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LaneFX is More Than Just a Car Gadget
Many of the latest car models include systems that alert you when a car is in your
blind spot. Those of us with older autos have had rely on our own road skills -- until now. Drivaware has introduced LaneFX: When you activate your turn signal,
the device moves the corresponding side-view mirror to expose your blind spot and any vehicles that may be hiding in it. Of course, if you remember your driver's training, a quick glance over your
shoulder does essentially the same thing. The LaneFX is compatible with any car that has power mirrors and is available in a Basic Edition ($197), Highway Edition ($242) and Commuter Edition ($296). |
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Let me tell you about the coolest product I never reviewed. It's a wonderfully complex solution to a problem that shouldn't
even be a problem. This product, LaneFX, is a microcontroller that interacts with the side mirrors in your car.
You want to change lanes, and you glance in your side mirror. It looks clear. But in your LaneFX-equipped car, you can press a button and the mirror sweeps out to show you the blind spot
beyond the limit of your peripheral vision. Then it returns to its normal position. If you flick on your turn signal, the mirror also does its sweep.
It works on either side of the car, and it also has an extended mode for when you want to keep an eye on traffic alongside and behind you, as when you're merging onto a freeway. Now let's
say you're going to parallel-park. You slip your car into reverse—and the right mirror angles itself downward so you can see the curb.
Although that's the end of the LaneFX's bag of tricks, it's just the beginning of the ways it can be implemented. You can customize how far each mirror moves, how long it pauses, and how
long it takes to get there. You can even make mistakes in hooking up the wires to the mirror motors; the microcontroller has a learn mode so you can teach it which wires to use to control each
motion. An LCD screen prompts you through every step of the procedure.
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LaneFX Standard Features to Make Every Lane Change Safer
Q. Even though LaneFX is ultra simple concept, you've managed to make LaneFX a very feature rich product. Correct?
A. Absolutely. Let me give you a brief walk through of the features and
add-on options of the LaneFX system:
- First we talked about the universal fit of LaneFX.
- Second, ease of installation (which you have to remember quick installations mean less cost of
ownership to the customer and faster seamless installations mean higher customer satisfaction). The way we were about to simplified installation on hundreds if not thousands of power mirror systems
is by using an Intelligent Learn Technology. So all the installer has to do is hook up a set of 3 wires on either side of LaneFX module. And then all the installer has to do is start learn mode
and the unit "learns" the
wiring setup of the vehicle and configures itself on that basis. No complex wiring diagram, no programming required.
- Third, all mirror movements are fully customizable at installation. We wanted to make
LaneFX as responsive to the driver and tailored to the driver's preferences as possible. So with every LaneFX unit, each driver can customize how far the mirror opens up, how long it pauses when it
gets there, and even how fast the mirror should move. You can control your preferences separately for the right and left mirror.
- LaneFX is intended to be a
concealed unit either under the dash or in the trunk. So these adjustments should be made at installation and you can always tweak them or change occasionally after that.
- Another feature we offer in
the system is control of both mirrors. So you control the left and right mirror separately or concurrently.
Q. And all of these features you mentioned are standard in every LaneFX box?
A. Yes. That's correct.
Q. But I also understand that you have a number of optional add-on components that a customer can choose to further enhance his/hers LaneFX system.
A. Our team has worked very diligently to research
what consumers would like to have in their complete LaneFX system. Let me share with you a quick list of what some of these options are:
- First is a very inexpensive add-on component we have that we think
is going to be very popular, especially among entry level domestic vehicles is the optional Mirror Speed Boost. With this component owners of vehicles with slow moving power mirrors
can safely boost their mirror movement speeds up to 200% of OEM speed. This will provide drivers with a way to ensure that LaneFX movement is responsive to their driving needs. All of the mirror speeds
are customizable by the driver from 80% to 200% of OEM speed, and those adjustments can be done separately for left and right mirrors.
- Second we have a great optional component that's quite frankly
is a driver awareness system in and of itself: ParkFX. ParkFX is an active park assist and curb exposure system that uses your side mirrors
to expose the parking boundaries around your vehicle as your backing up. Much in the same LaneFX moves your mirror outward to expose the blind spot next to you and behind you, ParkFX
tilts the blind spot mirror downward when you put the vehicle in reverse to expose either
the parking lines let's say if you were in a mall parking lot, or more importantly to expose the curb in parallel parking situations. When you take the car out of reverse, the mirror comes back to
its original position, every single time. Just like LaneFX, ParkFX is universal and fully-customizable to the driver's preferences. The system
works on any vehicle, new or old, domestic or import, manual or automatic transmission. And you can choose to have ParkFX control the left, right or both mirrors. And to be complete, you can also configure
at installation how much ParkFX should tilt each of these mirrors when the vehicle is backing up. So for a big SUV, you can choose the blind spot mirrors to tilt down farther than say someone who drives
a small sedan. Everything is universal and fully-customizable to your needs.
- Thirdly is an add-on component we are very proud of: our Turn Signal Link integration kit. I put my blinker on and that activates
LaneFX to show me my blind spot before I change lanes? Yes exactly. And you can also configure the Turn Signal Link integration kit to activate only when the vehicle is moving above certain speed,
like over 55mph to have it only activate on when you're on the highway, or say over 35mph in an urban city setting.
- The forth in our options list is a plug-and-play wireless controls kit. We've heard time and time again that drivers would
ideally like the LaneFX controls at the finger tips, just like your horn or turn signal stalk. this tiny module I am holding is an example of a left-hand wireless control. So we designed this wireless
kit so that installers never have to worry about running wires to the steering wheel (which is a no no) and to give the customer to place the controls anywhere. The wireless controls kit includes two
controls for left and right and is designed to fit behind one of your steering-wheel spokes. The placement is meant to avoid competing with the increasing number of OEM buttons on the front
of the steering wheel. Also the placement behind the top spoke make the LaneFX control within the reach of a finger tip without having to move a hand off the steering wheel regardless in you drive
with your hands in the 10-to-2 position or racing style.
- One more plug-and-play optional component which is our Speed Sensitivity Mode. This is an
add-on component that integrates with OBDII port of virtually any vehicle and continuously reads the vehicle speed. The LaneFX module is pre-programmed to take advantage of this option and it then
produces more dynamic mirror movement based on the vehicle speed. This ensures an ever greater degree of responsiveness to the driver's needs in real-time. So LaneFX moves the mirror faster at say
70mph than at 55mph? Exactly right, and it also pauses less when it reaches its maximum expansion angle at higher speeds.
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Drivaware Publishes Automakers' Scorecard on Driver Visbility and Average Blind Spot Zone Size
Automakers' average blind spot zones vary greatly. Automakers that produce
larger, taller vehicles have larger blind spot zones than conventional passenger vehicles without impeded side and rearviews. All measurements do not account for the use of blind spot mirrors
or blind spot detectors (like Valeo Raytheon's and Volvo's BLIS systems). Blind spot zone sizes are a combination of the side blind spot zones (as applicable in lane changes) but exclude the size
of the rear blind spot zone that result when the vehicle is in reverse (backover condition).
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| Automaker |
Average Size of Model Lane Change Blind Spot Area
(avg. for all 2006 models in feet) |
Automaker |
Average Size of Model Lane Change Blind Spot Area (avg. for all 2006 models in feet) |
| Acura |
24.1' |
Jeep |
31.0' |
| Alfa Romeo |
N/A |
Kia |
18.9' |
| Aston Martin |
29.2' |
Lamborghini |
48.0' |
| Audi |
32.0' |
Land Rover |
38.2' |
| Bentley |
29.4' |
Lexus |
28.4' |
| BMW |
28.6' |
Lincoln |
22.9' |
| Buick |
33.2' |
Lotus |
49.8' |
| Cadillac |
31.0' |
Mazda |
22.0' |
| Chevrolet |
33.9' |
Mercedes-Benz |
29.4' |
| Chrysler |
36.8' |
Mercury |
28.2' |
| Daewoo |
18.6' |
Mini |
27.4' |
| DeLorean |
44.1' |
Mitsubishi |
29.6' |
| Dodge |
36.1' |
Nissan |
31.0' |
| Eagel |
N/A |
Oldsmobile |
N/A |
| Ferrari |
40.6' |
Pontiac |
32.1' |
| Fiat |
N/A |
Porsche |
41.6' |
| Ford |
38.1' |
Rolls-Royce |
29.4' |
| Geo |
16.3' |
Saab |
26.1' |
| GMC |
29.4' |
Saturn |
25.5' |
| Honda |
21.8' |
Scion |
19.0' |
| Hummer |
50.5' |
Subaru |
26.7' |
| Hyundai |
22.0' |
Suzuki |
27.3' |
| Infiniti |
34.1' |
Toyota |
25.9' |
| Isuzu |
37.5' |
Volkswagen |
30.6' |
| Jaguar |
28.8' |
Volvo |
28.1' |
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LaneFX Gives You Greater Driving Safety, Effortless Parking and Stress-Free Lane Changes - Or Your Money Back!
Our Triple Buyer Protection Program ensures your satisfaction or we'll refund your money including your original shipping and handling charges!
Drivaware Inc. warrants the LaneFX blind spot exposure system against all defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of the original purchase, subject to the following
terms and conditions. This warranty is limited to the original owner, and is Non- Transferable. This warranty does not apply if the serial number or housing of the product has been removed, or if
the product has been subjected to physical abuse, improper installation, or modification. To obtain warranty service, the product must be returned, insured and shipping prepaid, to Drivaware Inc.,
at the address below, in its original packaging or a suitable equivalent, along with a written description of the problem. Drivaware Inc.’s responsibility under this warranty is limited to
repair or replacement of the product or refund of its purchase price, at the sole discretion of Drivaware Inc.
Drivaware Inc. disclaims all other warranties, expressed or implied, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for any particular purposes whatsoever, and no other remedy shall be available,
including without limitation, incidental or consequential damages. In no event shall Drivaware Inc.’s liability exceed the purchase price of the product in question. Some states do not allow
the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages of how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific
rights. You may have other legal rights which vary from state to state. Drivaware Inc. wants you to be satisfied with its products. Should you have any difficulties with the operation or performance
of your LaneFX system. |
LaneFX - Blind Spots Revealed
A lot of new cars include detection systems that will alert the driver when a vehicle (or some other large object) is sitting in their blind spot. Drivaware is now selling
a third-party solution that does more than just alert the driver when something is in their blind spot, it shows them.
When the turn signals are activated the LaneFX system will automatically move the corresponding side mirror outwards showing the driver what might be hiding in the vehicle’s blind
spot. The LaneFX system can also include the ParkFX feature which will automatically tilt both side mirrors down while the vehicle is being driven in reverse.
The Drivaware LaneFX system can be installed on any car with power side mirrors and is available in a Basic Edition for $197, a Highway Edition for $242 and a Commuter Edition for $296
depending on what features you may need. |
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