Subaru’s New EyeSight watches the road for you
by edit@cnet.com.au (Antuan Goodwin)Subaru has just announced that it has completed the development of a new driver aid system dubbed New EyeSight that watches the road ahead and can brake to avoid collisions.
New EyeSight’s stereoscopic cameras watch the road ahead for you.
(Credit: Subaru)
The New EyeSight set-up is based on Subaru’s current EyeSight system, which debuted in May 2008 and has been available since then in Japanese-market Subaru vehicles. It features dual forward-facing cameras to give the vehicle stereoscopic vision for pedestrian and obstacle detection. The new rig integrates with the other driver assist systems to improve overall vehicle safety.
The system adds a trio of features to Subaru’s safety and driver aid suite: pre-collision braking control, pre-collision brake assist and adaptive cruise control.
Pre-collision braking control and assist optically monitor the area in front of the vehicle for obstructions, such as other cars. If New EyeSight determines that a collision is imminent and the driver suddenly brakes, the braking assist function helps slow the vehicle more quickly. If there’s no action from the driver, the braking control system will assume that the driver isn’t paying attention and automatically slow the car to a stop to avoid collision. If the speed difference is less than 30km/h, the braking control system can avoid collision. At closing speeds greater than the 30km/h mark, the system’s auto-braking can at least reduce collision damage.
New EyeSight can discern other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
(Credit: Subaru)
Adaptive cruise control is exactly what you’d expect it to be. The system watches the road ahead and maintains a safe following distance from the vehicle in front. An all-speed range-tracking function allows the adaptive cruise to work in traffic jams, slowing the vehicle to a complete stop, holding it still and starting again when the lead vehicle moves. Most systems we’ve tested use lasers or radar to maintain their distances, so it’ll be interesting to see how the optics-based Subaru system holds up in, for example, foggy conditions where visibility is limited.
The New EyeSight will be available on Japanese-market Subaru Liberty/Legacy models starting in May 2010. According to Subaru Australia’s corporate affairs manager, David Rowley, Subaru is evaluating it for local use and it’s likely that it will appear in some range-topping models by the end of 2011.
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