                       Excerpt from Computer Design
                                April 1992

                    FUZZY LOGIC WILL MAKE CARS SMARTER
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     It's estimated that by the end of the century, the amount of
     electronics in automobiles will double.  Among the areas of 
     interest are an emission control system that would continuously 
     monitor the exhaust gases and make adjustments to the carburetor
     and ignition systems to keep the levels of hydrocarbons and 
     other toxic elements within specified limits.  Interior climate 
     control would be able to adjust to the number of passengers like
     some fuzzy controlled air conditioning systems do today.  Fuzzy 
     controlled digital signal processors are being investigated for 
     interior noise cancellation systems.
     
     Today's digital anitlock braking systems work by cycling the
     brakes rapidly on and off.  A fuzzy controller could presumably
     provide smooth antilock braking by adjusting hydraulic pressure
     in accordance with slight amounts of wheel rotation.
     
     One item under active development is a multiple mode automatic
     transmission.  By sensing rotation, torque, engine speed and
     throttle position, a fuzzy controller could determine the proper
     shift points.  By selecting a different set of rules and
     membership functions the driver could set the transmission for
     smooth shifting, optimal economy shifting or sport shifting.


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