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On-board IT protects drivers from danger
Page 13
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• by John Kendall Advanced on-board computers that can combine navigation information with an ability to recognise traffic lights and road signs to warn drivers of potential danger will play an important role in improving road safety, says DaimlerChrysler.
Several Daimler Chrysler divisions, including Freightliner in the US, are researching advanced digital road mapping systems. Existing navigation systems use data from both the Global Positioning by Satellite (GPS) system and digital road maps in CD-ROM or DVD format. These provide good turnby-turn directions, enabling drivers to find destinations without getting lost.
But other road information could also be programmed in. This could include speed limits, weight and height restrictions, traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. information could even help drivers to "see" the road ahead, by calculating a safe cornering speed for bends and warning if the approach speed is too high. By taking onboard computer integration a stage further, systems could intervene to help the driver avoid danger.
Reducing accidents
Mapping information could be used to set speed limiters automatically to the prevailing speed limit by sensing the vehicle's location and the speed limit on that section of road, for example. This could reduce accidents in urban areas where drivers can be dealing with several situations at once and are more likely to miss warning signs.
Work on DaimlerChrysler's "Curve Warner" is already in progress. This uses the radius of road bends, taken from the digital map, to calculate a safe cornering speed and alert the driver if he is approaching too fast. The company already has the technology to apply the brakes automatically if the driver does not slow down.
Since digital maps show every single road junction, that information can indicate when a driver is likely to be concentrating most. The on-board computer could gather information from pedal sensors, steering wheel sensors and speed sensors in the ABS system, to get a better idea of how busy the driver was. Then incoming mobile phone calls could be diverted to voice mail to help relieve pres
sure on the driver, until the bu stretch of road is passed.
These systems becor much more useful if they c also include information on wf is happening around the vehic Video recognition cornput software has become ma advanced in recent years. Usi twin miniature video camer mounted behind the wir screen, it can now track 0th movements across the vehich path, distinguish red from gre traffic lights and even recogni road signs in the dark. Daimk Chrysler claims that by calcul; ing vehicle speed relative other movements across t vehicle's path, an on-boa computer could apply the ye cle's brakes faster than human could react—in 80 n liseconds—if danger is sensf The company believes it c integrate these systems w road maps by 2005. In sepaQ' research with universities Germany and the DaimlerChrysler is al researching how our brai react in different traffic a stress situations.
Early results have pr duced interesting results. for instance, a driver is giver 17 millisecond flash of sin lated brake lights in speedometer display, it s speed up braking reactions 50 milliseconds if the vehii ahead actually brakes, ev though the driver would r consciously have noticed t simulated brake lights.