A research team at Purdue university is developing a system that will detect damaged car parts and figure out how long they'll last before failing, effectively predicting breakdowns before they happen. The structural health-monitoring system uses a network of sensors placed strategically in areas of high stress and impact like struts, control arms and at the jawlines of lippy passengers (ok, not quite there yet), which are hooked to a processor and software that can read the vibrations and look for signs of wear that could lead to failure. The team says the system could be in use within two or three years.
Cars to predict their own breakdown [We Make Money Not Art]
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