Collision repairers who have served the industry throughout the years likely remember the many innovations, such as sensors, that have transformed vehicles. Many may even recall a sensor that controlled the autotronic eye headlight dimming system offered on many General Motors models, including Cadillacs during the 1950s and '60s. This impressive, large pod looked like someone had superglued a ray gun from a science fiction movie to the dashboard. It was quite a piece of engineering with a sole purpose to dim the headlights when it sensed oncoming traffic.
In today's complex world, vehicles have moved far beyond automatic headlamp dimming and knock sensors for managing engine timing. Sensor technology is advancing rapidly in this decade. Current automobile sensor technology can be segregated into a few functions:
- safety and accident avoidance;
- vehicle construction and improved mileage; and
- driver comfort and entertainment.
For the collision repair business, the next wave of accident avoidance technology seems the most intriguing. Three new features are different in what they do but have the same underlying purpose: reducing the number of accidents from driver error. Because of their complexity, the next logical question is, "Will it add to the cost of a repair if an accident occurs?"
BMW left-turn assist
The German automaker has developed a vehicle warning system aimed at curbing collisions caused by drivers making left turns, a leading cause of accidents and motorcycle fatalities. The system, which can be enabled for vehicles making left or U-turns while traveling slower than 10 mph, detects movements leveraging the vehicle's GPS navigation system and adding a forward-facing camera. Once it recognizes a left turn, it uses three lasers to scan for hazards as far away as 328 feet. If it detects oncoming traffic, the car automatically will brake and warn the driver of the danger.
Electronic Steering Assist
What's interesting about Continental's Emergency Steer Assist (ESA) is that the system leverages two separate technologies, electronic power steering and an adjustable suspension. Remember, electronic power steering uses an electric servo assist in place of the traditional hydraulic power steering unit to save vehicle weight and increase mileage.
ESA works by using the front radar to feed information to the chassis computer, which calculates closing rates and the likelihood of an evasive maneuver or collision taking place. This is similar to how most braking assist systems work, but ESA adds the ability to stiffen select corners of the suspension and provides torque assist in steering to help coax the most beneficial steering inputs from the driver.
Mercedes Magic Body Control
The surprising aspect of this technology is the somewhat unconventional name. Mercedes usually creates imposing acronyms or calls its technology "matic" or "tronic," but Magic Body Control seems out of the ordinary. The main issue Mercedes seeks to overcome is the fact that suspension is a reactive technology, meaning it absorbs the bump after the wheel has hit the bump. What if a Mercedes could sense what was coming in advance, scan the road for every pothole and every imperfection? It could adjust the oil flow at each shock absorber so accurately that any surface imperfection could be practically neutralized.
That's exactly what Magic Body Control intends to do. A camera mounted at the top of the windshield scans the road ahead, analyzing its bumps and potholes, and feeds that data directly to the Magic Body Control system's computer. The camera scans the area 15 to 45 feet in front of the car and can detect and measure imperfections as small as a 0.4 to 0.8 inch.
The system knows exactly what the tires will encounter just fractions of a second into the future. The series-production use of a camera to gather road data is different from the laser-based approach Mercedes had explored previously with its Pre-Scan technology. The camera also feeds information to the cruise control system. The Mercedes system is similar to the Continental system that leverages existing technology – in this case electronically adjustable shocks – to create a new innovation.
How does the system translate to the ride of the vehicle? According to those who have experienced it, "magic" describes it accurately. Drive a bumpy, lumpy road with the system turned off and try it the second time around with Magic Body Control activated, and the difference between the two rides is said to be almost unbelievable.
However, the system can't iron out steep and short bumps, such as banging into curbs. But it can eliminate most other bumps, making travel on highways and country roads so comfortable that it likely will give Mercedes a significant sustainable advantage in ride compared to other luxury cars. The company is quick to note this technology is homegrown, and it won't offer it for sale or license.
How far off?
Mercedes has invested more than three years of development in Magic Body Control, and it should be at least another three years before it becomes available to buyers in the next generation, top-of-the-line S-Class and CL-Class. By then, Mercedes expects to shrink the components so the system takes up far less space than on the current prototype where the trunk is packed with computers.
So what should the industry sense from the future with this new technology? For collision repairers, there will be a reduction in collisions. However, because each of these technologies leverages existing adjustable shock absorber and electronic steering components, normal collision damage costs shouldn't be affected should an accident occur. The only vulnerable component seems to be the scanning camera mounted atop the windshield. Thankfully, in the case of Mercedes, it didn't deem it necessary to mount the camera in the grill the way some infrared night vision cameras were mounted precariously.
