Delphi Gives Drivers Peace of Mind With Advanced Safety Technology
14 June 2000
BRIGHTON, Mich. - Delphi Automotive Systems is helping to make the entire
driving experience safer for consumers with its portfolio of Integrated
Safety System (ISS) technologies. Delphi's ISS -- an all-inclusive and
vehicle-wide safety system design that can combine any of Delphi's more than
50 safety technology offerings -- is geared to reduce vehicle collisions, to
enhance occupant protection and to assist post-event rescue efforts. Delphi
is showcasing ISS, and other advanced technologies, to a leading group of
investment bank representatives and analysts at its technical center here today.
"ISS consists of multiple technologies that increase driver safety
throughout the entire driving experience," said Rodney O'Neal, Delphi
executive vice president and president of Delphi's Safety, Thermal &
Electrical Architecture sector. "From advanced collision avoidance to post-
incident protection, Delphi's ISS is thinking about the driver's safety every
moment they're in their vehicle."
O'Neal said automakers have traditionally focused on developing safety
products for one specific point in time and he hopes Delphi's ISS will broaden
this view. "To date, most automotive safety products have been focused on an
actual collision. The concept behind ISS is to offer enhanced occupant
protection for every moment you're in the vehicle."
Delphi's ISS considers the driving experience through five distinct
"safety states" -- normal, warning, collision-avoidable, collision-unavoidable
and post-event.
Normal Driving
The prevalent driving situation is the "normal" state, where the driver is
alert, comfortable and in control. Delphi is continually developing and
refining technologies that ensure this state is maintained. These
technologies include:
* Forewarn(R) Adaptive Cruise Control (available in the market today) - A
radar or laser-sensing technology that helps ensure a safe distance is
maintained between vehicles during cruise control operation, even in the most
congested traffic.
* Advanced Driver Monitoring (under development) - A technology that may
use a combination of biological sensors, eye-tracking devices and vehicle-
steering information to provide information on driver alertness.
* Emergency Sickness Alert (under development) - Biological sensors and
tracking devices in the Driver Monitoring System could also be used to alert
the driver to an emergency health situation.
* Inclement Weather Indicator (available in the near-term) - A feature
included in the vehicle's integrated communication system, which monitors
local weather broadcasts and provides the driver with updated advisories on
potentially inclement and/or hazardous weather.
* Road Surface Condition Monitor (under development) - A sensing system
that could reliably indicate to the driver whether the roadway ahead is wet,
dry, icy, rough, etc.
* Adaptable Interior Features (under development) - A unique vehicle
interior design concept in which certain features within the passenger
compartment of a vehicle such as the shape of a seat can be adjusted to the
ergonomic requirements of the occupant.
* Power Adjustable Pedals (available in the near-term) - Ergonomically
designed pedals that allow reach adjustment to increase the driver's comfort
and safety, particularly among shorter drivers.
* Automatic Windshield Fog Prevention (available in the near-term) - An
electronic/electromechanical climate control system that predicts potential
window glass fogging situations and activates defoggers automatically.
* Human Machine Interface (conducted today) - Human information
processing, perception, physiology, biomechanics and socio-economic factors
are considered in interior design and development to generate products that
enable the user to improve control of the vehicle while driving.
* Head-up Displays (available in the market today) - A system of
instrument readouts that projects important information such as driving speed
onto the windshield to allow the driver to read the data without looking away
from the road.
* Smart Battery (available in the near-term) - Maintenance-free vehicle
battery that includes electronic features to provide improved safety and
security.
* Traction Control (available in the market today) - Electronic brake and
engine control systems that automatically help the driver control wheel spin
in order to provide improved vehicle traction.
* Seat Belt Comfort Features (under development) - These are designed to
provide ease of movement and added comfort for vehicle occupants, while
encouraging seat belt use.
Warning State
In the "warning" state, an array of functional alerts aids the driver in
recognizing detectable threats. Delphi developments in this area include:
* Forewarn(R) Collision Warning (under development) - A technology that
uses laser, radar, infrared, and long-range sensing devices to provide
warnings for forward collisions, backing up, blind spots, lane changes, and
lane and/or roadway departures.
* Low Tire Pressure Warning (under development) - Electronic sensing
systems, which monitor the vehicle's tire pressures and alert the driver when
tire pressure is low and may be unsafe for driving.
Collision-Avoidable State
If the potential for vehicle collision is detected and can be immediately
avoided, several vehicle control enhancements are available to supplement the
driver's actions. Technologies Delphi is developing or refining in this area
include:
* Forewarn(R) Collision Avoidance (under development) - Collision
avoidance features can be designed to be driver initiated, vehicle initiated,
or a combination of the two.
* Rollover Avoidance System (available in the near-term) - A system of
sensors that are able to detect the characteristics of a potential vehicle
rollover, then direct the vehicle's chassis control systems to engage
appropriate countermeasures.
* Throttle-By-Wire (under development) - The mechanical functions of a
major vehicle dynamics system are controlled by a highly organized network of
wires, sensors, controllers and actuators in order to provide enhanced
performance.
* Anti-Lock Braking Systems (available in the market today) - Electronic
brake control systems that control wheel slip in order to prevent wheel lock-
up during excessive braking for extreme conditions.
* Traxxar(TM) Vehicle Stability Enhancement System (available in the
market today) - This chassis control system helps enhance vehicle stability
and steerability if the limits of adhesion are exceeded by sensing the
driver's desired path compared to the vehicle's actual path.
* Galileo(R) Intelligent Brake Control Systems (available) - This product
family of Brake-By-Wire technologies offers power assist, anti-lock braking,
traction control, Traxxar(TM), and tunable pedal feel functions.
* MagneRide(TM) (available in 2002) - This new controlled suspension
technology uses magneto-rheological (MR) fluid-based dampers to improve ride
and handling by reducing wheel bounce and increasing wheel-road contact on all
types of surfaces.
* Dynamic Body Control (available in the market today) - This advanced
chassis system technology improves vehicle stability control and handling
during cornering, high-speed maneuvers and off-road driving.
* QUADRASTEER(TM) Four-Wheel Steering System (available in 2002) - A
unique four-wheel steering system that combines the performance of full-size
vehicles with the turning radius and maneuverability of smaller cars to help
make driving at higher speeds safer with added stability and control,
especially during lane changes and inclement weather.
* Steer-By-Wire (under development) - An advanced steering technology
that is enabled by electronic sensing and actuators.
* Unified Chassis Control (under development) - By overseeing and
coordinating vehicle subsystems like braking, suspension and steering, Unified
Chassis Control enables increased information-sharing, smarter decision-making
and coordinated control for the current driving situation.
Collision-Unavoidable State
Delphi offers a range of technologies that help optimize occupant
protection in front, side and rear collisions as well as vehicle rollovers
with its Advanced Safety Interior(TM) portfolio of safety-related products.
These include:
* Adaptive Restraint Technologies(TM) (available in the near-term) -
Includes advanced occupant detection sensors and other features designed to
match the deployment of the airbags with the needs of the situation ("smart"
airbag technology).
* Head/Torso and Side Airbag Systems (available in the near-term) -
Provides additional protection in the event of a side impact or rollover
collision.
* Variable Output Airbag Modules (available in the near-term) - Enables
advanced adaptive safety systems to provide optimized occupant protection by
"tuning" airbag deployment.
* Active Knee Bolsters (available in the near-term) - Airbag cushion
designed for deployment in the knee area to help reduce lower leg injury.
* Seat Belt Pretensioners and Hypertensioners (available in the near-
term) - Pretensioners help provide protection by removing slack from the seat
belt system, and Hypertensioners provide added protection, giving the occupant
the benefit of vehicle crash absorption.
* Anticipatory Crash Sensing (under development) - Uses radar, laser
and/or ultrasonic sensors to detect potential impact situations.
* Adaptive Energy-Absorbing Steering Columns (available in the market
today) - Provide variable energy absorption levels based on occupant size,
which allow for a more enhanced response to the specific type of event.
* Occupant Characteristics Sensing/Tailoring (available in the near-term)
- Uses seat-mounted occupant mass sensors for categorizing occupant size or
presence of a child or child seat. Also includes occupant position sensors to
monitor occupant profile and position.
* Crash Data Recording (available in motorsports today) - Features for
recording various crash data to assist in understanding the accident scenario.
Post-Event State
In the event that a collision does occur, Delphi's ISS includes the
development of technologies designed to help reduce risks to occupants and
pedestrians and provide assistance for rescue efforts. These include:
* Fire Suppression System (available in the near-term) - The use of fire
suppressants and other materials for potential interior and exterior
application, in order to help reduce the risk of collision-induced ignition of
combustible materials.
* Mayday(TM) System (available in the near-term) - A totally integrated
vehicle safety system with the capability to monitor an accident situation and
to communicate important data to an emergency notification service.
* Easy Exit (available in the near-term) - Features that facilitate
vehicle exit by the occupants and/or vehicle entry by rescue personnel. These
include an automatic "windows down" capability for power windows and an
automatic "doors unlock" feature.
* Fuel System Cutoff (available in the near-term) - Automatic shut-off of
the fuel pump and turn-off of the engine in order to reduce the potential of a
fire within the vehicle.
* Unfired Pyrotechnic Device Disarming (available in the near-term) -
Delphi is investigating methods that can disarm unused pyrotechnic devices
following an accident to help provide additional protection to vehicle
occupants and rescuers.
* Electrical Power Disconnect (under development) - This would enable the
ISS to disconnect any unnecessary electrical power in the event of a serious
accident.
Multinational Delphi Automotive Systems, with headquarters in Troy, Mich.,
USA, Paris, Tokyo and Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a world leader in transportation
and mobile electronics components and systems technology. Delphi's three
business sectors -- Dynamics & Propulsion; Safety, Thermal & Electrical
Architecture; and Electronics & Mobile Communication -- provide comprehensive
product solutions to complex customer needs. Delphi has approximately 213,000
employees and operates 176 wholly owned manufacturing sites, 41 joint
ventures, 53 customer centers and sales offices and 30 technical centers in 38
countries. Delphi can be found on the Internet at http://www.delphiauto.com