SEAT Unveils Prototype 5G Car
SEAT is displaying a prototype 5G connected car at an event in Barcelona, Spain.
At the Smart City Expo World Congress, the automaker is showcasing a version of the Cristobal car it debuted at the event last year which it claims has been upgraded to feature 5G connectivity. SEAT says it recently tested the car’s new functionality on the streets of Talavera de la Reina and Segovia, central Spain.
The automaker is claiming the car’s purported ability to communicate with traffic and pedestrians as a major safety feature, and calls the tech in question its “advanced safety assistants”. President Luca de Meo said: “Cristobal is a clear example of the capabilities of a connected car in contributing to the goal of zero accidents. We are working so that upcoming SEAT models can incorporate three of the 17 safety assistants featured on this ‘guardian angel’, which are already in an advanced stage of development.”
These three features are: the ‘exit assistant’, a sensor that can warn of oncoming traffic if the door is opened; the ‘display mirror’, a mirror fitted to the door that SEAT claims will eliminate blind spots; and ‘advanced ACC’, which automatically adapts the car’s speed to a given road’s limit.
SEAT is also using the expo to showcase technology it has developed with Waze and Barcelona City Council and which it claims can inform the driver of imminent events likely to cause traffic congestion, like concerts or football games. The event will also feature a demonstration of the eXS, the automaker’s scooter collaboration with Segway, as well as the Bus on Demand and ride-sharing services being developed by SEAT’s Metropolis: Lab unit.
