Electronics

LED signs may brighten ad revenue for buses The LEDs that are transforming vehicle lighting are expanding into a new area: bus advertising. Lighted displays installed on buses can change messages often, even linking to GPS systems to pinpoint ads as buses travel into different neighborhoods. Read full story

Integrated camera and digital map data helps drivers see more Alpine has developed a multiple camera system to improve visibility around a vehicle, which is additionally linked to a navigation database to add further functionality. Although the first prototypes have been developed using passenger cars, the company believes the technology has far greater potential applied to commercial vehicles and buses. Read full story

Conductive plastic for a better (lighter) battery “While you can’t change the basics of how batteries work, you can change the materials that are used to create them,” asserted Bill Robinson, the CEO of Integral Technologies Inc. And that is precisely what the Bellingham, WA-based company did; it has developed a moldable conductive plastic called ElectriPlast, a polymer blend that can be used to conduct electricity. Read full story

Volvo develops 'intelligent' prototypes to cut queue accidents The European Union Project, Highly Automated Vehicles for Intelligent Transport (HAVEIt), is developing technologies to help produce a new generation of “intelligent vehicles,” equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems. Read full story