Have you ever been playing with your six-CD changer or fiddling with your navigation system while driving? You shouldn't- but every day, millions do. As a result, rear end collisions make up a third of reported accidents, and in half of these, the driver in the offending car doesn't even brake.
So, Volvo has a partial answer. Their upcoming Collision Warning with Auto Brake (CWAB) system automatically engages the vehicles brakes if the driver fails to apply necessary braking in time. The intent of the system isn't to compensate for distracted drivers or totally prevent an accident, but reducing vehicle impact speeds can be beneficial nonetheless.
"This can mean the difference between a serious injury and minor consequences for the occupants of both vehicles," says Ingrid Skogsmo, Director of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre.
The new system will be available in the Volvo S80, V70 and XC70 in the next model year.
Unlike the first generation system used on the S80 sedan, the new CWAB system utilizes a camera as well as a radar sensor, processing the data through a software called "Data Fusion". The resulting system is more efficient, says Volvo. This reduces false alarms.
"Since the system combines information both from the radar sensor and the camera, it gives such a high confidence level that automatic braking is possible if a collision is imminent," says Jonas Tisell, technical project manager for Collision Warning with Auto Brake at Volvo Cars. "The system is programmed to activate autonomous braking only if both sensors agree that the situation is critical."
photo:Volvo
So, Volvo has a partial answer. Their upcoming Collision Warning with Auto Brake (CWAB) system automatically engages the vehicles brakes if the driver fails to apply necessary braking in time. The intent of the system isn't to compensate for distracted drivers or totally prevent an accident, but reducing vehicle impact speeds can be beneficial nonetheless.
 |
"This can mean the difference between a serious injury and minor consequences for the occupants of both vehicles," says Ingrid Skogsmo, Director of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre.
The new system will be available in the Volvo S80, V70 and XC70 in the next model year.
Unlike the first generation system used on the S80 sedan, the new CWAB system utilizes a camera as well as a radar sensor, processing the data through a software called "Data Fusion". The resulting system is more efficient, says Volvo. This reduces false alarms.
"Since the system combines information both from the radar sensor and the camera, it gives such a high confidence level that automatic braking is possible if a collision is imminent," says Jonas Tisell, technical project manager for Collision Warning with Auto Brake at Volvo Cars. "The system is programmed to activate autonomous braking only if both sensors agree that the situation is critical."
photo:Volvo
Article Gallery