CAPS Technology Saves LivesIn addition to working hard to realize its vision of accident-free driving, automotive engineers are also developing technologies that help minimize the risk of injury for those people caught up in accidents that cannot be avoided. In 2006, for example, vehicle occupants were 10 times less likely to be fatally injured in a car accident than they were in 1970.
If the vehicle in front was equipped with SCM, the airbag control unit and its sensors would detect the first impact. The restraint systems are deployed as necessary and the control unit automatically sends a signal to the ESP that it has identified an impact. The ESP control unit reacts by automatically implementing an emergency stop, making full use of the automatic breaking system (ABS) function. This means that the vehicle is brought to a complete stop in the quickest way possible while maintaining maximum stability, all without the driver having to take any action. The impending secondary collision is thereby avoided or minimized.
It is important to note that the driver can deliberately deactivate the ABS at any point and steer the vehicle himself. Strugala reports that Bosch plans to offer this function to automobile manufacturers for integration into their vehicles from MY2009.
Strugala stresses that Bosch researchers aren't stopping there, however. They are also working to improve safety using vehicle communication, whether car to car, or car to infrastructure. This work demands the creation of the necessary standards for communication, he says, and is a task requiring the collaboration of all automobile manufacturers and suppliers.
"When these standards exist, we will use them for new functions in accident prevention to further minimize the consequences," he concludes.
(Source: Robert Bosch
GmbH)