Emergency Steering Support (ESS), Coming Soon to a Car Near You
A SoylentNews contributor writes:
Emergency Steering Support (ESS) is a recent entry into the suite of advanced driver assistance (ADAS) technologies. Starting years ago with anti-lock brakes (ABS) and then stability control (ESC) these separate systems are proliferating in new cars. Here's a press release on ESS which also describes one system used to test and validate system operation, https://www.vehicledynamicsinternational.com/news/vehicle-testing/ess-test-method-developed-for-new-euro-ncap-protocol.html
For those unfamiliar with ESS, if a potential collision is detected, these systems can act much later than conventional Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB, which is limited to braking alone), whilst still avoiding a collision. This later intervention is beneficial because at higher speeds it is often more effective for a vehicle to steer around, rather than brake, to avoid a stationary or slow-moving hazard. The system must only intervene when there is intent from the driver to avoid the collision through the steering. Following the driver's initial input, the ESS system can then take over to rapidly steer the vehicle around the hazard.
Personally, I wish that the "driver's initial input" was also taken into account with ABS -- so that I could have control on deformable surfaces (snow, gravel) where ABS often fails. On these surfaces, locking the wheels to build a wedge of material in front of the tires is the quickest way to stop. You do need to release the brakes and let the tires roll if you need to do some steering...so there is some skill & practice required.
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