System improves driving and safety in critical situations, such as dense city traffic, narrow loading ramps and construction sites by providing improved information and data exchange between the driver, vehicle and infrastructure. It can also be permanently active when the vehicle is standing still, allowing the driver to monitor the vehicle and its cargo.
The camera-based assistance system also enhances the vehicle operation efficiency by reducing maneuvering time and vehicle damage risk, along with potential downtime and repair costs. It helps the driver to better see wall projections, objects in blind spots, corners of buildings and other vehicles in order to operate the vehicle safely.
The driver can choose between two display modes: a 2-D or 3-D view with the push of a button. Two-dimensional mode focuses on the driver’s immediate surroundings, while three-dimensional mode displays relations and elevations of the surroundings as well as making other road users more recognizable. The driver also has the ability to control specific, individual cameras to view a more precise area in difficult driving situations.
The new system consists of four micro-cameras with fisheye lenses mounted on the outside of the vehicle that provide a high-resolution sweep of the sides, rear and front of the vehicle. An electronic control module merges these high-resolution images on display in the cockpit giving the driver a bird’s-eye view of the vehicle, and at a push of a button, different angles in real time. — Continental, www.continental-corporation.com