As reported by Continental
Frankfurt am Main, Germany. With the development of Emergency Steer Assist, Continental, the international automotive supplier, is pursuing an entirely new approach to accident-prevention driver assistance systems. "Many of the systems in use today are restricted to intervening in the longitudinal dynamics, Emergency Steer Assist is the lateral dynamics complement to Emergency Brake Assist", said Dr. Peter Laier, Vice President of the Chassis Components business unit of the Chassis & Safety Division. "If the driver of a vehicle traveling at high speed has gone beyond the last possible point where braking would have an effect, it may still be possible to avoid an accident through steering, or by taking evasive action. This possibility is not yet being actively incorporated into driving safety." Emergency Steer Assist can now help drivers to steer past an obstacle. It does this by accessing the technologies which are already integrated into many vehicles. The lower the road surface friction coefficient, due to rain or snow for example, the greater the gap between the 'braking' or the 'evasion' options. This means that evasive action is still a possibility long after there is no more hope of avoiding the accident by emergency braking alone.
Sensors help the chassis “to see”
Before Emergency Steer Assist can be performed, it is essential that the vehicle is fitted with sensors for monitoring the road as far ahead as possible. "The more reliable and detailed a picture of other road users and of the road itself can be gained, the more effectively Emergency Steer Assist can assist the driver to decide, for example, whether to take evasive action by steering to the left or the right when suddenly coming up against the tail of a motorway traffic jam", said Bernd Hartmann, Chassis Systems Advanced Engineering manager in the Chassis & Safety Division. The first stage will employ radar sensors similar to those currently in production for Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). The advanced engineering department is also working on combining the video images from camera systems, like those already in series production for Intelligent Headlamp Control, with the radar signals. In this way, the chassis will learn to 'see' so that the vehicle's safety systems are given early warning of an imminent hazard situation.
This will place the vehicle in a 'safety mode'. "From this instant, the objective is to avoid an accident; comfort considerations are of secondary importance", said Hartmann. In preparation for the obstacle-avoidance maneuver, the aim is to maximize the vehicle's road-holding ability. In those decisive seconds, the ESC is prepared to keep the vehicle on the road during the rapid avoidance maneuver and to stabilize it by the selective and early application of initial braking pressure to individual wheels. A further conceivable option for the future for vehicles equipped with active roll stabilization or adaptive chassis systems is to adjust the suspension and damper characteristics to the 'hard' mode.
Frankfurt am Main, Germany. With the development of Emergency Steer Assist, Continental, the international automotive supplier, is pursuing an entirely new approach to accident-prevention driver assistance systems. "Many of the systems in use today are restricted to intervening in the longitudinal dynamics, Emergency Steer Assist is the lateral dynamics complement to Emergency Brake Assist", said Dr. Peter Laier, Vice President of the Chassis Components business unit of the Chassis & Safety Division. "If the driver of a vehicle traveling at high speed has gone beyond the last possible point where braking would have an effect, it may still be possible to avoid an accident through steering, or by taking evasive action. This possibility is not yet being actively incorporated into driving safety." Emergency Steer Assist can now help drivers to steer past an obstacle. It does this by accessing the technologies which are already integrated into many vehicles. The lower the road surface friction coefficient, due to rain or snow for example, the greater the gap between the 'braking' or the 'evasion' options. This means that evasive action is still a possibility long after there is no more hope of avoiding the accident by emergency braking alone.
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| Photo: Continental |
Sensors help the chassis “to see”
Before Emergency Steer Assist can be performed, it is essential that the vehicle is fitted with sensors for monitoring the road as far ahead as possible. "The more reliable and detailed a picture of other road users and of the road itself can be gained, the more effectively Emergency Steer Assist can assist the driver to decide, for example, whether to take evasive action by steering to the left or the right when suddenly coming up against the tail of a motorway traffic jam", said Bernd Hartmann, Chassis Systems Advanced Engineering manager in the Chassis & Safety Division. The first stage will employ radar sensors similar to those currently in production for Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). The advanced engineering department is also working on combining the video images from camera systems, like those already in series production for Intelligent Headlamp Control, with the radar signals. In this way, the chassis will learn to 'see' so that the vehicle's safety systems are given early warning of an imminent hazard situation.
This will place the vehicle in a 'safety mode'. "From this instant, the objective is to avoid an accident; comfort considerations are of secondary importance", said Hartmann. In preparation for the obstacle-avoidance maneuver, the aim is to maximize the vehicle's road-holding ability. In those decisive seconds, the ESC is prepared to keep the vehicle on the road during the rapid avoidance maneuver and to stabilize it by the selective and early application of initial braking pressure to individual wheels. A further conceivable option for the future for vehicles equipped with active roll stabilization or adaptive chassis systems is to adjust the suspension and damper characteristics to the 'hard' mode.