- BLIS - camera-based monitoring system to eliminate the 'blind spot'
- Inflatable Curtain (IC) for convertibles
- Adaptive cruise control with distance monitoring facility
- Warning and brake support if a risk of collision exists
Volvo Car Corporation today presents four new safety systems - two of them
world firsts - at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit,
Michigan, USA. These new advanced safety technologies will further boost Volvo
Cars' leading position in the world of safety and will contribute to enhanced
safety - preventive and protective - in Volvo cars.
BLIS - a digital camera technology monitors the driver's blind spot - is a
breakthrough in automotive safety. Another world-first breakthrough is the
clever variation of the inflatable curtain developed for Volvo's forthcoming
convertible model. In addition to these world-first safety innovations, Volvo
Cars has developed a couple of new safety systems to reduce rear-end impacts in
traffic queues and on motorway on-ramps.
BLIS - Blind Spot Information System
BLIS - a digital camera
technology which monitors the driver's blind spot - is a breakthrough in
automotive safety.
As long ago as 1979, Volvo Cars was the first automotive manufacturer to
provided a wide-angle exterior side mirror to minimise a driver's blind spot to
reduce the risk of incident that exists, particularly when changing lanes.
Through the years, Volvo Cars has worked to further minimise the blind spot by
incorporating large window areas and through the use of effective side mirrors.
The next step forward is BLIS. The camera-based monitoring system keeps watch
for other vehicles travelling in the 'blind spot'. The technology was first
shown in Volvo Safety Concept Car (SCC) in 2001.
How it works. When another vehicle enters the monitored zone, a warning light
illuminates near the exterior side mirror. Both sides of the vehicle are
monitored in the same way. This visual warning gives the driver a clear
indication that another vehicle is alongside. The system alerts the driver both
to vehicles approaching from behind and vehicles in front being overtaken. BLIS
gives the driver better scope for making the right decision in such situations.
A digital camera is fitted on each exterior mirror. How the system identifies
another vehicle is quite interesting. The camera takes a large number of frames
each second and the system compares each picture to register when a vehicle
moves into the monitored zone. The system is programmed to monitor cars as well
as motorbikes, in both daylight and in the dark.
The monitored zone is 9.5 metres long and 3.0 metres wide. The system is also
dimensioned not to react to parked cars, roadside fences, crash barriers,
lampposts and other road-side furniture. The system is active at speeds above
10km/h and is designed to alert the driver to vehicles that are moving a maximum
of 20km/h slower and a maximum of 70km/h faster than the driver's own vehicle.
Inflatable Curtain for convertible
Volvo's Inflatable Curtain (IC),
introduced in 1998, helps protect the belted occupant's head during a side
impact or rollover scenario. IC has been developed for and is fitted as standard
in Volvo's sedan, wagon and XC models.
In a fixed roof vehicle, the IC is fitted in the inner roof edge and is
activated 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.
Volvo Cars has now 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, unfurling motion, so that the
inflatable curtain can elevate itself between the side window and the occupant's
head as effectively as possible.
The door-mounted inflatable curtain has a unique, 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. The curtain deflates slowly to offer protection even
in the event of a rollover accident.
Adaptive Cruise Control
The present generation of cruise control
can contribute to relaxed and unstressed motorway driving under favourable
conditions. However, the rhythm of traffic does not always permit use of a
cruise control system in day-to-day driving.
To contribute to enhanced comfort and driver control even when the flow of
traffic is variable, Volvo Cars has developed Adaptive Cruise Control. It
continuously monitors the distance to the vehicles in front and automatically
adjusts speed to maintain a proper, safe distance.
The driver activates the Adaptive Cruise Control by setting the required
maximum speed and selecting the minimum time interval to the vehicle in front.
This time interval can be varied from one to three seconds. An interval of two
seconds, for instance, means a safety distance of about 56 metres at a speed of
100km/h. The distance varies with speed and is about 39 metres at 70km/h. The
system 'sees' an overtaking vehicle that enters the line of traffic, thus
breaking the queue. In a car with automatic transmission, the Adaptive Cruise
Control can keep pace with changing traffic conditions all the way until it
brings the car to a complete standstill.
A radar sensor in the car's front continuously monitors the distance to the
vehicle in front.
The system maintains a constant time interval to the vehicle in front by
continuously adjusting engine power and activating the brakes as necessary. The
system is primarily intended to permit relaxed driving. The braking function
only provides limited braking effect so as to avoid the risk of unnecessarily
jerky progress.
Warning system with brake support and automatic brake
activation
Rear-end impacts and collisions with vehicles at a standstill
are common in today's congested traffic. Much of the time, such accidents are
caused because the driver is distracted and fails to react in time.
Volvo Cars has developed an advanced system consisting of auxiliary functions
that help avoid the risk of such accidents, or minimise the effects if a
collision still occurs. The system is activated in various ways at different
stages of the accident sequence.
When the car approaches an obstacle that is at a standstill or moving at a
differentiation in speed and the driver does not react, the system alerts the
driver with a visual warning and an audible buzzer. The warning light is seen in
the windscreen as a row of brake light diodes. 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 is 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 by reducing the speed differentiation
before the impact 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 avoid entirely a collision.
However, this may have negative consequences in a situation where the driver
would be able to react and avoid a possible impact.
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 reduces
drastically, the warning light and buzzer are activated.
With the brake support system, the existing EBA (Emergency Brake Assistance)
system is activated. In this case, EBA is activated 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.
"We see these advanced systems as vital in our ongoing strategy of remaining
world leaders in the field of safety," says Lex Kerssemakers, Vice President,
Global Marketing and head of product planning at Volvo Cars. "What we are
showing now will be introduced gradually in our cars. We expect to see BLIS in
production in 2004
[in model year 2005 vehicles]
. The door-mounted inflatable
curtain will be introduced in the next-generation convertible. Regarding the
other safety systems, no decision has yet been taken on which Volvo model will
first be equipped with them."
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