TOKYO, Japan–Leading auto supplier Denso has a long term innovation plan designed to make strides in helping to reduce traffic deaths between now and 2030.
Denso manufactures an array of auto parts and systems, including brake control systems that contribute to safe deceleration and vehicle stability while braking. They include ABS (Anti-lock Brake System), TRC (Traction Control) and VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) systems. Denso also develops highly reliable Braking Control Sensors and ECUs that offer high-precision timing and control.
The Global Status Report on Road Safety, which was published by the World Health Organization in December 2018, highlights that road traffic injuries are now the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 5 and 29. With an estimated 1.35 million road traffic fatalities each year, road traffic crashes affect not just vehicle drivers but also pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists particularly in developing countries.
Making a stand against road collisions
DENSO’s Long-term Policy for 2030 envisions a world where people can navigate roads with peace of mind.
The supplier company, which does about $170 billion per year in global revenue, is a member of the Toward Zero Foundation. Global NCAP serves as a platform for cooperation among new car assessment program promoting the universal adoption of the United Nations’ most important motor vehicle safety standards worldwide.
Since 2017, DENSO has worked closely with Global NCAP, which also involves other prominent companies in the industry–ADAC, Bosch, Consumers International, Continental, Denso, ITT, Thatcham Research, Veoneer, and ZF.
Focusing on Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Anti-Lock Brakes for Motorcycles (ABS), and Tire Safety, STC draws attention to issues and technological solutions that are relevant to different countries. For instance, it highlights the latest versions of AEB in Europe and North America, while focusing on ESC in ASEAN and Latin American countries.
At each of its events, live demonstrations of the technologies are presented to policy makers, media, and fleet managers, as well as the general public, who can learn about and experience these first hand.
Demonstrating Life-Saving AEBs
On the 11th of April 2019 the Sixth Global Meeting of Road Safety NGOs in Chania, Crete, featured a presentation of the life-saving benefits of Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems. The live demonstration of this crash avoidance technology was attended by more than 270 participants from 76 countries, including Oana Robescu, AD/ADAS Engineer and Project Leader from DENSO Sweden.
While some guests were involved in similar activities and were quite familiar with the systems, there were also guests who had never seen car crash demonstrations. Part of Oana’s role was to take the guests through the demonstration, providing a brief explanation of the technology based on camera and radar sensing, and a brief description of the scenarios that would be performed. She later answered more specific questions about the technology and general questions about safety.
Highlights of the event included City Safety and AEB demonstrations.
City Safety. A Ford Focus was brought in by Continental as an example of a vehicle available on the local market that can be equipped with City Safety.
An AEB demonstration with a stationary vehicle. A demo vehicle travels at 20kph with a dummy vehicle parked in front it. As part of the demo, the driver does not touch the brake pedal. The vehicle, sensing the danger due to the driver failing to steer or reduce speed, applies the AEB, which results in a maximum brake at the very last moment when the collision can be avoided.
AEB demonstration with a stationary pedestrian. A demo vehicle has to come to a sudden brake due to a non-moving dummy pedestrian that has the characteristics of a real pedestrian in terms of camera and radar sensing.
Looking Ahead
With the support of the European Parliament and Council, AEB with pedestrian detection has now been included in the European Commission’s latest package of road safety measures. To be applied from 2021, along with Intelligent Speed Assistance, the vehicle safety requirements will help avoid 25,000 deaths and 140,000 serious injuries by 2038. In parallel the United Nations World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations has now developed a draft international standard for AEB that will make it much easier for countries around the world to mandate this life saving technology.
http://www.stopthecrash.org
http://www.globalncap.org
http://www.globalncap.org/stop-crash-exemplar-partnerships-support-sdgs
