Sources: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, Elyria, Ohio; CP staff
Capable of reading and holding truck drivers to posted speed limits, momentary engine de-throttling and automatic brake engagement upon detecting imminent or highly probable accident conditions, a new suite of vehicle-mounted devices leverages established ESP Electronic Stability Program, Wingman Advanced Collision Mitigation, and AutoVue Lane Departure Warning System technologies. Bendix CVS unveiled the Wingman Fusion package at the Mid-America Trucking Show, March 26-28 in Louisville.
Wingman Fusion activates at speeds above 15 mph; combining radar and camera data to confirm a vehicle ahead, it notifies drivers up to 3.5 seconds before a potential impact. If the driver takes no action to avoid or mitigate a potentially severe event, the system can automatically engage the brakes. If data do not definitively recognize a stationary object as a vehicle, the system will alert the driver up to three seconds ahead of a potential impact, with no automatic braking.
Wingman Fusion’s camera reads roadside speed limit signs and works in tandem with Bendix ESP to alert drivers when the vehicle surpasses a specified amount over the posted limit. The system is activated at speeds above 37 mph and provides two customizable levels of intervention: level one, initially set for 5 to 9 mph over the limit, is an audible warning; level two, if the vehicle is travelling 10 mph or more over the limit, is an audible alert accompanied by a one-second engine de-throttle. The latter also triggers a severe-event notification to the fleet’s back office.
By continuously gathering, sharing, and confirming information, Wingman Fusion uses its radar and camera together to identify potentially threatening stationary or moving objects. The radar unit excels at detecting the distance, speed, and angle of objects in an area in front of the vehicle, covering roughly a 22-degree arc extending approximately 500 feet. The camera covers a shorter wider arc, about 42 degrees by 300 feet; detects objects visually; and, is powered by the Mobileye System-on-Chip EyeQ processor with advanced object detection algorithms adapted for commercial vehicle applications. The components complement one another by determining the size, lane position, and similarly critical characteristics of an object. The combination of these different technological inputs enables much of the advanced functionality of Wingman Fusion, Bendix CVS officials note, resulting in better collision mitigation, alert prioritization, and integration of previously separate technologies.
Wingman Fusion also integrates following-distance alerts and lane departure warning, previously available in separate Bendix CVS safety technologies. When driving too close to a forward vehicle, the system will sound an alert that silences when the gap with the forward vehicle grows. The feature is customizable to meet different fleet operational needs. The camera-powered lane departure warning feature sounds an alert if the vehicle is traveling at or above 37 mph and departs its lane absent a turn signal. The Wingman Fusion suite will be available in June. — www.bendix.com