BMW's New AMULETT Safety System

[JoshCalkins]

When you first hear the specifics of BMW's new AMULETT safety system (the name is a German acronym for "active mobile accident avoidance and mitigation of accident effects through cooperative data acquisition and tracking technology," though it doesn't seem to have enough letters), it seems both revolutionary, and a bit unsettling. Here's how it works: a transponder carried by a pedestrian or bicyclist transmits a signal to the main AMULETT system that, similar to GPS, carries location data. A car equipped with AMULETT then receives information about those signals that are nearby.

The proposed theory is that kids who tend to run into the road without looking, or people crossing unlit streets late at night, etc., would carry these transponders, and cars would automatically alert drivers of their presence, even if you're around a corner and can't see them yet. If the prospect of carrying around a transponder tag seems bothersome, fear not, because the technology is easily adapatable and quite small. It can easily be integrated into cell phones, iPods, briefcases, backpacks, etc.

The AMULETT system was developed by BMW over the course of the past three years with funding from the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology. Of course, this safety system relies on convincing everybody to willingly carry around transponder tags (that are very similar in construction to the RFID chips that are used to tag and track wild animals, by the way). One would think that developing safety technologies that are completely contained within a vehicle and are not dependent on country-wide GPS-like civilian tracking systems may be a wiser use of government dollars.

[ScottHalliday]

Interesting technology but I doubt if it will become mainstream. I think Volvo's technology is a better way to go and it works for more than just a person carrying a transponder. As you said, having it contained within the vehicle makes alot more sense. Really surprised BMW is working on something which is so limited in it's approach. Maybe they just like the government funding.