Like most equipment, the collision mitigation systems available today are the stepping stone to the more evolved systems tomorrow. We asked members of four makers of collision mitigation systems what’s on the horizon.
Fred Andersky, director of government and industry affairs, and director of customer solutions, controls for Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems:
“Expect to see continuing integration of systems, sensors and interventions such as what we see on our current Fusion system and upcoming Fusion 2.0 system. As we see more information coming into the system from more sensors on the vehicle and outside sources [such as GPS and V2X], the systems will continue to improve to help drivers mitigate more situations with more types of interventions—longitudinal control [braking/acceleration] today and lateral control [steering] shortly.”
Kelly Gedert, manager of powertrain and components marketing for Daimler Trucks North America:
“Detroit Assurance 4.0 [available on the New Cascadia] has moving pedestrian warning and partial braking. We’re also able to fully brake on moving objects as well as stationary objects. We are exploring other features like active lane assist, blind spot detection and traffic sign recognition to name a few.”
Wade Long, director of product marketing for Volvo Trucks North America:
“Volvo Trucks is developing ‘all-around view’ that can eliminate the risk of accidents caused by a limited field of vision. It enables a vehicle to do a 360-degree scan of its surroundings. The vehicle evaluates information from multiple sources simultaneously, functioning much like the human mind does, and suggests actions to avoid any incidents. The technology is currently in the test phase and may become reality within the next five to 10 years.”
Jon Morrison, president of WABCO Americas:
“WABCO’s joint development program with ZF on Evasive Maneuver Assist (EMA) connected active braking with active steering. Should the driver determine that the system cannot avoid a rear-end collision by driver-initiated or autonomous braking alone, Evasive Maneuver Assist engages to help the driver steer safely around an obstructing vehicle and to bring truck and trailer to a complete and safe stop. WABCO also recently unveiled OnCity Urban Turning Assist system, which helps protect pedestrians and cyclists in city traffic by visually and acoustically alerting the driver regarding a potential collision with unprotected road users both right before and during a turning maneuver. It can autonomously apply the brake to prevent collisions should the driver fail to take corrective action.
