Safety needs to be communicated –drivers will only actively demand these systems if they know about them

Right now, at a time of great economic difficulty, there is increasing demand for small and compact cars. But not all of these vehicles are fitted as standard with safety technologies such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC). It is an undisputed fact that driver assistance systems have great safety potential and save lives but it is also absolutely clear that few consumers know about these technologies. This is why Continental is shifting its focus onto consumers with the aim of expanding the use of safety technologies.

ESC is the starting point for vehicle safety

ESC can be used as the basis for various vehicle dynamics control functions, thus providing for greater vehicle safety. The basic function of ESC is to prevent the vehicle skidding, when carrying out an avoidance maneuver for example, and its installation will be mandatory in Europe for all new vehicle models from November 2011. That will result in more "Safety for Everyone"; but it also extends the options for interlinking with other systems.

In 2011, Continental intends to market a new electronic brake system generation, the MK100, based on a modular product family. The MK100's range of functions can be scaled to suit whatever functionality and level of performance the vehicle manufacturer requires, from motorcycle ABS systems with or without an integral braking function to demanding high-end ESC designs and safety and assistance functions. Examples include Active Rollover Protection (ARP), Trailer Stability Assist (TSA), Hill Start Assist (HSA) and intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). The design concept will produce added functional value even for price-driven, entry-level versions.

Smaller dimensions, better performance and lower cost are the major advantages of the sensor cluster, as explained by Dr. Ralf Cramer, a member of Continental AG's Executive Board and president of the Chassis & Safety Division. Continental is the first manufacturer in the world to combine the yaw rate and acceleration force sensors, which are essential for the Electronic Stability Control (ESC), into a single central component. This development is also in line with Continental's philosophy of making safety systems, such as ESC, accessible to all drivers. Smaller dimensions, greater ruggedness so as to withstand vibration and temperature, and lower cost are all helping Continental to achieve this objective. The sensor cluster's compact configuration reduces the space required in the vehicle; as a result, it is easier to install and, together with its cost advantage, makes it possible for ESC to be fitted into models in every vehicle category. At the same time, full integration using silicon technology provides the option of making sophisticated assistance systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control or Active Front Steering perform even more effectively through the use of high-precision sensors and of extending the ContiGuard^® safety system still further. ContiGuard^® integrates active and passive safety systems, making them more comprehensive and effective through the coordinated interaction of surrounding sensors. Together, the three function clusters - driver assistance systems, chassis management and integrated occupant protection - provide the best possible protection in all driving and traffic situations. This modular, scalable approach adopted by ContiGuard^®, depending on the relevant vehicle category and customer requirement, makes safety available worldwide.

Advanced driver assistance systems have come of age

Infrared techniques, radar systems and video cameras have long outgrown their infancy; a wide variety of environmental data acquisition sensors are now available, often as third generation systems. They allow tailor-made solutions for all vehicle categories, for whatever purpose they are used, and are significantly cheaper than complete system packages. The example quoted by Amrei Drechsler, Vice President of the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems segment, was the proximity sensor for Emergency Brake Assist-City ("EBA-City"), a system developed by Continental and installed in the Volvo XC60, which can prevent rear-end collisions at speeds up to 30 km/h. Mounted level with the inside mirror in the area cleaned by the windshield wiper, this sensor uses infrared beams to monitor traffic conditions up to some eight meters in front of the vehicle. The sensor picks up vehicles which are stationary or traveling in the same direction. If the gap is less than the distance which must be regarded as critical at the current speed, the system causes the brakes to be applied automatically. The proximity sensors used are less expensive than the currently available radar sensors, which are designed to provide driver assistance in the whole speed range up to more than 200 km/h and must therefore be able to "see" for 200 meters. At lower speeds, in the case of smaller vehicles, trucks and vans for example, most driver assistance systems only need to operate at a shorter range. "Mid-range" radar sensors, offering a less expensive alternative, have been developed for this purpose. This radar system, recently developed by Continental using 24-Gigahertz technology, makes it possible to produce a variety of driver assistance systems. The new mid-range radar generation can operate to the front, the rear and to the side, thus allowing the integration of a variety of driver assistance functions. By monitoring the adjacent traffic lanes, it removes the element of danger inherent in lane changing. When facing rearwards, the radar sensor will detect a possible rear-end collision early on. By detecting objects to the side of the vehicle, it can assist the driver when making turns. The radar system monitors the traffic ahead up to a distance of 150 meters. This makes it the ideal choice for use with ACC, not just in urban traffic or on country roads but also on freeways up to the maximum speed limit of 130 km/h which applies in most countries. This new sensor generation will go into series production in 2011.

Advanced driver assistance systems prevent accidents –yet they are not specifically asked for

The greater use of safety and driver assistance systems is essential if the number of road accidents and the number of people killed or injured in road accidents is to be significantly reduced in the next few years. An initial legislative step is the requirement for Electronic Stability Control (ESC) to be installed in all new passenger car models from the end of 2011; then, from November 2014, all newly registered vehicles must be fitted with this safety technology. ESC is the basic prerequisite for driver assistance systems such as ACC. Furthermore, the EU intends, from November 1, 2013, to require all new commercial vehicles of over 3.5 tonnes to be fitted with lane departure warning and automatic emergency braking systems. Continental's radar sensors are also designed to suit this application and can thus contribute towards an accident-free future. An important second step in the issue of driver assistance systems is to appeal directly to vehicle manufacturers and dealerships to redouble their efforts to explain these safety systems and to provide them for smaller vehicles.

Continental's new passive safety initiative is intended to further improve vehicle occupant safety: airbags will learn to see and hear

A very high standard has now been achieved in the field of passive safety. In addition to the crashworthiness of the vehicle design, this success can mainly be attributed to the increased numbers of airbags being fitted. However, high-performance airbag systems also need to be available in cost-sensitive markets. Continental has been using SPEED (Safety Platform for Efficient & Economical Design) to develop a scalable, cost-optimized airbag control unit in order to satisfy different customer and market requirements. All three design versions of the modular airbag control unit meet the highest safety standards and, because they are scalable, can be flexibly adapted to the requirements of different vehicle manufacturers and different markets.

From data analysis of the ESC, already installed in many vehicles, and by incorporating the radar or camera sensors from driver assistance systems into the passive safety equipment controls, it is now possible to detect an imminent accident fractions of a second earlier. This means that airbags, seat belt tensioners and head restraints can be activated more quickly so that drivers and front-seat passengers are even better protected. Dr. Andreas Brand, Executive Vice President of the Passive Safety & ADAS business unit explained that integrating the crash sensors to the technology employed in advanced driver assistance systems opens up completely new opportunities for passive safety systems to recognize and categorize critical driving situations before a crash occurs.

Airbags for the driver and front-seat passenger, side and head airbags, impact protection for the driver's knees and a curtain airbag for the rear passengers' heads: up to 30 different airbags are now available for installing in today's vehicles to prevent vehicle occupants sustaining severe injuries in the event of an accident. These are in addition to safety belts with tensioners which hold passengers in the optimum position for surviving an impact. Over the last 20 years, these passive safety systems have spread from the luxury class into almost every class of vehicle. Further injuries can be avoided, or their consequences made less severe, if the vehicle's sliding roof and windows can be automatically shut immediately before the accident, so that objects are prevented from entering the vehicle, and by bringing the seats and head restraints into the best possible position to prevent serious whiplash injuries.

However, the timeframe for activating these safety systems is extremely short. One of the challenges for the sensors is to categorize the accident early on so as to provide maximum occupant protection. Up until now, the airbag control system's acceleration sensors only felt the accident on first contact with the other vehicle involved; the system is now learning to see and hear and so can react much earlier.

Using radar, video, infrared and ESC data to predict the accident

Vehicles equipped with driver assistance systems including sensors for monitoring their immediate surroundings enjoy many ways of recognizing dangerous situations and avoiding accidents. If, despite driver assistance, a crash occurs, the sensors provide the passive safety system with valuable data about the accident and help to reduce the severity of the consequences. Interlinking the passive safety elements with the driver assistance systems, the brakes and the electronic stability control system also optimizes occupant protection during emergency braking. It reduces impact energy while, at the same time, the reversible actuators carry out their functions. The collision velocity measurement and the impact location and angle calculation allow the airbags to be triggered and the seat belt tensioners to be activated at the appropriate intensity and ensure that the occupants' seats are in the optimum position before the moment of impact.

The foot becomes the safety interface: Continental produces the first accelerator pedal to communicate with the driver

Continental's intelligent accelerator pedal represents a globally unique safety technology: the Accelerator Force Feedback Pedal (AFFP^®) warns of imminent hazard situations by vibrating or exerting counterforce in the accelerator pedal. This should make the driver take his foot off the pedal and get ready to brake. The most important question in every interaction between driver and vehicle is how to warn the driver in hazard situations so as to be certain that he is fully aware of the information. Dr. Peter Laier, Executive Vice President of the Chassis Components business unit explained that the AFFP^® relies on communicating directly with the driver through haptical stimulation; the signal is felt directly by the driver's foot, making him aware of the situation in the quickest and most reliable way so that he can react. This applies both to the intelligent guidance given to the driver to use the accelerator pedal as efficiently as possible, and most particularly in hazardous situations when the AFFP^® requests the driver to brake or at least to pay greater attention. The central feature of the AFFP^® is a torque motor which is capable of exerting a force, continuously adjustable to suit any requirements, and experienced as a sensory signal by the driver, in the opposite direction from the usual pedal movement. An Electronic Control Unit (ECU) is integrated in the pedal assembly together with the motor. This AFFP^® ECU receives data from the powertrain and chassis sensors, which acts as the basis for triggering the sensory signals felt at the pedal; this applies to both automatic and manual transmissions. For safety reasons, the actuator can never under any circumstances depress the accelerator because its rotary movement is restricted to the direction in which pressure on the accelerator pedal is "eased off". The driver can override the system at any time. In addition, the sensory response method employed is entirely a matter for the individual vehicle manufacturer.

This technology is an addition to Continental's ContiGuard^® safety system and represents a further contribution to reducing the number of road traffic injuries, particularly as a result of rear-end collisions. The intelligent accelerator pedal can also help the driver to drive at a more even speed and therefore more economically with the aim of reducing the figures for both fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions, in some cases almost up to 10 percent.

A second generation central control unit coordinates the smooth and optimum interaction of all the chassis components

"The second generation of our Chassis and Safety Controller ensures that corrective interventions, during an avoiding maneuver for example, are handled more effectively and above all more smoothly and safely", said Dr. Peter Laier. The control unit will have triaxial inertial sensors and a microcontroller architecture with a redundant computer core. This gives it access via rapid data interfaces to the widest possible range of sensors, allowing it to coordinate the interventions of the individual chassis control systems. Depending on their equipment fit, today's cars may have half a dozen or more separate assistance and comfort system control units installed, all of which need to be interlinked via the CAN bus. They adjust the dampers and suspension to the relevant traffic situation or road conditions, control the Electric Power Steering (EPS) and react to the signals issued by the radar or camera sensors when drivers pull out or inadvertently drift out of their lane. The Chassis and Safety Controller reduces the complexity of the vehicle electronics and, with supreme efficiency, determines how those systems incorporated within ContiGuard^® interact with each other. Integrated sensors in the Controller are used simultaneously by different control systems.  "The capability of the network managed by the Controller is greater than the sum of its individual components", stressed Dr. Laier. Data about the road ahead from the onboard cameras or from the navigation system can be used as an anticipatory measure to optimize chassis tuning or to activate rear axle steering and, by gently intervening in the engine management, to ensure that a tight bend does not become an accident risk. The coordinating role played by the Chassis and Safety Controller reinforces the effectiveness of the individual assistance and safety systems within ContiGuard^® and ensures that they do not conflict with each other. Coordinated corrections carried out by the EPS, engine management interventions and the selective braking of individual wheels by ESC, are all felt by the driver as considerably more gentle intrusions, resulting in significantly smoother driving overall.

The next stage is for the Chassis and Safety Controller to incorporate other already existing control units, such as those for vertical dynamics. This will avoid the need for the vehicle to be fitted with an additional control unit, with the result that the Chassis and Safety Controller can be scaled to virtually any degree. Dr. Laier described two development levels: the mid-end and high-end versions. Functions such as damper control or Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and even technologies such as air suspension, night vision and camera systems which are currently still restricted to the high-end of the range or linking the vehicle to the environment via GPS, WiFi or UMTS can all be handled by the Controller.

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