Just one year ago, in January 2009, iSuppli Corp. established a research portal dedicated to the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). On the occasion of the first anniversary of the portal, iSuppli Corp. would like to highlight some of the technologies, systems and trends that played a significant role in the automotive safety market during the last 12 months.
Eco-Assist
Eco-Assist, or eco-ADAS, is perhaps the ADAS category with the most momentum of late. As consumers become more aware of the environment and their collective effect on it, they’ve begun to demand more efficient methods of transportation.
There are several ways to address this green movement from within the automotive industry, as the variety of OEM and supplier approaches demonstrates. A common approach, and one of the simplest, is an Eco Lamp indicator on the dashboard that reports the real-time efficiency of the engine by changing colors.
Autonomous Park Assist
Park assist systems have been a dominant ADAS application for years, and 2009 was no different. Whereas ultrasonic-based systems appeared first and are still a dominant technology today, 2009 was the year that autonomous park assist solutions really took off.
While this year’s autonomous systems weren’t new to the industry per se, several OEMs adopted the ADAS option as brand firsts while suppliers continued to push their algorithmic limits and expand functionality.
Pre-Crash Systems
With heightened awareness surrounding traffic accidents and fatalities around the world, pre-crash and collision warning and mitigation systems have risen significantly in popularity. Although many different technologies can be used to detect objects and obstacles ahead, none is so widely used as radar.
Most radar-based pre-crash systems use a single sensor to watch the road ahead of the driver. If the system detects an obstacle, it can automatically actuate the brakes and slow the vehicle down, or in some cases bring it to a complete stop. However, more than one OEM has taken these typical system features to new levels.
ADAS for the Masses
To go along with the three categories above, other trends can be divined from the last year’s events. ADAS technologies traditionally have been introduced on luxury vehicles, but more and more of these systems are found on new models or mid-market brands.
One also notices the several government mandates that have been approved during the last year. Most notably, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) has been mandated in the United States, Europe, Australia and Canada. These mandates will take effect between 2011 and 2014 and eventually will affect every new vehicle produced.
With so much happening during the last 12 months, it will be interesting to see what the future holds. In light of the global economic climate and the status of the automotive industry, many OEMs now are committing heavily to research and development in order to be ready for the inevitable upswing in the market later.
With so many bright minds at work, there’s no telling what this year will bring.
Labels: Miscellaneous
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