Delphi has announced that it is providing vital sensor technology for the next generation Volvo S60, planned for a mid-2010 debut.
Delphi says it takes safety to the next level with features like full speed range adaptive cruise control and a collision warning and mitigation system with full automatic braking power that not only detects moving and stationary vehicles but pedestrians as well.
According to Delphi, the system warns the driver of an imminent collision and automatically brakes the vehicle if the driver is not able. Volvo S60’s new active safety system consists of Delphi’s radar and vision system. Delphi also provides the camera, vision control module and radar sensor.
Delphi has teamed up with Mobileye on the vision processor and certain vision algorithms. Unlike most competitive systems that limit braking power to 50%, the new Volvo system uses input from the Delphi vision and radar sensors to allow full automatic braking power when it estimates a high risk for collision with a pedestrian or a vehicle.
Michael Thoeny, director of North American engineering for Delphi’s safety product business unit, said: “We work with manufacturers during the early development of vehicles to provide the engineering support necessary to seamlessly integrate our sensor systems into their vehicles.”
“This collaboration, coupled with our cutting-edge technologies, has led to the ground-breaking products that give our customers a competitive advantage of enhanced safety on their vehicles.”
The Delphi radar and vision systems use unique data fusion algorithms that combine the inputs from radar and vision sensors to enhance functionality and increase road safety. Visual and audible warnings are provided to the driver if the Volvo active safety system estimates a high risk for a collision as the vehicle approaches a pedestrian, a moving vehicle or one that is stationary. If the driver doesn’t react to the warnings, the system will automatically apply the brakes to avoid or considerably reduce the effect of the collision.
Delphi’s Electronically Scanning Radar (ESR) is a key part of the system. It provides a multimode capability that optimises multiple collision warning functions. The ESR uses a narrow field-of-view, long-range mode to detect and track targets up to 200m ahead and a wide field-of-view, medium-range mode that simultaneously detects pedestrians and other targets at ranges of up to 60m ahead of the vehicle. Data update rates and accuracy are improved with Delphi’s proprietary radar waveform and increased processing power, and the elimination of all moving parts results in a high degree of reliability and robustness.
ESR will launch on multiple vehicles in North America and the S60 in 2010, Delphi says.
The multi-function Delphi camera system is also used by Volvo’s Lane Departure Warning and Driver Alert Control. Lane Departure Warning alerts the driver with an audible warning when the vehicle is about to drift out of its respective lane. Driver Alert Control is designed to warn drivers that are about to fall asleep while driving, by analyzing the driving behavior.
