Tomorrow's car: lighter, safer and recyclable?...

The car of the future doesn't fly, it doesn't talk and it doesn't drive itself. At least not yet.

For the time being, most of the vehicles that will roll off the assembly line at auto plants over the next few years don't really look that different from what's on the road now.

That's not to say that car technology isn't advancing rapidly. Rather, most of the innovations pushing the industry forward, particularly in Canada, are hidden to the eyes.

In Oshawa, General Motors of Canada Ltd. is constantly bending and reshaping body panels to make steel parts lighter, while maintaining their strength.

As Canada's auto sector expands its research and development, which is still 1-20th the size of the U.S. in terms of funding, several key innovations are being developed here.

Jeff Mah, a project engineer at Decoma International Inc., a division of Canadian auto parts giant Magna International Inc., is part of the country's increased presence on the world stage.

Three years after graduating from Queen's University, Mr. Mah is part of a team developing a technique that fuses plastic. The process, known as friction welding, joins two pieces by quickly rubbing them together, causing enough heat to melt the edges. It saves time and has proven stronger than traditional welding.

Hydroforming: The technique uses highly pressurized water to form metal into complicated shapes. Water is injected into steel tubes inside a die, which forces them to expand into hollow parts that would otherwise have to be welded.

Data fusion: Researchers are stitching together information from global positioning satellites, aerial photos and digital maps to create vehicle navigation systems for regions that aren't mapped extensively, such as remote parts of Canada.

Child safety: Canadian scientists are working with the World Health Organization to document the impact of accidents on children. Researchers hope studying how children behave in cars will help them design better seatbelts.

Headlight research: A full-size indoor replica of a highway is used by DaimlerChrysler in Windsor to develop lights. The enclosed room, which can simulate darkness and fog, is also used by the U.S. military to conduct night-vision exercises.

Lightweight materials: As car manufacturers race to build lighter vehicles in a bid to improve fuel efficiency, engineers are designing aluminum and steel alloys that are stronger than existing materials.

Vehicle recycling: Engineers are working on making cars recyclable. A technique for reusing copper wire by cryogenically freezing the rubber casing, which causes it to crumble away from the metal, was pioneered in Canada.

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