- Joined
- February 8, 1999
- Messages
- 35,768
- Reaction score
- 3,901
- City, State
- Wayoutin, Aridzona
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '93 XL '20 ST
- Callsign
- AB7FH
FORD, VOLVO AND JAGUAR DEVELOPING "INTELLIGENT" SAFETY SYSTEMS OF TOMORROW
By Mike Thomas, FCN
Engineers across the Ford brands are creating intelligent active safety technologies that help drivers avoid accidents, as well as developing passive safety technologies, which protect occupants at the point of a collision.
The challenge is to devise active safety systems that do the job without diminishing the driver's sense of control over the vehicle, or the good old-fashioned enjoyment of driving.
“Our emerging safety thinking at Volvo Cars is about putting natural human abilities at the centre of our research and evolving solutions, designed not only to further enhance safety but also to ensure drivers can enjoy their motoring experience," said Jan Ivarsson, safety, strategy and requirements manager. "Over the years we have provided significant passive and active safety, but our challenge now is to deliver software and hardware approaches that serve as a sympathetic ‘co-driver’ for the motorist.”
It's an approach echoed at Jaguar, where the new 2007 XK offers some of the most advanced active safety options available on today's vehicles. "We prefer the kind of technology that empowers the driver, rather than over-powers," said Russ Varney, XK Chief Program Engineer.
In Bill Ford's innovation speech given in September, he gave a succinct rationale for the company's safety innovations. "Ford and Volvo engineers are working closely together to develop the safety innovations of tomorrow – like the next seatbelt, a new collision avoidance system, and night-enhanced vision," Ford said. "Our goal is not just to go above and beyond our competitors, but to work around-the-clock until vehicle fatalities are part of history."
Perhaps the best example of active safety technology is Roll Stability Control that measures the roll motion of a vehicle and then takes corrective action.
Another good example is active cruise control (ACC), an available option for several years now on the Jaguar S, XJ and XK. In ACC, a radar sensor in the front continuously monitors the distance to the vehicle ahead and adjusts speed to help maintain a proper safety distance. The driver retains control by setting the required maximum speed and then selects the minimum time interval to the vehicles in front. This time interval can be varied from one to three seconds.
If a car approaches an obstacle that is either at a standstill or moving and the driver does not react, a warning lights and buzzers are activated. When the driver presses the brake pedal, the system checks the pedal pressure. If the pressure isn't enough to stop the car in time to avoid a collision, the system amplifies the brake application pressure to further decelerate the vehicle, which may, if the vehicle's speed is low enough, help avoid a collision.
Taking advantage of the ACC's forward sensors, the XK now introduces the Forward Alert system, which scans the road ahead 10 times every second, and warns of a potential collision. In addition, the new XK features an optional Active Front Lighting system. The system provides enhanced night-time visibility by automatically swivelling the dipped beam lenses depending on road speed and steering angle.
A related type of technology is Collision Mitigation by Braking (CMbB). Developed by Ford's Research and Advanced Engineering group with researchers at the Volvo Safety Center and demonstrated in the Mercury Meta One Concept Car, CMbB uses sensors to gauge an impending frontal crash. In the event of an impending crash, the system amplifies the driver's braking by automatically applying additional brake pressure to further reduce the vehicle's speed at impact.
"The driver will always be in control," said Priya Prasad, Ford Technical Fellow, Safety Research and Development. "If the driver is taking some type of evasive action, for instance if they want to accelerate, this system is not going to override. But if the driver is really not taking action and the system detects an imminent threat of accident or collision, then it will go to high deceleration where the maximum power of the brakes will be applied at that time."
New Volvo models currently in the launch pipeline will come equipped with a related system. Cars such as the V70 will offer camera and radar along with intelligent software to identify moving or stationary objects posting a potential threat. If warnings are not sufficient, the system then steps-in with automatic brake activation.
Systems like Lane Departure Warning help safeguard against the tendency to loose concentration when fatigued or distracted. The system has been demonstrated on various concept vehicles in the Ford system, but not yet available on production models. The system utilizes a camera in the rear-view mirror to continuously monitor the road and keep track of where the car is in relation to the lane markings. If the driver loses concentration and the wheels move outside the lane markings, a warning buzzer alerts the driver, and this is often sufficient to get him or her to react.
Such systems could join technologies already available as options in some production vehicles, like Volvo's Blind Spot Information system that utilizes a camera to warn the driver of vehicles in the car's blind spot, and the Intelligent Driver Information System which continuously monitors steering wheel movement, turn signal indicators and degree of braking to delay such functions as incoming phone calls during intense activity such as overtaking, braking, or lane changing.
Ultimately, the coming active safety technologies will be refined to offer the best of both worlds – safer vehicles that remain an expression of the driver's personality as much as practical means of transportation. As Ivarsson put it, “From the safety perspective, sustainable mobility moves are about developing the relationship between car, driver and the traffic environment into an unthreatening, dynamic, exhilarating and safe union making everyday motoring enjoyable.”
By Mike Thomas, FCN
Engineers across the Ford brands are creating intelligent active safety technologies that help drivers avoid accidents, as well as developing passive safety technologies, which protect occupants at the point of a collision.
The challenge is to devise active safety systems that do the job without diminishing the driver's sense of control over the vehicle, or the good old-fashioned enjoyment of driving.
“Our emerging safety thinking at Volvo Cars is about putting natural human abilities at the centre of our research and evolving solutions, designed not only to further enhance safety but also to ensure drivers can enjoy their motoring experience," said Jan Ivarsson, safety, strategy and requirements manager. "Over the years we have provided significant passive and active safety, but our challenge now is to deliver software and hardware approaches that serve as a sympathetic ‘co-driver’ for the motorist.”
It's an approach echoed at Jaguar, where the new 2007 XK offers some of the most advanced active safety options available on today's vehicles. "We prefer the kind of technology that empowers the driver, rather than over-powers," said Russ Varney, XK Chief Program Engineer.
In Bill Ford's innovation speech given in September, he gave a succinct rationale for the company's safety innovations. "Ford and Volvo engineers are working closely together to develop the safety innovations of tomorrow – like the next seatbelt, a new collision avoidance system, and night-enhanced vision," Ford said. "Our goal is not just to go above and beyond our competitors, but to work around-the-clock until vehicle fatalities are part of history."
Perhaps the best example of active safety technology is Roll Stability Control that measures the roll motion of a vehicle and then takes corrective action.
Another good example is active cruise control (ACC), an available option for several years now on the Jaguar S, XJ and XK. In ACC, a radar sensor in the front continuously monitors the distance to the vehicle ahead and adjusts speed to help maintain a proper safety distance. The driver retains control by setting the required maximum speed and then selects the minimum time interval to the vehicles in front. This time interval can be varied from one to three seconds.
If a car approaches an obstacle that is either at a standstill or moving and the driver does not react, a warning lights and buzzers are activated. When the driver presses the brake pedal, the system checks the pedal pressure. If the pressure isn't enough to stop the car in time to avoid a collision, the system amplifies the brake application pressure to further decelerate the vehicle, which may, if the vehicle's speed is low enough, help avoid a collision.
Taking advantage of the ACC's forward sensors, the XK now introduces the Forward Alert system, which scans the road ahead 10 times every second, and warns of a potential collision. In addition, the new XK features an optional Active Front Lighting system. The system provides enhanced night-time visibility by automatically swivelling the dipped beam lenses depending on road speed and steering angle.
A related type of technology is Collision Mitigation by Braking (CMbB). Developed by Ford's Research and Advanced Engineering group with researchers at the Volvo Safety Center and demonstrated in the Mercury Meta One Concept Car, CMbB uses sensors to gauge an impending frontal crash. In the event of an impending crash, the system amplifies the driver's braking by automatically applying additional brake pressure to further reduce the vehicle's speed at impact.
"The driver will always be in control," said Priya Prasad, Ford Technical Fellow, Safety Research and Development. "If the driver is taking some type of evasive action, for instance if they want to accelerate, this system is not going to override. But if the driver is really not taking action and the system detects an imminent threat of accident or collision, then it will go to high deceleration where the maximum power of the brakes will be applied at that time."
New Volvo models currently in the launch pipeline will come equipped with a related system. Cars such as the V70 will offer camera and radar along with intelligent software to identify moving or stationary objects posting a potential threat. If warnings are not sufficient, the system then steps-in with automatic brake activation.
Systems like Lane Departure Warning help safeguard against the tendency to loose concentration when fatigued or distracted. The system has been demonstrated on various concept vehicles in the Ford system, but not yet available on production models. The system utilizes a camera in the rear-view mirror to continuously monitor the road and keep track of where the car is in relation to the lane markings. If the driver loses concentration and the wheels move outside the lane markings, a warning buzzer alerts the driver, and this is often sufficient to get him or her to react.
Such systems could join technologies already available as options in some production vehicles, like Volvo's Blind Spot Information system that utilizes a camera to warn the driver of vehicles in the car's blind spot, and the Intelligent Driver Information System which continuously monitors steering wheel movement, turn signal indicators and degree of braking to delay such functions as incoming phone calls during intense activity such as overtaking, braking, or lane changing.
Ultimately, the coming active safety technologies will be refined to offer the best of both worlds – safer vehicles that remain an expression of the driver's personality as much as practical means of transportation. As Ivarsson put it, “From the safety perspective, sustainable mobility moves are about developing the relationship between car, driver and the traffic environment into an unthreatening, dynamic, exhilarating and safe union making everyday motoring enjoyable.”
