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q Automated control will frst appear in highway driving where speeds are
relatively constant, threats quantifable, and scenarios less complex. Nevertheless,
the preference is for the driver to stay focused on the driving task, and properly
positioned behind the wheel.
account things like the closing speed
of trafc. This is especially important
on the autobahn, and makes free-space
detection extremely challenging. Most
importantly, you have to be certain
you're not going to cause an accident
by trying to avoid one."
Though automatic emergency braking
could follow electronic stability control
and move from a safety option to a
regulatory mandate, it's more than
likely that it will take a few product
cycles before any automated
safety technology moves from an
expensive add-on to a main-stream
choice. "I think you'll fnd that
most automakers at least will have
the option for these systems in
place," says Loh, "so they can ofer
it as a way to increase safety and
enhance revenue, without pricing
the customer who doesn't want it or
can't aford it out of the market."
Unfortunately, not every accident
is avoidable. In this instance, safety
systems may be called upon to
determine crash inevitability, and set
the vehicle up to crash in the safest
manner possible. "That requires more
robust sensors with a wider feld of
view," says Loh. "The farther out you
can see, the more information you
can gather, and the more likely it is
that you can predict if you are on a
collision trajectory. That buys you a
The farther out you can see, the more information you
can gather, and the more likely it is that you can
predict if you are on a collision trajectory.