Volvo Trucks – Vehicle technology and innovation John Comer Product Marketing Manager Volvo Trucks October 2016
Passive & Active Safety – Collision mitigation Volvo seeks to prevent accidents from happening by supporting the driver as far as possible. Collision Warning with Emergency Brake, Driver Alert Support, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Changing Support and Electronic Stability Program are just a few examples of active safety systems developed by Volvo. In addition to supporting systems, good visibility is of course crucial to safety.
Accident Research Truck occupants are killed in 15% of all fatal accidents involving heavy trucks. When truck occupants are killed, half of the accidents are rollovers, which make them the most common type of accidents. In as much as 35% of all fatal accidents, the truck has for some reason been driven off the road and, as a consequence, rolled over on its side. A rollover may occur even if the vehicle never leaves the road, for example in a roundabout. This is the case in 15% of the fatal accidents. To reduce the number of rollovers, we introduced an optimised Electronic Stability Program (ESP) for all combinations in 2009. If the truck is about to roll over or skid, ESP responds with lightning speed by individually braking one or more wheels on the truck and trailer. If necessary, the system can also lower engine revs. The second most common accident when truck occupants are killed is when one truck rear-ends another truck. This is the case in 20% of the fatal accidents, and the reason why we do a unique barrier test with all our trucks. Note: This diagram shows the most common type accidents. In addition, there are a number of other, less common, type accidents. These accidents have been excluded in this diagram, which is why the total sum is less than 100%.
Accident Research
Electronic Stability Program Trying to counter the Laws of Physics Lateral acceleration V = speed R = radius V2 R 1st November 2013
Supporting the driver Forward Collision Warning with Autonomous Braking AEBS A safety system not a comfort system If the truck detects vehicles / objects in front of the vehicle in its travelling path. Collision Warning - Designed to mitigate a rear end collision by warning the driver to react Emergency Brake - Automatically engages the wheel brakes Active above 15km/h or 10mph up to full speed How it works: CW/EB This active safety system has two parts. The first warns the driver, while the other applies the braking system to avoid a collision with vehicles in front of the truck. Control unit All the information from the camera, radar, truck and driver behaviour is gathered in the control unit. The software in the control unit analyses this information and activates the warning system and the truck braking system if an accident is about to occur. Head-Up Display If an accident is about to take place, the driver is first alerted by a red warning light projected on the windscreen. If the driver does not react to the warning signal, the light is followed by a flashing red light and an sharp, audible alarm. Steering wheel and pedal In order to determine if the driver is aware of the upcoming accident, the system collects information on the movement of the steering wheel and pedals. If the driver reacts, for example by turning the wheel so that the danger can be avoided, the system determines that the driver is in control of the situation and no automatic emergency braking takes place. Truck Sensors register information about the truck such as speed and direction and the total weight of the vehicle combination. Camera and radar The camera identifies the distance to and the type of object ahead of the truck. The radar measures how fast the object ahead of the truck is moving and the distance to the object. The camera and the radar work in conjunction to eliminate false alarms so that the system does not react to a streetlight on the opposite side of the T-junction, for example The system is activated automatically at start, but active once the speed is >15km/h. It can be deactivated if ABS or ESP does not work properly. It is also deactivated if a connected trailer has malfunctioning ABS or no ABS. This is a safety precausion since an emergency braking situation with a trailer without ABS could create a worse scenario with a ”Jack knife” situation. Emergency lights are also swithced on automatically when emergency braking reaches down to 5km/h.
Legal demands for Emergency Braking systems Step 1* November 1, 2015 Step 2 November 1, 2018 Stationary “Object” from 80 km/h (50mph) a reduction of 10 km/h from 80 km/h (50mph) a reduction of 20 km/h Moving “Object” 32 km/h: from 80 km/h no impact 12 km/h: from 80 km/h no impact Legal from 1st November 2015 Only for vehicles N2,N3 with rear air suspension and maximum three axles Four axle trucks and off road defined trucks are exempt today This system is a Emergency system, not a comfort system. ACC is a comfort system. The aim is to never have to use it and that the driver should react to the warnings before getting to the last stage of the breaking point. Mercedes have the Emergency Brake System certified for Step 2 (legal demand in Nov 2018, Nov 2016 for new models). Volvo have certified for Step 1, but can already achieve Step 2. Good to know is that the legal demands are not that tough. Volvo has a higher ambition than this, and of course already meet the standards for Step 2. The Moving target can be a queue moving forward slowly for eg.
Supporting the driver Autonomous Braking – The Components Volvo uses two sensors in order to improve performance by so called sensor fusion Increased scenarios like curve, distance, standstill close to guard rail Development from real life scenarios, not legal requirements Supporting the driver Autonomous Braking – The Components Camera Sensor Good at classifying the object and placing them laterally. The system tries to cater for bends in the road. Not good at measuring distance or speed. Radar Sensor Good at measuring distance and relative speed. Not good at classifying objects or their lateral placement
Supporting the driver Autonomous Braking – The Components AEBS can detect cars, trucks, motorbike, but NOT bicycles nor pedestrians. AEBS will also NOT react to oncoming vehicles or vehicles that are not in the same direction than the truck (e.g. at road intersection). ? Combined radar and camera detects the distance to the object the speed of the object the shape of the object the lateral position of the object Radar alone detects the distance to the object the speed of the object You can draw the similarity difference between a radar and a dual system (radar and camera) is like having two eyes rather than one. The radar is good at detecting the distance to and the speed of the object. The cameras is good at detecting the shape of and the lateral position of the objects. + Combining the strengths of the radar and the camera you get a system with much increased precision. It knows where the object is, both distance and sideways and the speed of the object. The system can act with more accuracy and at longer distances. It is a much safer system.
Fog & Snow + In clear weather a combined radar and camera system sees better than a “radar only” system ± In fog & snow a combined radar and camera system sees as good as a “radar only” system The camera works similarly to the human eyes. It can have difficulties in heavy fog or snow but also if the sun is shining directly towards the camera etc.
Looking after the System To Maintain Performance Camera Sensor Keep the camera clean If the camera is obstructed the display shows the message “CHECK CAMERA” If a new windscreen is required the camera has to be recalibrated Radar Sensor Keep the sensor clean and free from obstructions like snow and dirt Do not paint the sensor cover Do not cover with additional lights, accessories etc. Clean the outside and inside of the step by folding it down Performance can be limited by extreme weather conditions Head up display Keep paper work away from the top of the instrument panel at risk of obscuring the LEDS that emits the light signal. The Volvo FL/FE have collision warning in the instrument cluster
Advantages with the Volvo dual sensor system The combined radar and camera is a much safer system + Increased precision in off-set situations + Better certainty in defining a stationary object + A more precise detection in more traffic situations + Quicker warnings and gain in reaction time + Less false warnings Head up display Volvo has a unique head-up display, which increases the chance to avoid collisions and the flashing red lights improves reaction time. Supported by secondary acoustic warning. The radar is good at detecting the distance to and the speed of the object. The cameras is good at detecting the shape of and the lateral position of the objects. + Combining the strengths of the radar and the camera you get a system with much increased precision. It knows where the object is, both distance and sideways and the speed of the object. The system can act with more accuracy and at longer distances. It is a much safer system.
Supporting the driver Handover – Understanding the Warnings ACTIVATION / ON Switch DISABLE / OFF DISABLED in AM HW telltale DISABLEd in AM DID -Pop-Up Reduced Mode HW telltale DID -Pop-Up End-State How it works: CW/EB This active safety system has two parts. The first warns the driver, while the other applies the braking system to avoid a collision with vehicles in front of the truck. Control unit All the information from the camera, radar, truck and driver behaviour is gathered in the control unit. The software in the control unit analyses this information and activates the warning system and the truck braking system if an accident is about to occur. Head-Up Display If an accident is about to take place, the driver is first alerted by a red warning light projected on the windscreen. If the driver does not react to the warning signal, the light is followed by a flashing red light and an sharp, audible alarm. Steering wheel and pedal In order to determine if the driver is aware of the upcoming accident, the system collects information on the movement of the steering wheel and pedals. If the driver reacts, for example by turning the wheel so that the danger can be avoided, the system determines that the driver is in control of the situation and no automatic emergency braking takes place. Truck Sensors register information about the truck such as speed and direction and the total weight of the vehicle combination. Camera and radar The camera identifies the distance to and the type of object ahead of the truck. The radar measures how fast the object ahead of the truck is moving and the distance to the object. The camera and the radar work in conjunction to eliminate false alarms so that the system does not react to a streetlight on the opposite side of the T-junction, for example The system is activated automatically at start, but active once the speed is >15km/h. It can be deactivated if ABS or ESP does not work properly. It is also deactivated if a connected trailer has malfunctioning ABS or no ABS. This is a safety precausion since an emergency braking situation with a trailer without ABS could create a worse scenario with a ”Jack knife” situation. Emergency lights are also swithced on automatically when emergency braking reaches down to 5km/h.
Supporting the driver Handover – Understanding the Warnings Failure HW telltale Switch DID -Pop-Up Failure DID -Pop-Up How it works: CW/EB This active safety system has two parts. The first warns the driver, while the other applies the braking system to avoid a collision with vehicles in front of the truck. Control unit All the information from the camera, radar, truck and driver behaviour is gathered in the control unit. The software in the control unit analyses this information and activates the warning system and the truck braking system if an accident is about to occur. Head-Up Display If an accident is about to take place, the driver is first alerted by a red warning light projected on the windscreen. If the driver does not react to the warning signal, the light is followed by a flashing red light and an sharp, audible alarm. Steering wheel and pedal In order to determine if the driver is aware of the upcoming accident, the system collects information on the movement of the steering wheel and pedals. If the driver reacts, for example by turning the wheel so that the danger can be avoided, the system determines that the driver is in control of the situation and no automatic emergency braking takes place. Truck Sensors register information about the truck such as speed and direction and the total weight of the vehicle combination. Camera and radar The camera identifies the distance to and the type of object ahead of the truck. The radar measures how fast the object ahead of the truck is moving and the distance to the object. The camera and the radar work in conjunction to eliminate false alarms so that the system does not react to a streetlight on the opposite side of the T-junction, for example The system is activated automatically at start, but active once the speed is >15km/h. It can be deactivated if ABS or ESP does not work properly. It is also deactivated if a connected trailer has malfunctioning ABS or no ABS. This is a safety precausion since an emergency braking situation with a trailer without ABS could create a worse scenario with a ”Jack knife” situation. Emergency lights are also swithced on automatically when emergency braking reaches down to 5km/h.
Collision mitigation Autonomous Braking AEBS WARNING OTHER ROAD USERS When the systems decides to go for emergency braking the brake lights flash. When the vehicle reaches a speed below 5 kmh the hazard warning lights are turned on. After the truck has stopped and there is no reaction from the driver (pedal or hand) in the following 5seconds the parking brake is applied. HMI Scenario Speed retardation Pre-collision warning Time gap can be set to 5 different levels (4,5 – 5,5 s before Emergency braking) It is activated above 30km/h Collision warning Occurs about 1,4 seconds before Emergency braking, Time can be shorter depending on urgency of situation. Pre-braking It gives a deceleration of 3.5 m/s2, around 1s before Emergency Braking. It is used to activate the brakes, remove positive torque from the engine and disengage the driveline. It can be canceled by the system if the threat is removed or by driver intervention (steering or kickdown of accelerator pedal) Emergency braking It gives a deceleration of 8 m/s2 and is activated when a collision is barely avoidable by steering or braking. In good conditions a collision can be avoided, otherwise mitigated. It will brake until the collision threat is gone. It can can be overridden by kickdown of accelerator pedal. It will be ended when the vehicle has stopped by: Acceleration pedal is pressed, brake pedal is released, park brake is applied (by CW-EB or driver), reverse gear is engaged or key is removed. It is activated above 15 km/h The system will go to reduced mode if the system loses the camera, it will then only brake for dynamic targets. (We call for a retardation of 8 m/s2 , we will in best the best case get something above 6 m/s2. In exceptional cases we might get more, brand new winter tyres rough tarmac etc, so why limit the possibility to get maximum retardation).
Retardation Under ideal conditions in real life (dry road, good friction) the maximum retardation that can be achieved for any truck is a bit more than 6 m/s² Subjective feeling of retardation: 1.5 m/s2 You could easily stand up in a bus 2.5 m/s2 Need to hold on to something and would start complaining about bad driving 4.0 m/s2 You would be hanging in your seat belt 6.0 m/s2 Your feet and whole body is lifting, only the seat belt is holding you back. MB: Full brake, 9.9 m/s2 is asked for from the system, but more than 6 m/s2 is hard to get due to friction. Hi-speed hazard warning lights (Yellow) Volvo: Full brake, 8 m/s2 is asked for, but more than 6 m/s2 is hard to get due to friction. Deceleration capacity is also dependent on factors such as road surface conditions and tire wear.
Supporting the driver Active Safety – Collision mitigation Lane Departure LDWS Limits accidents due to drifting off the road in monotonous driving conditions, mainly on highways, caused by tiredness or lack of attention. System is active at speeds above 65km/h or 40mph
Monitoring System Use Improved Direct Vision Later in the year we will have a more practical safety report availble via dynafleet.
Two pedal take over 96% of all tractors have I shift 1993 Geartronic 2016 2001 I-shift non synchro Dual Clutch Crawler Gear Gearbox Cooling
European Truck Platooning Challenge 1 second time-window between the vehicles, = 22 m at 50 mph.
Benefits of platooning Road safety Fuel efficiency Transport efficiency SARTRE Safe Road Train for the Environment
High Capacity Transport Standard vehicle Length: 16,5 m Load:16 tons, 100 m3 Fuel consumption: 37 l / 100 km Fuel saving compared to standard vehicle: - 16% fuel and CO2 EMS-vehicle Length: 25,25 m Load: 24 tons, 150 m3 Fuel consumption: 48 l / 100 km Fuel saving compared to standard vehicle: - 27% fuel and CO2 DUO-trailer Length: 32 m Load: 32 tons, 200 m3 Fuel consumption: 53 l / 100 km
Challenges with automation Role of the driver Cyber security Social acceptance Standards, rules and regulations Integration with other road users
Next step Research and demonstration Legislation Harmonization
Summary These are safety support systems not prevention systems. The legislation is written about speed reduction, although in many cases the truck will stop. The systems support – but they cannot override the laws of physics It works to support the driver, the driver is still responsible for his driving and safety Handover training on these systems are essential The truck is changing – driven hard by society in terms of safety, air quality and carbon emissions