Automotive Industry Trends
New Cars with Sense and Sensors
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Vehicles these days can hear, see, feel and smell. As the demand for automotive electronic systems grows, so does the need for accurate and reliable sensor components that provide data for these systems. Passengers today are benefiting from comprehensive safety packages and a host of other convenient and practical features that all rely on sensor technology.
Electronic sensors ensure that new vehicles are the safest cars on the road. Some examples of sensor technology include:
- Quick-reaction crash sensors activate the front, side, and curtain airbags, and the tension on the seatbelt.
- Seat occupancy detectors send a signal to prevent passenger seat front and side airbags from deploying in the event of an accident, if the seat is empty or if a special child's seat is on board.
- Acceleration sensors report if the vehicle is deviating off its vertical axis and if it needs to apply the brakes to one, two or three wheels.
- Outside temperature sensors send a signal when there is a risk of black ice.
- Engine management system sensors provide information on exhaust gas quality, and still others diagnose the condition of the oil, so that service intervals can be determined more accurately.
- Height sensors detect the movements of an approaching vehicle and automatically adjust the headlamps to prevent the drivers of oncoming cars from being blinded.
- Anti-pinching sensors in the windows and sliding roof stop them from closing at a pre-defined resistance level to prevent injuries, especially to children traveling in the car.
- Sensors are used in conjunction with the Global Positioning System (GPS) to tell the driver where he or she is at any given moment.
- And more...
The number of sensors used in automobiles has risen dramatically in the last decade. Current vehicles can contain 50-100 of them and this number is continually growing. The integration of these sensors allows vehicles to listen and react to the environment and provides the driver with countless benefits.
The advent of sensor-driven technology has created a pressing need for new standards to provide for interoperability, compatibility and interchangeability. The standards process itself depends on input from companies and people in many occupations including transportation planners, systems engineers, traffic engineers, electrical engineers, design engineers, telecommunication engineers, and programmers. Global Engineering Documents and Information Handling Services maintain these standards in multi-media formats.