Tech Briefs
$35 million joint research on vehicle crash-warning systems

The U.S. Department of Trans-portation announced a joint re-search effort with General Motors Corporation, Delphi Automotive Systems, and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute to study vehicle crash-warning systems. The $35 million Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI) research project will run for five years. It is the first IVI operational test under the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) program, which was authorized by the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). The ITS project will involve a 61% federal contribution, with the balance coming from GM and Delphi Automotive. Its goal is to measure the performance and benefits of vehicle collision-warning systems and provide feedback on driver acceptance of the technology. "This is a unique opportunity for industry, government, academia, and private citizens to gain a broader and more thorough understanding of the benefits of collision-warning systems," said David B. Wohleen, President of Delphi Delco Electronics Systems.

Delphi Delco is a primary partner in the field research, providing expertise, along with GM, in adaptive cruise control (ACC), forward collision warning, and driver interface. GM will assemble the vehicle prototypes. The Delphi ACC measures the distance and relative speed of vehicles using a 76 GHz microwave radar sensor to detect objects up to 150 m (492 ft) in front of the vehicle regardless of vehicle speed. When the cruise control is engaged, the ACC system uses throttle control and limited braking to adjust speed to maintain a pre-selected distance from the vehicle in front, reducing the need to accelerate or decelerate manually with changes in traffic flow. The system maintains a constant distance between the vehicle that it is following or cruises at a constant speed if the lane ahead is empty.

The new systems will caution drivers about potential hazards ahead of them by means of audible tones and visual displays. Warning signals that the driver receives vary based on the distance of the object detected. If the driver does not respond to visual warnings, an audio warning is issued through the audio system. Dr. Lawrence D. Burns, Vice President for GM R & D and Planning, the lead GM unit for the program, said, "This research underscores our belief that the best crash protection we can provide is to help people avoid the collision altogether."

Studies have shown that if drivers had just 0.5 to 1.0 s of additional warning, the rate of rear-end collisions could be reduced by more than 50%. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than one-fourth of all injuries in motor vehicle crashes result from rear-end collisions.

The first half of the five-year program will involve pre-development of prototype vehicles equipped with the crash avoidance technology. The second half will include field-testing of the prototypes and will involve more than 100 licensed drivers from Michigan. Drivers will be selected to use one of 10 vehicles, each equipped with a collision warning package and ACC. Each test driver will have unrestricted use of the vehicle for at least two weeks. Data will be collected by on-board recording devices, in post-test interviews, and at clinics that help gauge customer acceptance, among other factors. The research will be conducted at GM facilities in Warren, MI, along with Delphi Delco Electronics facilities in Kokomo, IN and Malibu, CA. The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) will manage the field-testing. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Volpe National Transportation System Center in Boston will analyze the field data.