Lighting Technology of the Future: Multi-Functional Headlamps
A study by Darmstadt Technical University had evaluated the Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) advantage. By measuring drivers´ eye movements while driving, scientists proved for the first time that curve visibility on night journeys with steering-linked Xenon headlamps nearly reaches the level under normal daylight conditions. More than 50 people were tested with an eye tracking system based on a highly sensitive infrared video camera. Participants ranged from the 18-year old holding a fresh driver´s license to professional drivers and experienced seniors up to 68 years of age.
Video imaging and mirroring of two infrared beams aimed at the pupils showed the following results: Curve visibility on night journeys with dynamic curve light based on Xenon technology reaches a visibility of 36 meters, which is almost the ideal 38 meters in normal daylight conditions. In comparison, nocturnal visibility with halogen curve lights is only 27 meters, with static halogen headlamps 24 meters.
Today, only the Opel Vectra and Signum, as well as the Mercedes CLS, combine the Cornering light and Dynamic curve light.
Country light, highway light, city light and bad weather light are additional functions whose legal basis for installation in cars is expected to be established from 2007 by a new ECE norm. Experts are conducting the first practical tests at the Opel test center in Dudenhofen this year.
With next-generation AFL, the headlamps' light distribution automatically orients itself to the prevailing road and visibility conditions. When traveling quickly in a straight line, for instance on the highway, a far-reaching beam of light is needed. The requirements in an urban environment are quite different: here, the broadest possible blanket of light brings sources of danger and important signals on the car's periphery into the driver's field of vision. Thanks to an additional mirror/lens system, on country roads, the road ahead and bends are illuminated even more consistently and accurately than with today's AFL system.
Core elements of Opel's next-generation AFL are horizontally and vertically swiveling Bi-Xenon headlamp units, with moveable reflector elements and variable filters mounted in the path of the beam. In a fraction of a second, electric step motors adjust these components to adapt accordingly to the prevailing situation. The so-called actuators receive their commands continually from a microcomputer that is integrated into the vehicle's electronic data network. This assumes control of the AFL system dependently of sensor-recorded parameters such as speed, front-wheel lock angle, body tilt, load and ambient light.
The Citroën C4 sets the standard in pedestrian-impact tests
The Citroën C5 and C4 have passed successfully Euro NCAP impact tests. The two cars scored 36 and 35 points respectively, out of a possible 37. The Citroën C5 achieved the highest-ever score, making it the safest car on the market in any segment.
The C4 gave an excellent performance in pedestrian-impact tests. With a score of three stars out of a possible four and 22 points, it now sets the standard in this area. The C4 also achieved an outstanding score in child-protection tests, with four stars out of a possible five.
The C4 is designed to reduce the consequences of possible pedestrian impact. It features two impact absorbers (one on the upper part of the front end and one on the lower part) to limit leg injuries. Studies also focused on achieving a non-aggressive front end. For example, the front of the bonnet is rounded to create a space between the body and the components of the engine compartment. In this way, the bonnet can crumple without encountering any "hard spots". The bonnet is made of aluminium with a perforated inner panel in the centre to absorb energy more effectively.
Honda Develops World's First Intelligent Night Vision System Able to Detect Pedestrians
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Have announced today that it has developed the world's first Intelligent Night Vision System, which uses "far infrared" cameras to detect pedestrians in or approaching the vehicle's path and provides the driver visual and audio cautions to help prevent accidents involving pedestrians. The new system will be available on the Honda Legend to be released in Japan in fall 2004.
The Intelligent Night Vision System uses images obtained from two far infrared cameras positioned in the lower section of the front bumper to detect the position and movement of infrared heat-emitting objects and determine whether they are in or approaching the vehicle's path. Based on size and shape, the system also determines if the detected object is a pedestrian. In addition to the conventional night vision function of giving the driver an enhanced view of the road ahead, the system is the world's first to provide cautions that inform the driver of the presence of pedestrians that are on the road or about to cross the vehicle's path.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. have announced development of a pop-up hood system for pedestrian safety, which raises the engine hood in the event of a collision with a pedestrian to reduce the possibility of a serious impact to the pedestrian's head region by providing added engine compartment clearance.
The pop-up hood for pedestrian safety employs three sensors located inside the front bumper and a vehicle speed sensor to determine if an impact with a pedestrian has occurred, then signals an actuator to raise the rear portion of the engine hood approximately 10cm. This provides a space between the hood, the engine and other hard components to reduce pedestrian head injuries.
Use of the pop-up hood for pedestrian safety can cause an approximately 40% reduction* in HIC (Head Injury Criteria) values according to Honda's internal research. This achieves a higher level of pedestrian safety performance even in models where design considerations make it difficult to provide ample clearance between the hood, the engine and other hard components.
*Based on Honda in-house measurements using a head impactor device
Automatic trailer yaw control available on Opel Astra
Marketed as a world first on the BMW X5, and after on the Volkswagen Touareg, the Automatic trailer yaw control TSC (Trailer Stability Program) is now available on the Opel Astra, the first time on the mid-segment cars. The TSC finally puts an end to trailer yaw, significantly increasing safety. When a dangerous yawing movement begins, the system reacts within milliseconds and immediately stabilizes car and trailer.
The Trailer Stability Program is activated as soon as the trailer hitch's 13-pole connector is attached and the ESPPlus system detects a towing car yaw movement caused by the trailer. Data is constantly processed and compared to the predetermined limits set in the system parameters. If a yawing movement begins and exceeds a certain limit, it is decelerated within milliseconds by throttle closure and brake application until stability is restored. After the third excessive yawing movement, a defined brake pressure is applied to steady the car and trailer. This safety measure, which is pivotal in every training for car-and-trailer drivers, is automatically taken care of by the Astra. The Trailer Stability Program does not, however, intervene in drivers' actions, for instance during extreme or sudden steering when an avoidance manoeuvre is necessary.
During the two-year period of balance and calibration-test driving, tens of thousands of kilometres were covered and Opel's specialists tested the car-and-trailer combination handling performance with vastly differing trailer loads and speeds. After thousands of data figures were set, the limits were defined in the system parameters. These enable the Trailer Stability Program to react appropriately according to speed, yawing movement and frequency, so that light swerving on the highway, for example, does not lead to sudden, unnecessary brake application. When the brakes are released is also exactly defined depending on the individual driving situation.
The new Citroën C4 will be equipped of an innovative safety equipment : the Lane Departure Warning System. On motorways or main roads, the LDWS warns the driver if the car crosses the lane markings, if he has not activated the indicator. A vibrating mechanism mounted in the car seat is triggered on the side corresponding to the direction of vehicle drift to alert the driver who may, for example, be feeling drowsy.
The LDWS will be a world fist on a car, this system is already available on Mercedes' trucks since June 2000.
NB : The Valeo's Lane Departure Warning System will make its market debut in North America on Infiniti range, introduction scheduled on the 2005 for model FX and 2006 for M45.
PSA Peugeot Citroën Introduces Emergency Call System to Speed and Improve Medical Assistance
PSA Peugeot Citroën today presented the emergency call system it has been marketing for 18 months on vehicles produced by its two marques, Peugeot and Citroën.
In France, the function is available on the Peugeot 206, 307, 407, 607 and 807, and on the Citroën C3, Xsara, C5 and C8. Since its introduction, more than 30,000 Peugeot and Citroën vehicles equipped with the system have been sold in France.
The emergency call system is a new tertiary safety solution that helps organize and speed the arrival of medical assistance to the scene of an accident.
In France, organizations involved in road safety, such as the Road Safety and Traffic Department (DSCR) and the Laboratory of Accidentology, Biomechanics and the Study of Human Behavior (LAB), concur that roughly 250 traffic fatalities a year are due to a failure to alert emergency services following an accident. According to emergency physicians, the aftereffects of an accident are often less serious if assistance is provided very quickly.
PSA Peugeot Citroën is the world's first carmaker to successfully install a broad-based emergency call system on virtually its entire vehicle lineup.
The intelligent bolt, Bosch iBolt seat occupancy sensor system for modified Airbag release
A new Bosch sensor system allows the deployment of the passenger airbag in an accident to be matched to the passenger in a more precisely targeted way. The "iBolt" system measures the forces operating on the four anchor points of the seat frame. From that measurement, the weight on the passenger seat and how the weight is distributed are calculated electronically. This data is then used by the vehicle occupant protection electronics to determine the best way of deploying the passenger airbag.
Because many car passengers, especially in the USA, travel without their seatbelts fastened, the airbags must have a big volume and open very quickly. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 (FMVSS 208 for short) demands an airbag release which is matched precisely to the passenger's weight, as is guaranteed by the iBolt: the system is able to differentiate between a full release for large, heavy people, a weaker release for smaller people and children, and suppression of release for small children, when child seats are used or when the passenger seat is not occupied.
The four sensors of the iBolt system are built into the seat chassis, replacing the normal securing bolts. The iBolt control unit built into the seat communicates via a Bus system with the central airbag control electronics, which because of the precise four-point measurement receives even more information than the pure weight determination: the iBolt system evaluates the four readings and can recognize the way the person is sitting and any changes in it. This additional information allows the release of airbags with twin or multiple-stage gas generators to be matched to the way the passenger is sitting.
The intelligent sensors can, for example, recognize front and side impacts as well as potential rollover situations and also take account of the passenger seat occupancy. Further refinement of the seat occupancy recognition will be possible in future by means of an even more exact determination of the way the passenger is sitting. A video-based cockpit sensor system would be able to 'see', for example, whether a passenger who does not have his or her seatbelt fastened will fall forwards under emergency braking and whether the airbag should be inflated only partially on collision.
Twin wiper system with patented coating for smooth gliding, a Bosch wiper blade innovation
The windshield is frequently only slightly wetted in light rain or with spray water. This makes it difficult for many wiper blades to clean it without rubbing and streaking. For an optimal cleaning of the field of vision under such conditions, the Bosch Twin wiper system has now been supplied with an innovative coating for smooth gliding.
The flexible back of the wiper-blade element continues to be the prerequisite also in the advanced Bosch Twin for low-noise running in every kind of situation. This is now enhanced by the patented coating for smooth gliding of the wiper edge: extremely small particles of its graphitization are firmly incorporated in the pores of the wiper edge and increase the gliding quality. The wiper glides smoothly over the windshield in practically every situation and provides the best cleaning. Furthermore, the wiper edge is extremely wear resistant.
World first Blind Spot Detection system - Valeo Raytheon
Valeo Raytheon Systems today announced that it has won its first production contract for its Blind Spot Detection system with a major North American-based vehicle manufacturer. The innovative radar-based system, which is expected to be a world-first, is scheduled for production in 2006.
The Blind Spot Detection system monitors the blind spot on both sides of the vehicle. If a moving obstacle, such as another overtaking vehicle, is present in the blind spot, the driver is alerted through a visible icon. The system is expected to contribute to reducing collisions with unseen vehicles during lane change maneuvers. Valeo Raytheon Systems developed this system for passenger cars in just over one year.
Valeo's automotive engineers have joined forces with aerospace expert Raytheon to draw on the short-range radar expertise of Valeo and the in-depth knowledge of radar systems from Raytheon. The outcome of this joint effort is a radar-based Blind Spot Detection system comprised of one sensor on each side of the vehicle, both continuously monitoring the lateral area alongside and to the rear of the vehicle. With their unique design providing a 150-degree broad field of view, the sensors have a range of between 0.5 and 40 meters.
The radar is a multi-beam system operating in a narrow bandwidth around 24GHz. By using several beams to recognize objects in the blind spot, the system allows for unprecedented accuracy in determining the position and distance of the object as well as its relative speed. Blind spot detection sensor technology works in all weather conditions and is easy to accommodate on a vehicle, fitting neatly on the side of the vehicle, behind the rear plastic bumper.
The active headrest offers the best whiplash protection - Volvo
The Volvo Accident Research Commission has carried out in-depth studies of rear-impact collisions in Sweden over the past four years, monitoring the effects on front-seat passengers. Passengers in seats with and without active headrest WHIPS (Wisplash Protection System) were compared.
WHIPS reduces short-term injuries by 33 percent and long-term injuries (longer than one year) by 54 percent
The largest reduction is noted for women - 50 percent for short-term and 75 percent for long-term injuries.
These results point in the same direction as studies presented by the American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Whiplash injuries have been reported in all types of collision, but the greatest risk of injury stems from rear impacts.
The symptoms of whiplash injury are neck pains, stiffness, headache, dizziness, tingling in the arms and so on. Just how whiplash actually occurs has not yet been precisely established. What is likely is that damage to ligaments, muscles, discs, facet joints and the nerve system occurs during the neck's three movement sequences - the initial S-shaped movement (retraction) between the head and upper spine, followed by the rearward motion (extension) of the head, and the final forward movement of the head (flexion).
The fact that WHIPS tends to show a higher protection rating for women is an interesting reason for continued investigation. It is widely known that women represent the largest risk group for whiplash injuries. Just why this is so is not known with any degree of certainty.
Valeo's Lane Departure Warning System makes debut on Nissan Infiniti vehicles
The Valeo's Lane Departure Warning System employing Iteris' technology will make its market debut in North America on Nissan's Infiniti range. The innovative system is scheduled for introduction on the 2005 model FX and 2006 M45.
The Lane Departure Warning System developed for Nissan consists of a miniature video sensor that uses proprietary software algorithms to continuously monitor the lane markings in front of the car. During unintentional lane departures - detected when the driver fails to use the direction indicators - the driver is alerted and then may take corrective action.
The most common causes of unintentional lane departures are poor driver concentration and inattention. Recent statistics reported that inattention may be a factor in more than 30 percent of accidents in the United States. The system is expected to contribute to increased driver awareness of the importance of concentration and lane discipline when driving.
Additionally, by providing drivers with a warning of a lane departure, the system may also help to encourage the correct use of direction indicators. Non-use of the indicators is becoming a concern in some countries where as many as one in ten drivers do not use the indicator system before changing lanes.
The crash laboratory is the most striking part of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre. The two tracks - 154 metres and 108 metres (168 yards and 118 yards) in length respectively, 14.5 metres (48 ft) to the ceiling.
The ability to combine two tracks - one of which can be moved - makes the laboratory at the Volvo Cars Safety Centre unique in the automotive world. The movable track can be turned by up to 90 degrees, allowing car-to-car impacts from full frontal to right-angled from the side.
The track weighs over 600 tonnes and is moved with the help of air-cushion technology. A 0.1 mm layer of air is created between the concrete travel surfaces and the twenty rubber air cushions that the crash track rests on. Six specially built air-cushion trucks then move the track.
For barrier tests, only the fixed track is used. The 850-tonne block is moved into place with the help of the same air-cushion technology as is used for the movable test track. The fixed track is also used for the rolling test, which involves pulling the car in the opposite direction out onto a track where it performs several roll-overs. Correspondingly, the car can be driven into a mountainside or a ditch if it is driven in the 'wrong direction' on the movable track.
Studying the sequence of events on film is one important part of the evaluation of a crash test. Each test is filmed with a number of different high-speed cameras for film and video, which can take as many as 3000 frames per second. There are thirty high-speed cameras, which can be used at the same time in the new crash laboratory. They are placed above, alongside or beneath the impact site. With the help of 32 daylight photo lamps of 8,000 W each, it is possible to use daylight film.
According to U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates, drowsiness accounts for about four percent of all fatal crashes - more than 1,500 deaths each year.
A driver drowsiness study has been conducted by Volvo and Ford. Researchers looked at several different technologies to sense a driver falling asleep, a lane departure, and to alert them and get them back into their lane. A camera worn on a headset, and pointed at the driver's left eye, monitors its movement. A computer calculates the percentage of eye closed versus eye open - to sense if the driver is falling asleep.
When a lane departure is sensed, the sound of running over highway rumble strips could be broadcast to the driver, or a heads up display could flash red led lights on the windshield, or the steering wheel could be vibrated. The steering wheel could also be forcibly turned to keep the vehicle in the lane. "What we discovered," said Greenberg, staff technical specialist, Vehicle Design Research, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering , "is that not every technology that helps combat drowsy driving is tolerated or well-liked by drivers. False alerts are considered annoying and could nag the driver to the point he or she just turns the system off. And a system that is turned off is not serving any purpose whatsoever."
The new safety technology developed through this research will offered first on Volvo cars and SUVs late in the decade - and then possibly later on other Ford Motor Company brands.
Hervé Guillemot Appointed Director of Laboratory of Accidentology LAB
Dr. Hervé Guillemot has been appointed, effective today, Director of the Laboratory of Accidentology, Biomechanics and the Study of Human Behavior (LAB), a joint undertaking of PSA Peugeot Citroën and Renault. He replaces Dr. Jean Yves Le Coz, who will take on other responsibilities at Renault.
Dr. Guillemot, 42, joined PSA Peugeot Citroën in June 2003 and previously served as LAB's Assistant Director. Specialized in aerospace medicine, emergency medicine and medico-legal practices, he is a doctor in biomechanics, a subject on which he has authored a large number of scientific publications.
From 1998 to May 2003, he was an authorized physician at the European Center for Safety and Risk Analysis Studies (CEESAR). From 1994 to 1997, he was a research physician at the Institute for Orthopedic Research (IRO) in Garches, near Paris.
Also effective April 1, Yves Page has been appointed LAB Assistant Director. He will continue as head of primary accidentology at Renault, a position he has held since joining the company in 2000.
Created in 1969 by PSA Peugeot Citroën and Renault, the Laboratory of Accidentology and Biomechanics works in three major areas: understanding the cause of accidents so they can be avoided, protecting vehicle occupants, and understanding driver behavior. This means that both French carmakers' safety research programs are always focused on people. LAB has acquired a global reputation, thanks to its extensive accidentology and biomechanics database. Its studies have enabled carmakers to develop effective safety systems, such as safety belts equipped with pretensioners and load limiting retractors.
WORLDSID, the first international crash dummy is production ready
The WorldSID Task Group of the International Organization for Standardization has officially released the world's first internationally designed crash test dummy today for production. For the first time in the automotive history, a crash test dummy was designed, developed and tested collectively by technical working groups from the America's, European and the Asia/Pacific regions. The dummy, known as WorldSID (for World Side Impact Dummy), has been under development since 1997. Its 212 sensors capture data more than 1000 times per second and store the information in special memory boards inside the dummy.
"There are presently at least three different adult male sized side impact dummies in existence. One, developed by the NHTSA in the U.S., has served as the crash dummy to be used in the existing U.S. side impact crash regulation (FMVSS 214)," said Mr. Edmund Hautmann, Chairman of the European Region, an employee of BMW and Project Manager for the WorldSID Program within ACEA (the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers).. "Another was developed in Europe and is the only dummy one can use to crash test for European Regulations. The WorldSID was developed to allow a single test procedure to be used for side impact in any regulation around the world."
European participation came from BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Fiat, DaimlerChrysler, Ford of Europe, Volvo, LAB/CEESAR, TNO, TRL, Bast, INRETS and others.
The Bosch Electronic Stability Program ESP installed in series in the new Audi A6 will now provide a new safety function : when it rains, the ESP periodically briefly puts the brake pads to the discs, thus wiping off the film of water that has built up. "This causes the brakes to respond more quickly in this kind of weather, which, of course, shortens the total braking distance", is the explanation given by Günther Plapp, Executive Vice President Development, Bosch Chassis Systems. For the first time, the function "Brake Disc Wiping" can now be integrated into ESP systems.
Bosch introduced this function the first time on Mercedes E-Class on its Electro-Hydraulic Brake in 2001 (Mercedes SBC system).
The new GS will be on sale across Europe during the first half of 2005. Further safety enhancements include :
driver and front passenger knee airbags.
A sophisticated, radar controlled, Pre-Collision System (PCS) is applied on the car. The system pre-emptively retracts front seatbelt slack and adjusts the Emergency Brake Assist system for maximum braking force in the event of a collision.
and the Intelligent Adaptive Front Lighting System (I-AFS) which swivels the front headlamps when cornering.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class undergoes extreme winter testing in climatic wind tunnel
The latest generation of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which is due to make its market debut in Spring 2004, has now been put through its paces under extreme climatic conditions in the world's largest climatic wind tunnel at the "Research and Test Institute for Road and Rail Vehicles" in Vienna. Mercedes-Benz is the world's first passenger car manufacturer to conduct tests in the state-of-the-art climatic chamber. The chamber is normally used for testing entire high-speed trains, locomotives and buses in preparation for practical operation.
The week-long programme of C-Class testing, which was also attended by experts from Bosch, focused on the comparison of windscreen wipers which featured a range of different technologies and rubber compounds. Mercedes engineers simulated a prolonged motorway journey in heavy snow and temperatures as low as minus 15 degrees Celsius. The investigations examined whether the wiper blades iced up, how clearly the driver was able to see and how much noise was produced by the windscreen wipers.
The new climatic wind tunnel in Vienna provides an ideal setting for testing under extreme weather conditions. The facility is capable of adjusting the interior air temperature to as low as minus 50 or, if needs be, to as high as plus 60 degrees Celsius. The maximum possible wind speed is 300 km/h, while the maximum hourly precipitation is 80 litres per square metre. The effect of the sun is simulated using specially designed floodlights with a heat output of 1000 watts per square metre, a level which even the hottest places on earth are unable to match.
There is no good place to have a car crash - but some places are worse than others. In a foreign country, for instance, trying to explain via cellphone that you are upside down in a ditch. If you are conscious at all, that is.
Researchers funded by the European Commission, according to the website www.newscientist.com, are beginning tests in January of a system called E-merge that automatically senses when a car has crashed and sends a text message telling emergency services in the local language that the accident has taken place.
The system was developed by ERTICO, a transport research organisation based in Brussels, Belgium. Cars are fitted with a cellphone-sized device attached to the underside of the dashboard which is activated by the same sensor that triggers the airbag in a crash. The device includes a cellphone circuit, a GPS positioning unit, and a microphone and loudspeaker.
Source : www.newscientist.com
Volvo warning system with brake support and automatic brake activation
Rear-end impacts and collisions with vehicles at a standstill are common in today's traffic. Much of the time, such accidents are caused because the driver is distracted and fails to react in time.
Volvo Cars has now developed an advanced system consisting of auxiliary functions that help avoid the risk of such accidents or minimise the effects if a collision still occur.
The system is activated in various ways at different stages of the accident sequence:
If the car approaches an obstacle that is either at a standstill or moving and the driver does not react, a warning lamp comes on and is reflected in the windscreen. At the same time, a buzzer is activated. In certain situations, this is sufficient for the driver to respond and avoid the danger.
When the driver presses the brake pedal, the system checks the pedal pressure. If the pressure should be inadequate to stop the car in time, the system cuts in and amplifies the brake application pressure. If the speed is not too high, this brake support can help avoid a collision.
However, if the driver does not react at all, the automatic braking function is activated, boosting braking pressure to stop the car. It may not be possible to avoid a collision, but the system helps to reduce the speed before the collision and thereby lowers the risk of serious consequences.
From a purely technical viewpoint, the system can be programmed to apply the brakes earlier and more firmly so as to attempt to entirely avoid a collision. However, this may have negative consequences in a situation where the driver would be able to get out of trouble by himself. What is more, much unnecessary braking would be able to be avoided in normal rush-hour traffic.
The technology employed: A radar sensor in the car's front continuously monitors a section of the road in front of the car. If the distance to the vehicle in front is reduced drastically, the warning light and buzzers are activated. The warning light is seen in the windscreen as a row of brake light diodes.
With the brake support system, the existing EBA (Emergency Brake Assistance) system is activated, but earlier than normal.
The fully automatic braking function is activated without the driver having to press the brake pedal. For this function, the radar system has been supplemented with a forward-facing camera in front of the interior rear-view mirror. The camera covers a wider sector than the radar does, and helps define the type of obstacle encountered.
No decision has yet been taken on which Volvo model will first be equipped with this system.
Volvo's IC (Inflatable Curtain), introduced in 1998, helps protect the belted car occupant's head in a side impact or rollover scenario. It has been developed for and is fitted as standard in Volvo's sedan, estate car and XC models.
The IC is fitted in the inner roof edge and is activated out downward between the side window and the occupant's head. This location has thus far made it impossible to fit the IC system in a convertible since there is no fixed roof for its installation.
Now, however, Volvo Cars has solved the problem by turning the inflatable curtain upside down and fitting it inside the door panel. In a side impact, the curtain will inflate and push itself upward. As in the roof-mounted version, this takes place within a split second in a smooth rolling or unfurling motion, so that the curtain can press itself between the side window and the head as effectively as possible.
The door-mounted inflatable curtain has an extra-stiff design that helps keep it upright. This rigidity has been achieved with dual vertical rows of cells that are somewhat offset in relation to each other.
The inflatable curtain is designed to offer protection even if the side window is open or broken. In order to offer protection even in the event of a rollover accident, the curtain deflates slowly.
The door-mounted inflatable curtain will be introduced in the next generation of convertibles.
Despite rear-view mirrors, there is always the risk of blind spots when driving a car. These can cause incidents when driving, particularly when changing lanes.
In order to contribute to increased safety in such situations, Volvo Cars provided a wide-angle mirror on the driver's side back in 1979 - the first car manufacturer to do so. The next step has now been launched, with a camera-based monitoring system that keeps watch for vehicles on the area alongside and offset to the rear behind the moving car.
When another vehicle enters the monitored zone, a warning lamp lights up near the door mirror. The driver gets a clear indication that another vehicle is just alongside his or her own, and can thus stay out of its way. The system alerts the driver both to vehicles approaching from behind and vehicles in front as they are overtaken. This information gives the driver better scope for making the right decision in such situations. Both sides are monitored in the same way.
The technology employed: A digital camera is fitted on each door mirror and takes a large number of frames a second. By comparing the picture frames, the system can register when a vehicle is moving into the monitored zone, which is 9.5 metres long and 3 metres wide. The system is programmed to monitor cars as well as motorbikes, in both daylight and in the dark. It is also dimensioned not to react to parked cars, roadside fences, crash barriers, lampposts and so on.
The system is active at all speeds above 10 km/h. It is designed to alert the driver to vehicles that are moving a maximum of 20 km/h slower and a maximum of 70 km/h faster than the driver's own vehicle.
The BLIS system is expected to be seen in production in mid-2004
A study by Darmstadt Technical University had evaluated the Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) advantage. By measuring drivers´ eye movements while driving, scientists proved for the first time that curve visibility on night journeys with steering-linked Xenon headlamps nearly reaches the level under normal daylight conditions. More than 50 people were tested with an eye tracking system based on a highly sensitive infrared video camera. Participants ranged from the 18-year old holding a fresh driver´s license to professional drivers and experienced seniors up to 68 years of age.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. have announced development of a pop-up hood system for pedestrian safety, which raises the engine hood in the event of a collision with a pedestrian to reduce the possibility of a serious impact to the pedestrian's head region by providing added engine compartment clearance.
Marketed as a world first on the BMW X5, and after on the Volkswagen Touareg, the Automatic trailer yaw control TSC (Trailer Stability Program) is now available on the Opel Astra, the first time on the mid-segment cars. The TSC finally puts an end to trailer yaw, significantly increasing safety. When a dangerous yawing movement begins, the system reacts within milliseconds and immediately stabilizes car and trailer.
PSA Peugeot Citroën today presented the emergency call system it has been marketing for 18 months on vehicles produced by its two marques, Peugeot and Citroën.
A new Bosch sensor system allows the deployment of the passenger airbag in an accident to be matched to the passenger in a more precisely targeted way. The "iBolt" system measures the forces operating on the four anchor points of the seat frame. From that measurement, the weight on the passenger seat and how the weight is distributed are calculated electronically. This data is then used by the vehicle occupant protection electronics to determine the best way of deploying the passenger airbag.
The windshield is frequently only slightly wetted in light rain or with spray water. This makes it difficult for many wiper blades to clean it without rubbing and streaking. For an optimal cleaning of the field of vision under such conditions, the Bosch Twin wiper system has now been supplied with an innovative coating for smooth gliding.
The Volvo Accident Research Commission has carried out in-depth studies of rear-impact collisions in Sweden over the past four years, monitoring the effects on front-seat passengers. Passengers in seats with and without active headrest WHIPS (Wisplash Protection System) were compared.
The WorldSID Task Group of the International Organization for Standardization has officially released the world's first internationally designed crash test dummy today for production. For the first time in the automotive history, a crash test dummy was designed, developed and tested collectively by technical working groups from the America's, European and the Asia/Pacific regions. The dummy, known as WorldSID (for World Side Impact Dummy), has been under development since 1997. Its 212 sensors capture data more than 1000 times per second and store the information in special memory boards inside the dummy.
The latest generation of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which is due to make its market debut in Spring 2004, has now been put through its paces under extreme climatic conditions in the world's largest climatic wind tunnel at the "Research and Test Institute for Road and Rail Vehicles" in Vienna. Mercedes-Benz is the world's first passenger car manufacturer to conduct tests in the state-of-the-art climatic chamber. The chamber is normally used for testing entire high-speed trains, locomotives and buses in preparation for practical operation.
Volvo's IC (Inflatable Curtain), introduced in 1998, helps protect the belted car occupant's head in a side impact or rollover scenario. It has been developed for and is fitted as standard in Volvo's sedan, estate car and XC models.
Despite rear-view mirrors, there is always the risk of blind spots when driving a car. These can cause incidents when driving, particularly when changing lanes.