Imagine a car that warned you if you were straying into the wrong lane, exceeding the speed limit or approaching a bend too quickly. Imagine too a car which automatically compensates for such errors, reacting to road and weather conditions as it does so. Barry McCall reports.
These may seem the stuff of James Bond movies but they are close to reality thanks to research by Bosch. More famous in this part of the world for fridges and washing machines, the German company is one of the world's leading automotive engineering companies.
At its research and development headquarters near Stuttgart, Bosch is working on a system which will alert drivers to upcoming dangers, speed limits, road positioning and so on. The system uses miniature digital cameras which send information to the car's central computer or onboard navigation device. It can measure the distance between the car and the vehicle ahead and alert the driver if it's unsafe for prevailing conditions, warn if the car is straying over a continuous white line, exceeding speed limits and so on.
The system, now at the experimental stage, may be offered in top range BMWs within a few years. Its most exciting application will be its integration with Bosch's Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) and "steer by wire" systems.
These technologies have been developed to production stage by ZF Lenksysteme, a joint venture between Bosch and ZF Friedrichshafen, in cooperation with BMW. They are now available as options on the latest BMW 5-series models. The ESP is not only able to stabilise the car under threshold conditions through braking and engine systems, but also through the steering system.
The mechanical connection between steering wheel and road wheels is retained and, for the time being at least, this precludes pure steer-by-wire systems. However, it's possible to perform essential functions of steer-by-wire by means of the new active steering system. This enables electronic signal processing and networking, without breaking the mechanical connection between steering wheel and front axle.
The special feature of active steering is an overriding drive built into the steering column and controlled by software and sensors. If necessary, it can act on the steering independently of the driver via an electric motor. Depending on the circumstances, the wheels can be made to turn more or less sharply than indicated by the driver's steering.
Using its sensor data, Active Steering electronics can adjust the steering to respond rapidly to the threat of skidding.
By linking this technology with the electronic warning system the car can be programmed to slow down when too close to the vehicle in front, adjust speed for local limits and stay in lane.
According to Bosch researchers, it will be possible in the not too distant future to link the technology to an onboard navigation system creating the automotive version of an autopilot system. Systems such as these may make driving a little less fun for some of the more traditionalist motorists - but they will almost certainly make it safer.