"The idiot behind the wheel" has more than a little truth to it.
At this year's SAE World Congress currently underway in Detroit, an executive for Robert Bosch LLC stated that drivers are the weakest link in vehicle safety. Tests have shown that only one out of three drivers hits the brakes hard enough and early enough to stop in an emergency and that the milliseconds its takes a driver to judge a situation and respond is often critical time wasted.
Bosch presented a predictive brake assist function, Europe's first technology that detects an accident and reacts accordingly. The system monitors vehicles surrounding the car and makes calculations as to whether the car will have the ability to stop in an accident. The hydraulic brake is prepared for full force breaking once the vehicle detects a probable impact.
Does it work? Read after the jump.
A preliminary version of the technology appeared on the Audi A6 in 2005. Some versions of the Volkswagen Passat featured a similar technology that included radar sensors to detect an imminent crash.
The Mercedes SL550 also uses rudimentary type of assist. When you lift from the throttle, it automatically puts the pads on the discs. It also senses emergency braking via the speed at which the driver presses the brake pedal and immediately applies maximum available power boost, potentially reducing the overall stopping distance by eliminating the delay caused by a common human tendency not to brake hard enough, soon enough.
