Intelligent Parking

Only in Japan I believe...
This would've made my life easier...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Michgal007 @ Oct 9 2006, 02:36 PM) [snapback]330236[/snapback]</div>

It's available on the high end Prius models sold in Europe as well.

 

Definitely "gee wiz" and with the number of people I see who couldn't parallel park if their life depended on it, I guess it is a grand idea. HOWEVER... did you see how long she sits in the way of traffic fumbling with all the buttons and touchscreen, and then how long it takes to get into the space? Damn. I can zip into a spot in about 1/4 the time and not tick everybody else off.

I can see it now:

Hybrids: Slow in the HOV land and slow to park. :sigh:

 

I noticed how long it took, also. Perhaps an even bigger problem would be: Did you notice how long that parking space was, and how much space the car needed to park itself? If that's the norm it would never work where I live. Our parking spaces are much shorter than that and you have to be able to really turn sharply to get in and out of the spaces.

Vince

 

It would be a nice option for those who feel uncomfortable with parallel parking, but i do have to say it seems rather slow.

 

Pretty cool, but slow though....in heavy traffic you'd probably get cited for tying up traffic. In any case something like that would not work for tight areas. I rarely parallel park, but when it needs to be done I do it quite well. Can you imagine trying to parallel park a semi?? :blink: I did that a few times as well.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hopeful Future Prius Owner @ Oct 9 2006, 04:34 PM) [snapback]330305[/snapback]</div>

I've seen Hummers trying to parallel park in San Francisco. That's quite a site in itself. They also can't navigate the tight turns in the parking garages. I sat and waited for about ten minutes behind a guy who had to make a 37-point turn to get into a spot the other day.

 

Needs to be able to parallel park NY-style. That is, nose first, instead of having to pass the spot and back in.

It's amusing, too, how long she takes to set it up and get it to do its thing.

If you like the voice command in the Prius, I'll bet you'll LOVE intelligent parking assist!
[smile]

 

My Prius with IPA will be delivered in two days. When I've got some practice I will let you guys know how long it really takes to park. While I'm perfectly able to par a car by myself it just seems to me like the ultimate gadget.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(InfideNino @ Oct 10 2006, 07:55 AM) [snapback]330514[/snapback]</div>

The IPA comes with a rear view camera which is worth the money in itself. You can see the entire width of the boot (trunk) and get to within about a centimeter (less than an inch) of the car (automobile) behind you.

The camera picture is very good even at night. It has a fish-eye effect letting you see more.

The moving of the steering wheel (is there a US translation?) is good for showing off only.

 

Well, we already have the rear view camera available to us, which is definately a plus for all the reasons you described. As for the parking assist, i agree with others here that it seems like overkill, but it's also a pretty damn cool way to show off the features of the car (traffic permitting, of course).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Oct 10 2006, 03:37 PM) [snapback]330543[/snapback]</div>

When you have the rear view camera without the IPA, do you still get the lines on your screen indicating the path the car will take depending on the position of the steering wheel? If you don't, you probably won't understand what I mean

 

No, we don't. But i don't really feel like i need them... instead i use my mirrors and look over my shoulder to ensure i'm entering the spot as planned. Only after i start straightening out do i look at the rear view camera, as it lets be know exactly how much more space i have behind me, instead of guessing.

That being said, demo's have been posted on the site multiple times, so i'm sure we've all seen how it's supposed to work, although all of them seemed really slow. Your feedback on how long it actually takes once you know how to use the system will still be rather valuable.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Oct 10 2006, 06:54 AM) [snapback]330550[/snapback]</div>

I, too, have found that the only real use of the camera is to find out how much space I have between the back of my Prius and the car behind me. The camera has been of little use otherwise, especially since it shows a mirror image of what's behind me, rather than the actual image...I don't understand why they did that.

Vince

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(VinceDee @ Oct 10 2006, 10:06 AM) [snapback]330596[/snapback]</div>

The reason they did that is because by instinct you have learned to drive using a rear view mirror that gives you a mirror image. They tested it and found more people have problems with a review mirror and a right view screen.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Oct 10 2006, 08:15 AM) [snapback]330599[/snapback]</div>

I turn my head and look backwards when I back my car up, not in the rear view mirror. I look at the reverse monitor as an opportunity to not have to turn my head around, but I still expect it to show what I would see if I turned my head, and I have the skill to drive properly this way. It doesn't show the image I expect, however, therefore I'm unable to use it. It would be nice if there were a way to reverse the reversed image.

Funny story about the reverse image: When my wife and I went to test drive a Prius, the salesman went with us (as they tend to do). When it came my turn to drive, I decided to try out the reverse monitor by parallel parking. I pulled up along side a parked car and flipped the car into reverse to back in behind it, then looked at the monitor. I was immediately baffled by the mirrored image that I saw and ended up having to back the car into the spot the old way (by turning my head). I mentioned this problem to my wife about how strange I thought it was that the image was mirrored. She and the salesman both insisted that the image was not reversed and that I was just being fooled by the fact that I was looking toward the front of the car (when looking at the monitor) while the camera is showing what's behind the car. We then got into a 5 minute animated discussion over the camera image, with me trying to show them that the image on the monitor is, indeed, mirrored and them trying to convince me that I'm wrong and that the monitor accurately shows what's behind the car. The potentially dangerous part of this is that, if these two intelligent people didn't realize that the image on the monitor is mirrored, how many other Prius drivers won't realize it when trying to back up using the monitor and find themselves going the wrong way or bumping into another car?

Even now that we've owned the car for over a week she still insists that the image on the monitor isn't mirrored. After all, she says, the curb shown in the monitor is seen on the right hand side of the screen and the actual curb is on the right hand side just like in the monitor, so she must be right!

The curb's on the right hand side in the monitor and in real life so all is well, right? Or is this an optical illusion?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(VinceDee @ Oct 10 2006, 01:10 PM) [snapback]330679[/snapback]</div>

When you are looking at the monitor your head is facing forward, not backwards. Therefore, something you see to the left on the monitor is also to the left of the car. I never thought of the image as being "mirrored" because it seems so obvious to me what it's showing. I would find it really confusing if the image wasn't "mirrored" -- If I saw something on the right, is it on the left or the right??

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PriusRos @ Oct 10 2006, 01:03 PM) [snapback]330725[/snapback]</div>

Agreed... to me the camera doesn't take the place of turning your head and looking... instead, it's a suppliment to the rear view mirror. As such, it shows you what the rear view mirror would show you, only lowered - thus the mirrored view. It makes complete and total sense to me.