Following on from last week’s article that focused on some of the most popular safety and convenience based Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), this article will focus purely on the niche safety systems that are being installed in the latest cars. These systems are at the cutting edge of current technology and are bringing the automotive industry closer and closer to fully functional autonomous cars.
Adaptive light control
This ADAS operates within the headlights be ensuring they cast their beam in the direction of the curve and ensure better visibility and more safety during night drives on winding roads. Sensors measure speed, steering angle and yaw (degree of rotation around the vertical axis). Based on this information, small electric motors turn the headlights left or right so the beam falls on the road ahead, guiding you into the bend.
Collision avoidance systems
This ADAS is the name given to many alternative versions of on board computers that determine whether the vehicle is in danger of colliding with another object. They do this by sensing the proximity of other vehicles pedestrians, animals and any other road obstruction. Different systems react differently to the warning of an imminent collision; some simply alert the driver whilst others automatically activate the breaks, whilst others prepare for impact by pre-emptively tightening the seatbelts. Most collision avoidance systems incorporate several of these methods ensuring ultimate safety for the driver if the worst case scenario arises.
Intelligent speed adaption
Similar to the adaptive cruise control system ADAS that we outlined in our previous post, but in this case intelligent speed adaption systems take it one step further. Rather than just dictating speed based on the cars around the drivers vehicle, these systems decide the speed of the car based off the current speed limit, as well as the speed of the vehicles near to the car. This extra layer of information means that these systems work off the motor way, but they are only able to function certain areas.
Tire pressure monitoring
This is one of the more basic forms of ADAS, they provide the driver with accurate information about the inflation level of each tire directly to the driver, removing the inconvenient hassle of stopping the car, getting out and physically checking each tire with a gauge.
Blind spot detection
This ADAS fixes one of the eternal safety problems of driving: blind spots. The vehicle is fixed with various sensors covering all of the blind spots and feed vital information to the driver about areas of their vehicle that they are typically unable to monitor. Some systems alert the driver by triggering an alarm, whilst others work by showing the driver a camera feed of the blind spot.