to those that a camera-equipped drone hovering 25 feet above the vehicle might provide, they are not "real." Instead, the pictures and angles presented by the surround-view camera system are assembled and synthesized by a computer. These data come from various digital cameras placed in strategic locations around the vehicle. 

The surround view camera system can use up to six cameras, but the typical setup is four cameras. One is located at the front, usually in the grille. Two wide-angle cameras are placed in the rear-view mirror area of ​​the vehicle, and the fourth is placed at the rear of the vehicle and is also used as a reversing camera. The six-camera system adds a side-view camera in front of the front wheels, allowing the car to show the driver the situation on the other side of obstacles such as walls and other vehicles.

The video signal from the camera is input to the image processing program in the system computer, and then a magical thing happens. These individual inputs are analyzed and woven together to provide a synthetic but accurately positioned top-down view of the car and its surroundings. In most modern systems, the details of these photos are so vivid that it is hard to believe that they were not taken 25 feet above the vehicle.

Using the same main visual input and sophisticated modeling, modern surround view camera systems can provide more than just a bird's-eye view from above. For example, by selecting different camera view options, the driver can have a good view of the passenger side of the vehicle, the front of the car under the field of view, and the situation directly behind it. In these types of situations, seeing what you can't see from the driver's seat is an incredible advantage.

European luxury brands provide several optional views that can help solve some dangerous situations, such as pulling from a dead end to a busy street. Off-road vehicles use this technology as an aid when climbing rocks or climbing steep slopes. Pickup trucks are even equipped with camera technology that allows the driver to "see through" the trailer to check the surrounding environment.

Surround-view camera systems are increasingly superimposing "guides" onto the images displayed on the infotainment display. The guide can display the current direction and expected driving direction of the vehicle based on gear selection and steering wheel angle. In addition, a more sophisticated system displays various views on the same screen, allowing the driver to check the front, sides, and rear of the vehicle at the same time, which is the point of most concern when parking parallel.

Although they take some time to adapt, the surround-view camera system is intuitive because they simulate what you would expect to see if you hover over the vehicle while parking. Curbs, fences, boulders, other cars and weird tricycles are all presented in realistic details. The best systems also include audible and/or tactile warnings to indicate that you are too close to an obstacle to enhance your sense of reality. 

If you own a vehicle equipped with the so-called aerial view technology, you don’t have to sweat every time you enjoy the task of parallel parking in front of people in a sidewalk cafe. do not worry. Thanks to your surround view camera system, you already have it.

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© 2021 JDPower. all rights reserved.

© 2019 JDPower. all rights reserved.