| Blind-spot monitoring systems are set to emerge from the industry’s sidelines. Next year, the technology will join the portfolio of vehicle parking and driver aids that Ford will offer on its US models as standard.
Increasingly dense traffic and an ageing driving population in Europe and the US are making assistance systems more important to OEMs. Suppliers such as Ficosa, Hella, Visiocorp, Magna Donnelly and Valeo expect object detection systems to achieve annual market growth rates of 25 per cent in the next 10 years, albeit from relatively low levels.
There are two basic technical approaches: cameras and radar.
Ford’s global product development chief Derrick Kuzak said: “Blind-spot monitoring gives customers a better driving experience and adds value. Visibility is important to them.”
Ford’s Cross Traffic Alert informs drivers of traffic approaching from the side when backing out of a parking space or onto a street. It scans 20m in either direction using two multiple beam radars in the rear quarter panels. An indicator light on the side mirror and a beep warn the driver.
And the OEM will be first to market with a blind-spot mirror that gives better visibility as drivers change lanes on the highway or parallel park. The secondary convex mirrors are usually aftermarket fitted. Ford’s will be standard equipment on many future models.
Ficosa supplies Ford with the HMI integrated into the rear-view mirror and has developed a system that processes images from a camera on the exterior mirror. It has development contracts with OEMs, but no production orders yet.
R&D director Vicenc Aguilera said: “German OEMs go for radar because its range is suitable for high-speed motorway driving. French manufacturers prefer cameras for low-speed manoeuvres like parking.”
Hella uses a 24GHz radar sensor as the basis for several driver assistance systems, including blind-spot detection. It forms the basis for the technology for the lane-change warning system it supplies for the Audi A4.
“Millimetre wave radars in the 77GHz frequency band currently dominate,” said the firm. “But you need a more cost-effective technology for the mass market.”
Visiocorp, formerly Schefenacker, first launched its blind-spot detection system in 2005 with Volvo. Cameras mounted in the side mirrors take 25 images a second and electronic image processing gauges whether another vehicle has entered a warning zone 3m wide by 10m long on either side.
The aim is to make overtaking easier on motorways when cars approaching from the rear can go unseen. The system starts tracking vehicles 40m before they reach the car.
In case the lenses get dirty, the system performs ongoing self-diagnoses, comparing the recording quality of the left and right cameras. The mirror casing uses air flows to keep the lens clean. A heater stops condensation.
Visiocorp’s advanced engineering chief Dr Dag Wagner said: “Significantly reducing the size of the module and adding more computing power will open up possibilities for other applications. Our aim is to network more assistance and safety systems.”
Magna Donnelly’s system combines cameras, mirrors and lighting in a similar way to eliminate blind zones around the vehicle. But the company has integrated an LCD video screen into its rear-view mirror to display the information to the driver.
Magna advocates using the rear-view mirror to display other driver information too, because the “heads up” position makes it easier for the driver to watch the road.
When the car is put into reverse, the mirror displays a 180° wide-angle view from a rear camera. Graphic overlays project gridlines over the image to provide guidance on direction and distance. The technology is used on large SUVs such as the BMW X5, Toyota Land Cruiser and Hummer H2.
Magna Mirrors engineering chief David O’Connell said: “Blind zones around vehicles account for 500,000 accidents, injuries and deaths each year. Improving all-round vision is needed to tackle the issue.”
Magna also supplies a side-mirror with an integrated convex lens, similar to the one Ford will make standard. When a turn signal is activated, the lens’ perimeter illuminates to draw attention to blind spots.
“Blind-spot monitoring is just one function that can be applied to the sensors,” said Aguilera of Ficosa. “We’re also working on forward-facing cameras for lane-keeping, light beam control, traffic sign recognition, tunnel detection, pedestrian detection. With some additional illumination it can be used for night vision too.”
© Automotive Engineer, 2008
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