Accident-free driving: Continental technologies making commercial vehicles safer
Radar sensor takes a significant step towards accident prevention
Radar technology from Continental helps truckers respond quickly and safely in critical and complex situations. The high-resolution long-range radar (Advanced Radar Sensor) distinguishes between static and moving objects – and with a range of up to 250 m and a wide field of view, it can warn the driver about dangerous situations in good time and intervene if necessary. What’s so special about this, however – and it’s a first for radar systems – is that the Advanced Radar Sensor not only detects vehicles, it even “sees” pedestrians. This goes a very long way towards preventing serious accidents in urban traffic, because the radar detects pedestrians who are partially obscured by a vehicle. Automatic braking is also initiated in an emergency – yet another important step towards accident prevention. Another major advantage of the sensor is its robustness, because it still detects objects reliably, even when visibility is poor due to fog, drizzle or dazzling sunlight.
In addition to the emergency braking system, more long-range radar-based functions can be offered, such as the Forward Collision Warning, which warns the driver audibly and visually before an imminent collision, and the Intelligent Cruise Control, which continually monitors the road ahead of the vehicle and automatically adjusts the speed to the required safe distance from the vehicles in front, without the driver having to continually slow down or speed up.
Nearly 17,500 successful test miles – head-up display offers multiple display options
Continental is one of the world’s first companies to develop a head-up display (HUD) for commercial vehicles. Supplementing conventional instrument clusters, the display provides the driver with greater safety and comfort by projecting a color image of important driving information into his field of vision. Manufacturers can choose from four versions: Continental offers the display as a Windshield or a Combiner HUD, but customers can also choose to have the display shown in the upper or lower field of view (look-up or look-down concept).
The display options and the color schemes of HUDs are very varied and can be freely defined by the vehicle manufacturer. Depending on the available sources, the choices range from speed, navigation instructions and traffic sign warnings such as no passing zones and speed limits, to distance warnings, gas tank levels and the driving time remaining until the next break. The driver gets all the important information exactly where he needs it – in his field of view; and he doesn’t have to take his eyes off the road, as is the case with a conventional instrument cluster. “The head-up display makes a significant contribution to road safety. The driver can monitor events without getting tired because his eyes don’t have to continually switch back and forth between long-distance and short-range focusing. The HUD keeps him up-to-date about what’s happening in his vicinity, providing him with information like distance from the vehicle ahead, a traffic jam or sudden weather events like heavy rainfall,” explains Dr. Michael Ruf, Head of the Commercial Vehicles and Aftermarket Business Unit. The technology has already been used successfully for almost 17,500 miles in the company’s own innovation truck, which will also be showcased at the IAA.
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