Cadillac STS SAE 100 a technology showcase

Cadillac STS SAE 100 (photo : General Motors)

Developing technologies to prevent crashes requires an understanding of what causes them, Queen points out, so GM and supplier safety engineers used a 1997 study by GM and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute called ''44 Crashes.''

This study benchmarked a very large sample of crashes, categorized them into distinct crash scenarios, and measured how frequently they occurred, the rate of injuries and the functional, or income-earning, years of life lost associated with each. ''It also reaffirmed previous studies that show driver inattention or error causes the majority of motor vehicle crashes,'' Queen says.

For example, says Queen, crashes that result in vehicles leaving the road account for 42 percent of functional years lost, and those are the very crashes that electronic stability control is designed to help prevent. Vehicles running into other vehicles accounted for another 48 percent of functional years lost.

That all lead to the inclusion of the following technologies on the STS SAE 100:

• lane departure warning, which detects road markings at speeds over 56 kmh and notifies the driver with a visual signal and a vibration in the seat when the vehicle crosses those markings
• Side blind zone alert, which use radar sensors to warn a driver that there's a vehicle in his or her blind spot, thereby cutting down on the 900,000 or so of side-to-side crashes that happen every year in North America, and
• adaptive cruise control, which keeps the STS a certain distance away from the vehicle ahead at speed and warns the driver if a rear-end crash is imminent.

Other technologies of note on the Cadillac STS SAE 100 include:

• 3D navigation using detailed pictures from satellites to provide a ''bird's eye view'' of the surrounding area, including buildings of course, but also even trees and lampposts so the driver can relate better to his or her surroundings
• an inside rear-view mirror with an embedded organic LED screen that provides images of the rear seat to people in the front row when the car's in Drive (that means the driver doesn't have to turn around), or images of what's behind the car when it's in Reverse
• an oil condition sensor that can determine and detect the actual level and remaining engine oil life, reducing the need for costly engine repairs due to poor oil maintenance and the number of unnecessary oil changes
• electronic limited slip differential, which enhances vehicle traction without brake or engine intervention, and that
• capless fuel system, which spins an electronically-activated ball open to allow access to the fuel-pipe when a button is pushed and closes it when the nozzle is removed.

Cadillac STS SAE 100 (photo : General Motors)

Other technologies on the concept car include rear seat DVD for X-Box from Microsoft, high-output EL extruded wire, an LCD instrument cluster, a variable temperature (heat and cool) front seat, carbon-fibre low mass wheelhouse, second row supplemental storage, beverage heating and cooling, advanced LED fog lights, a seat-mounted thorax/pelvis air bag, rear seatbelt engagement warning for driver, and a crash alert seat for the driver and a massage seat for the passenger.
photo:General Motors