Peter Andreas

From adaptive cruise control to active safety systems

Once the adaptive cruise control systems are already in the market in Japan and Europe, the evolution of these comfort systems is logically going towards implementing new additional functions and safety strategies in order to detect and actuate in case of emergency. This transition has to be done in clear and precise steps to assure an easy adaptation to each improvement. Driver assistance systems will play a major role in the future to minimise the risk and consequences of accidents and to increase the driving comfort level. The impact of such systems on traffic and society is briefly commented. This paper discusses the need of new driver assistance systems and a possible roadmap for them. After a short introduction of present Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), and based on them, next possible functions are described. Afterwards the possible technical implementation of this new advanced functions is presented, discussing the different dangerous or ambiguous scenarios against the vehicle could be faced. The necessary inputs to recognise the situations unequivocally are identified in order to implement a satisfactory actuation of the vehicle. According to this requirements, the characteristics demanded to the system are extracted and a possible architecture is proposed. First tests carried out with a research prototype prepared by SEAT and the VW-Group Electronic Research Department are also reported. Finally, in the summary section, the main conclusions are highlighted.Once the adaptive cruise control systems are already in the market in Japan and Europe, the evolution of these comfort systems is logically going towards implementing new additional functions and safety strategies in order to detect and actuate in case of emergency. This transition has to be done in clear and precise steps to assure an easy adaptation to each improvement. Driver assistance systems will play a major role in the future to minimise the risk and consequences of accidents and to increase the driving comfort level. The impact of such systems on traffic and society is briefly commented. This paper discusses the need of new driver assistance systems and a possible roadmap for them. After a short introduction of present Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), and based on them, next possible functions are described. Afterwards the possible technical implementation of this new advanced functions is presented, discussing the different dangerous or ambiguous scenarios against the vehicle could be faced. The necessary inputs to recognise the situations unequivocally are identified in order to implement a satisfactory actuation of the vehicle. According to this requirements, the characteristics demanded to the system are extracted and a possible architecture is proposed. First tests carried out with a research prototype prepared by SEAT and the VW-Group Electronic Research Department are also reported. Finally, in the summary section, the main conclusions are highlighted.

The Driver Information System of the Volkswagen Research Car Auto 2000

From 1978 to 1981, the Research Department of Volkswagen constructed and tested the Research Car Auto 2000 sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology. This car is equipped with a fully electronic driver information system (DIS). The system consists of some microcomputers, a liquid crystal display, centralized controls and data input for various functions, and a synthesized voice output system. It controls and receives data from a radio set and a route guidance system (ALI), and exchanges data with the electronic engine control (EEC).

A New Speech Input System for Use in Cars

A speech recognition system suitable for use in cars has been developed by the Volkswagen Research Department, Wolfsburg, Germany. The aim was to show that such a device can satisfy the following conditions: remain functional over the entire vehicle operating range with bad signal-to-noise ratios; and reduce costs in comparison with conventional systems.

Ein neues Spracheingabesystem, angewendet im KFZ

Von der Forschung des VW-Werkes wurde ein fur den Einsatz im Kfz geeignetes Spracherkennungssystem entwickelt.