ESV + ESF = Potential Future of Automotive Safety

Mercedes-Benz shows off its forward-looking ADAS technology.

Last week, the 21st International Technical Conference on Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) was held in Stuttgart. Hosted by Mercedes-Benz, the event included a number of presentations and discussions focusing on automotive safety-related issues, ranging from vehicle stability control to pedestrian protection to the integration of safety systems.

In addition to the discussions and slide shows, ESV 2009 witnessed several new and innovative safety applications as well as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications announcement from Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The Experimental Safety Vehicle (abbreviated ESF in German) from Mercedes-Benz combined several current Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) options with new safety applications that illustrate that Mercedes-Benz still has plenty of ideas—to help advance automotive safety in the future.

BMW also displayed a number of existing and new safety and communications systems, with an emphasis on V2V connections. Both OEMs have been ranked in the top in iSuppli’s ADAS Brand Ranking by safety feature availability since 2006, a tool that ranks automobile brands based on availability of factory-fit driver assistance systems. The innovation embodied in these concept cars in Stuttgart should help keep both OEMs at the forefront of an increasingly competitive ADAS market.

Mercedes-Benz’s Vision for Safety
Mercedes-Benz presented four ESF vehicles at previous editions of the ESV Conference in the 1970s when several safety features, such as anti-lock brakes and airbags, began to garner popularity among OEMs. It is no coincidence then, that as the ADAS market has experienced significant growth in the recent past, Mercedes-Benz returns to display its most advanced safety technologies. One can trace the applications beginning with normal driving and continuing through the progression of an accident, from detection, to avoidance, to mitigation and protection.

Mercedes-Benz begins with a partial Light Emitting Diode (LED) front lighting system capable of adjusting its area of illumination to exclude oncoming or preceding vehicles to keep visibility high for the driver while not blinding other vehicles. The 100-LED headlamp is highly adjustable, and if an object or pedestrian is detected by the on-board infrared camera, select LEDs can be activated to highlight the obstacle as if by spotlight.

Together with Continental and 3M, Mercedes-Benz also adds reflective strips on the tires and door seals to outline the silhouette of the vehicle, further improving overall visibility during critical night driving.

With the driver’s vision at night supported, Mercedes-Benz next focuses on collision detection, preparation and mitigation. PRE-SAFE 360 uses short-range and multi-mode sensors to monitor the front, sides and rear of the vehicle, extending backwards up to 60 meters. If a rear collision is deemed imminent, full braking power is applied instantly. This can lessen the severity of whiplash as well as reduce secondary collisions when the impacted vehicle could roll into an intersection or crosswalk.

Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications
Mercedes-Benz exhibited several spontaneous V2V connections across a WLAN, creating ad hoc networks that require no external infrastructure and are self-organizing. Using the 5.9GHz frequency, V2V transmission and reception is capable over a distance up to 500 meters, which can be extended by the chain relay of messages through vehicles on both sides of the road or through stationary nodes along the roadway.

The internal hardware is capable of deciphering, sorting and prioritizing incoming alerts. Timely delivery of information to the driver is important in assisting the driver to make informed decisions; knowing what information is necessary and at what time is essential to keeping the driver aware of the surroundings while not overwhelming and distracting the driver.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW are currently participating in the Safe Intelligent Mobility – Test Area Germany project (SIM-TD), together with many other OEM and suppliers. To compliment this field test, BMW offered useful applications that could greatly improve safety and awareness on the road by effectively multiplying the network of sensors feeding information to any one of the connected vehicles, allowing the driver or system to make more informed decisions when critical events arise.

BMW exhibited an Emergency Vehicle Warning system using V2V that allows an emergency vehicle to emit a warning that can then be passed along the roadway to alert other vehicles ahead. Similarly, an obstacle warning system can flag immobilized vehicles, accidents, or traffic jams on the coming roadway. To exemplify the integration possible with the vehicle itself, the warning can be automatically initiated by activating the hazard lights, emergency braking, or through the use of sirens in the case of an emergency vehicle.

A bad weather warning can be passed along the V2V communications channel to alert other drivers to slippery roads or adverse weather conditions. A number of safety sensor systems present in vehicles today can help trigger this alert, including electronic stability control, fog lamps, rain sensors or on-board video cameras.

Conclusion
The 2009 ESV Conference has demonstrated the success of safety systems within the automotive industry. Automakers such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW have helped to push ADAS towards new horizons, and with the technologies displayed at ESV, will continue to do so.

However, these OEMs are not alone in their use or research of ADAS. Along with BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Opel, Ford and Audi, for example, are involved in the SIM-TD field test as well as Bosch and Continental. Particularly for V2V technologies where greater participation reaps greater rewards, this cooperation is invaluable.

It is interesting to note the evolution of these safety systems and how their utility and value is enhanced when integrated with other systems. When adaptive cruise control is combined with V2V communications, for example, a vehicle merging onto a highway can be sent the average speed for its lane, let the autonomous cruise control maintain that velocity, and watch as traffic flow improves for everyone involved.

As OEMs and suppliers work together to refine V2V communications and to introduce new safety technologies, the whole automotive industry will see the benefits. These technologies will begin to migrate onto our roads and into our cars, and what began as a conceptual fantasy will soon contribute to making our roads safer for everyone.