Cool Car Features Unlocked With Camera Technology

Cameras may be old tech, but they have plenty of new tricks.

Sami Haj-Assaad | 

Sep 4, 2024 | 3 min read

Chevrolet

Since May 2018, all new cars sold in the United States must have a backup camera as standard equipment. That mandate was designed specifically to improve safety while reversing. But many of today's vehicles leverage camera technology to enable other helpful features.

Mercedes-Benz

Some Cameras See Through Solid Surfaces

Makers of rugged SUVs often boast about their off-road capabilities, but drivers new to tackling trails may worry they'll damage their fancy ride on hard-to-see obstacles. Fortunately, some new camera systems offer a way to see beneath the vehicle.

Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz offer a transparent hood feature that displays a video feed of the driving surface, allowing the driver to place their wheels appropriately to avoid a ditch or rock.

Some trucks have an auxiliary camera system, such as the Chevrolet Silverado's Transparent Trailer — a feature that lets drivers see through a trailer, so it doesn't block views to the rear.

John Coyle | Capital One

Cameras Can Erase a Car's Blind Spots

Blind-spot monitors are now widely available, but many vehicles from Korean automakers Genesis, Hyundai and Kia go beyond a mere notification in your side mirror.

When a driver signals they're about to make a turn, a function called Blind-Spot View Monitor uses side-mounted cameras to display a video feed of the blind spot on the corresponding side within the gauge cluster.

This function is designed to help prevent accidents in areas where there may be cyclists or pedestrians alongside the vehicle.

Honda

Keeping an Eye on the Kids Is Easier With Cameras

By helping parents keep an eye on kids in the back seats, cameras can be useful inside the car as well.

Honda CabinWatch and Kia Passenger View are options in three-row vehicles that display an overhead video feed of the rear-view passengers on the infotainment screen. This means drivers can watch children — or passengers behaving like children — without having to physically turn around.

Infiniti

Cameras Can Provide an Overhead View of Your Car

Infiniti was one of the first manufacturers to offer an overhead view of the vehicle. Now, the technology has become commonplace.

Chevrolet, Mazda, and Volkswagen all offer what's sometimes referred to as drone view. This technology provides drivers with the ability to see live images of their vehicle from above.

This perspective can be particularly useful when parallel parking and helps ensure you don't scratch your wheels on a curb, mount the sidewalk, or restrict your access to the vehicle by parking next to a pole.

Audi

Some Next-Level Driver-Assistance Features Rely on Cameras

Onboard cameras can do more than provide a view of the world around the vehicle. They can also enable advanced driver-assistance systems, as windshield-mounted cameras can detect lane markings and vehicle traffic on the road ahead. This is the data that features such as adaptive cruise control and lane keeping need to function.

These technologies are becoming common across the industry, on everything from Audis to Volvos.

Many automakers also have cameras that recognize speed-limit signs. This technology can display the posted limit on the dash, and automakers such as Mercedes-Benz also allow drivers to set it to automatically slow down or speed up the vehicle based on the posted limit.

BMW

Cameras Allow You to See Your Car From Afar

If you often forget where you parked or worry that someone may break into your unprotected car, you'll appreciate the remote view feature offered by a few automakers.

Tesla, BMW, and Hyundai are among automakers that allow users to check on their car from their smartphone, ensuring there's no suspicious activity around the vehicle. For the absent-minded among us, the system can also reveal where you've parked.

Sami Haj-Assaad

Sami Haj-Assaad is an award-winning automotive journalist who has contributed to several automotive, electric vehicle, luxury lifestyle, and technology publications. His work isn't just limited to the written word, as he's also hosted YouTube videos and podcasts. Having grown up in the '90s, he has a strong sense of attachment to that era's style, though he also loves to geek out about the modern, futuristic tech and powertrains rolling out today.