Like it or not, advanced driving assist and fully autonomous technologies are slowly but steadily becoming the new norm in the automotive industry. And while we believe it would make sense for some of the most boring and stressful drives to be controlled by some sort of software, we are not so sure about drives that are meant to give you fun and excitement behind the steering wheel. Yes, we are talking mostly about track fun.
Apparently, however, Hyundai wants to use advanced systems in order to assist you during those weekends of closed-course driving. At a glance, it may sound like something you’d never want to use but the truth is the automaker doesn’t want the system to make steering inputs or accelerate and brake autonomously, for example. Instead, the basic idea is data gathering and managing for precise driving instructions.
Hyundai filed a patent application for this new technology in June last year but we are seeing it for the first time only now, about 12 months later. That doesn’t necessarily mean it is going to be used in production vehicles anytime soon – many automakers like to protect their ideas with patents – but at least it shows the direction in which Hyundai is looking.
So, what’s the idea? In patent application 17/839,994 from June 14, 2022, the manufacturer explains the method includes constructing a database based on source data including driving data for a circuit. Based on this data, the system creates driving instructions and then provides it to “at least one vehicle” before updating the database based on the driving data acquired by that vehicle. Or, put simply, this is a self-learning and self-optimizing method, which should provide the driver with instructions on how to be quicker around the track.
This isn’t the only driver-assist system destined for use outside public roads. Just yesterday, Jeep teased its autonomous off-road driving tech, which is supposed to help both seasoned off-roaders and novice adventurers.
