Your vehicle darts along the road, continuing to speed faster and faster. You
press on the brakes, and discover you've lost control over the vehicle's
breaking system! Seconds later, you hit a wall. Proving Newton's law that "for
every action there is an equal and opposite reaction," your head whips back
against the headrest. The airbag, which ballooned on impact, cushions your head.
With your cranium buried in the inflated airbag, you feel like a dummy, and that
is precisely what you are - a crash test dummy. To optimize what they could
learn from you, researchers had placed a video surveillance camera on the wall.
Such cameras remain useful throughout the life of an automobile.
The Production From start to finish, the production of an automobile is a
very precise and meticulous process. Video surveillance cameras are vital in
ensuring that quality control is always maintained. They are mainly used for
inspecting many parts, verifying that parts have been positioned properly and in
3D guidance of robots. For instance "smart" cameras are frequently used in
various stages of automobile production. The camera helps robots "learn" certain
parts. The robots, in turn, use a "vision processor" to verify that a correct
product has been installed.
Along an automobile assembly line, video surveillance cameras are also used
to monitor the totally automated installation of the windshield and rear-window.
Cameras ensure that parts, such as panels, have been positioned accurately onto
the vehicle's body.
The Testing Many tests are conducted on automobiles. These are carried out to
improve their quality and safety. One example is the crash test. High speed
cameras, which can capture more frames per second than other cameras, are used.
The camera helps to detail what happens to the passenger and automobile during
the crash. Due to the high cost of crash tests, these cameras are invaluable in
helping researchers obtain as much data as possible from the test. A video
surveillance camera can be used for other types of tests on cars. For example,
the road test checks whether or not the car is worthy to be driven on roads.
Lastly, a video surveillance camera can be used to enforce quality control at
emissions test centers, where the amount of pollutants that a vehicle produces
is tested.
The Protection In addition to assisting in the production and testing of
automobiles, video surveillance cameras can also be used to safeguard
automobiles from auto theft, a grave problem in America. Consider the following
statistics.
* Every year, over one million vehicles are stolen in the United States. * In
2005, the 2001 BMW M Roadster was the most frequently stolen passenger vehicle
in the United States. * In 2006, more vehicles were stolen in Las Vegas than in
any other metropolitan area in the United States.
Mounted in places such as driveways, parking lots, parking garages, and car
alarm stores, video surveillance cameras are valuable in protecting one's
investment. In addition to capturing visual evidence against car thieves, they
also serve as a deterrent for those who are thinking about taking someone else's
Jaguar, Road Runner, or Bug.
There is no doubt that from the assembly line to the junkyard, video
surveillance cameras shift gears to play vital roles in the lives of
automobiles.
