Automotive Industry Trends

Intelligent Vehicles Becoming a Reality

Issue Table of Contents

New Measure to Speed ITS Deployment Intelligent Transportation Systems A Combination of Technologies and Talents Innovative Transportation Solutions Intelligent Vehicles Becoming a Reality The Ultimate in Crash Safety is Avoiding Crashes

Futuristic vehicle technologies may be closer to a reality than you think. As more electronics are incorporated into automobiles, a new automotive market is developing, the Intelligent Vehicles (IV) market. The IV market offers a new breed of automotive engineering and a whole new world of electronics, computers and software applications. IV systems could help decrease traffic congestion, foster a cleaner environment, improve safety, and increase driver comfort and convenience.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than three-quarters of all accidents are due to driver error. NHTSA's Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI) outlines a plan that would use emerging electronic technologies to help drivers avoid hazardous mistakes. The plan calls for:

• 10% of new light vehicles sold by 2010 to be equipped with one or more IVI systems
• 25% of new commercial vehicles sold by 2010 to be equipped with one or more IVI systems
• 25% of metropolitan areas to have deployed infrastructure portions of cooperative intersection collision warning systems by 2010

IV technologies include adaptive cruise control, vision enhancement, vehicle stability monitoring and driver drowsiness warnings, as well as collision avoidance for lane changes, road departures and intersection crossings. The systems are designed to warn drivers of dangerous situations, recommend actions and even assume partial control of a vehicle to avoid collisions. Some IV technologies are already available as add-ons to some high-end vehicles, for example:

• Toyota, Ford, Mercedes and Jaguar now offer ''adaptive cruise control'' on some vehicles. The technology tracks the car ahead, slowing down and speeding up automatically to maintain a safe distance in variable highway traffic.
• Eaton Corp.'s VORAD (Vehicle Onboard Radar) is in use on some commercial trucks, detecting stationary objects through fog, rain, snow, darkness and smoke.
• General Motors offers a night vision system as an option on its Cadillac DeVille that uses infrared technology to detect people or animals in the darkness or past the glare of an oncoming car's headlights.
• Honda is developing an Intelligent Driver Support system to ''see'' the road through a tiny camera on the windshield and help steer the car down the middle of its lane. A computer picks out lines on the highway surface and nudges the car's steering wheel in the right direction.

The advent of IV and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) has created a pressing need for new standards and protocols to provide for interoperability, compatibility and interchangeability. According to SAE International (SAE), these systems, applied to automobiles, will affect the vehicle in three basic functional areas: the basic vehicle, safety and security, and telematics - information, communications and entertainment.

The "Basic Vehicle" includes functions such as climate control, adaptive displays, vehicle diagnostics, braking assistance, power train and lighting control, and smart restraints and occupant protection systems.

The "Safety/Security" functions include: collision warning and avoidance, vision enhancement, adaptive cruise control, steering assist, driver condition monitoring and warning, and personal and vehicle security.

"Telematics" or the information, communications and entertainment functions include: real-time news, navigation and route guidance, two-way broadcast communications, and automated transactions such as toll payment.

SAE and its representatives from all the major car manufacturers have laid the foundation for the Intelligent Vehicles market and are moving forward with an exciting and innovative portfolio of products and services. Many of these innovations are already in existence today and could one day become a standard feature in all vehicles.