Driving assistance systems can help to prevent traffic accidents and mitigate their severity. With Active Brake Assist with extended functions, the ESF 2019 shows how above all unprotected road users can be protected in even more hazardous situations. 360° pedestrian protection forms part of partner protection: the system warns and assists while parking and manoeuvring if there is a risk of collision with more vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists), right up to automatic braking.
Active Brake Assist with extended functions in the ESF 2019 provides additional protection, especially in potentially dangerous traffic situations with unprotected road users. When turning, it now also detects pedestrians and cyclists moving in parallel to the original direction of travel. If a collision with unprotected road users crossing the road into which the vehicle is turning is imminent, the driver receives a visual and audible warning. Autonomous braking is initiated if the driver fails to react. The same also applies if there are any cyclists in the blind spot when turning to the right.
If there is a risk of collision with cross-traffic when turning off or crossing a road, the system now prevents the driver from moving off and, if necessary, stops the vehicle, including from walking speed, by means of autonomous braking. Before moving off, the driver first receives a visual warning of the cross-traffic. In the event of real danger, there is also a visual and acoustic warning. Should the driver still fail to respond, moving off is prevented by locking the brakes or acceleration is limited to prevent the collision. If necessary there is autonomous braking intervention to standstill. This begins at the time at which moving off would inevitably lead to an accident.
360° pedestrian protection: safer parking and manoeuvring
Partner protection is given high priority at Mercedes-Benz. New: 360° pedestrian protection warns and assists while parking and manoeuvring if there is a risk of collision with stationary or moving road users (pedestrians, cyclists) in the vehicle’s path, right up to autonomous braking. This works during both forward driving and reversing and even if the pedestrian is at the side of the vehicle.
The 360° camera already available in many model series today assists the driver when manoeuvring in unfamiliar surroundings. Four cameras in the frontal and rear areas, and also in the exterior mirror housings, provide the images. The system uses these to generate a bird’s-eye view of the vehicle and its surroundings.
In the ESF 2019, the camera data are not only used to show images in the media display: they are combined with information from the other sensors. It is only this sensor fusion that creates an environmental model meeting the high safety requirements of Mercedes-Benz and allows autonomous braking intervention if the driver fails to heed the vehicle’s warnings. Already today, there can be autonomous braking for obstacles such as pedestrians in a parking space if Active Parking Assist with PARKTRONIC is used when parking. In the ESF 2019, autonomous braking is also possible if the driver is manoeuvring the car, i.e. the parking procedure is not automatic.
SOURCE: Daimler
