|
New and upgraded automotive electronics are key features of the new BMW 5 Series, which goes on sale in the U.S. next month.
Starting with the power train, the car incorporates what BMW terms Brake Energy Regeneration, which charges the battery by generating electricity during braking and "overrun," or coasting. An electrical water pump allows reaching engine operating temperature faster and consumes less power than mechanical pumps.
The car's radar-based active cruise control has a braking function that helps maintain speed on a downhill or safe distance to a vehicle ahead, even down to a full stop. Other features available include a head-up display and thermal imaging night vision.
Finally, the camera-based lane-departure warning (LDW) system from Siemens VDO and Mobileye—which BMW says is first for a European manufacturere—has advanced functionality. A single, high dynamic range CMOS camera mounted near the rear view mirror is used to detect roadway markings. A warning is given to the driver in the form of a steering wheel vibration—similar to the effect of driving over a rumble strip—if the system algorithms determine that the time that still remains when continuing along the current path until the car crosses the lane marking has reached a predetermined value to effect a correction maneuver.
In addition to detecting lane markings and roadway edges, the lane departure system's responses and driver warnings have been tailored to the vehicle's speed based on the idea that traveling at a higher speed requires greater precision in steering maneuvers. For example, at moderate speeds, a warning is generated when the car exceeds a minimum distance to the lane marking. This minimum distance is then kept within an increasingly strict limit as the speed of the car increases, thus giving the driver adequate time to correct his or her course even at high Autobahn or freeway speeds.
"The advanced LDW intelligence is superior to basic lane departure warning systems that tell you that you're crossing the lane marking—if you're already crossing the line, it may be too late for a warning," notes Amnon Shashua, chairman and chief scientist at Mobileye.
Learn more about lane departure warning systems and their design challenges by accessing the following articles:
Advanced interconnects drive intelligent vision applications: Part 1
Advanced interconnects drive intelligent vision applications: Part 2
Lane Departure Warning Boosts Anti-Rollover Protection
Rival machine vision approaches take the road
Multi-threaded design tackles SoC performance bottlenecks: Part 1
Multi-threaded design tackles SoC performance bottlenecks: Part 2
Embedded camera-based system counters lane departures
Model-based design optimizes lane-departure warning system
Hella develops lane departure warning concept
|
