Delphi's Forewarn Collision-Warning Systems Technology Selected for Study
25 June 1999
Delphi's Forewarn(TM) Collision-Warning Systems Technology Selected for In-Depth GM/NHTSA Field Study
TROY, Mich., June 24 -- Delphi Automotive Systems has been
selected to provide the key technologies for an extensive research study
designed to assess the benefits and accelerate the development of vehicle
collision-avoidance systems. Playing a key role in the study, Delphi Delco
Electronics Systems will provide Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), forward
collision warning, driver interface technologies and the systems integration
for the vehicles involved in the project.
Delphi will provide the advanced technologies to the organizations
involved in the project, which include General Motors, the U.S. Department of
Transportation (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), and the
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
"This is a unique opportunity for industry, government, academia and
private citizens to gain a broader and more thorough understanding of the
benefits of collision warning technologies," said David B. Wohleen, president
of Delphi Delco Electronics Systems. "We believe this study can help speed
the learning curve for these products in terms of how they help enhance driver
safety and convenience."
The Delphi ACC, which is currently being rolled out commercially, measures
the distance and relative speed of preceding vehicles, using a sophisticated
microwave radar sensor mounted at the front of the vehicle. When the cruise
control is engaged, the ACC system uses throttle control and limited braking
to adjust speed to maintain a driver pre-selected distance from the vehicle in
front, thereby reducing the need to manually accelerate or decelerate with
changes in traffic flow. If the lane ahead is empty, the vehicle cruises at
the set speed. The system keeps a constant gap to the vehicle that it is
following or cruises at a constant speed if the lane ahead is empty.
Delphi's forward-looking collision-warning system uses a microwave radar
sensor to assist the driver's awareness of objects in the vehicle's forward
path. The sensor assesses the threat and issues mechanical, visual and/or
audio warnings to help the driver avoid potential crash situations. With
collision warning, information such as object range and relative speed, as
well as vehicle speed, steering wheel position and throttle position, are
continuously fed to the collision-avoidance processor. The data is analyzed
to determine which objects are in the vehicle's path and which objects are
not, in order to minimize issuing false alarms.
For many years, the automotive safety community has postulated that if
drivers had just one-half to one-second additional warning, it could reduce
the rate of rear-end collisions by more than 50 percent. "These systems are
designed to provide this additional early warning time," Wohleen said.
A Delphi head-up display will also be integrated into the system to
provide the field-test drivers with critical collision-warning cues. This
unit allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road and eliminates the need to
look down and refocus for vital information. Introduced on vehicles in 1988,
head-up displays use a vehicle's windshield as an optical element to project
virtual images in the direct field of vision of the driver.
More than 100 private citizens from throughout Southeastern Michigan will
be selected to drive 10 specially equipped vehicles equipped with Delphi
Automotive Systems ACC, forward collision warning and driver interface
technologies by mid-2001. The test drivers will be recruited from licensed
drivers in the area who meet a set of criteria that maximizes the chances of
gathering good data without narrowing the breadth of the experiment. On-board
computers will automatically download data via cell phones daily to
researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
who are responsible for managing the experiment.
The project will also identify operational and other issues and evaluate
the designs of collision-warning systems. In addition, the research will help
determine customer acceptance, product maturity and the perceived values and
costs of collision-warning systems. The study also will show how collision-
warning systems work in real-life situations, how drivers react to warnings
and how well the systems discriminate between targets versus non-targets.
Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater announced the research
program at the Department of Transportation's "Spirit of Innovation in
Transportation" Conference at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
in Cambridge, Mass., today. Both David B. Wohleen, president of Delphi Delco
Electronics Systems, and Donald L. Runkle, president of Delphi Energy & Engine
Management Systems, were featured speakers at the conference. Wohleen spoke
on "smart cars" at the "Next Generation Cybertechnology" session and Runkle
was part of a panel discussion led by Slater called "Innovation: New Ways and
Opportunities" session.
Delphi Automotive Systems , with headquarters in Troy, Mich.,
USA, is a world leader in automotive component and systems technology.
Delphi's three business sectors -- Dynamics & Propulsion; Safety, Thermal &
Electrical Architecture; and Electronics & Mobile Communications -- provide
comprehensive product solutions to complex customer needs. Delphi has more
than 196,000 employees and operates 168 wholly owned manufacturing sites, 51
customer centers and sales offices, and 27 technical centers in 36 countries.
Regional headquarters are located in Paris, Tokyo and Sao Paulo. Delphi can
be found on the Internet at http://www.delphiauto.com.