WABCO Holdings Inc. a leading global supplier of technologies that improve the safety, efficiency and connectivity of commercial vehicles, demonstrated recently the prototype of a breakthrough collision avoidance technology for commercial vehicles. Jointly developed by WABCO and ZF, the Evasive Maneuver Assist (EMA) combines WABCO’s world-class braking, stability and vehicle dynamics control systems on trucks and trailers with ZF’s top active steering technology, an industry first. EMA marks yet another critical step toward enabling autonomous driving in the commercial vehicle industry.
Evasive Maneuver Assist leverages the capabilities of WABCO’s industry-leading OnGuardACTIVE, its most advanced, radar-only collision mitigation system. A radar sensor identifies moving or stationary vehicles ahead and alerts the driver via visual, audio and haptic signals of impending rear-end collisions. Should the driver determine that the system cannot avoid a rear-end collision by driver-initiated or autonomous braking alone, Evasive Maneuver Assist engages to help the driver to safely steer around an obstructing vehicle and to bring truck and trailer to a complete and safe stop. In such situations, this new collision avoidance function is connecting WABCO’s proven electronic braking system (EBS), advanced emergency braking system (AEBS), electronic stability control (ESC) and vehicle dynamics control systems to ZF’s electrohydraulic ReAX power steering system.
Based on the core competencies of WABCO and ZF systems, Evasive Maneuver Assist controls both the longitudinal and lateral movements of heavy-duty trucks and trailers in challenging driving situations at high-speed, thereby, helping to avoid rear-end collisions. Critical driving situations may include traffic jams that appear suddenly after curves or when driving on wet, low friction road surfaces.
“Today’s Evasive Maneuver Assist prototype demonstration is a powerful example of WABCO and ZF’s leadership in developing advanced safety technologies for commercial vehicles. Evasive Maneuver Assist connects WABCO’s braking and stability control systems with ZF’s active steering solution for the first time and marks an important step toward realizing the transportation industry’s vision of autonomous driving” said Mr. Jacques Esculier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, WABCO.
“I’m excited that ZF and WABCO joined forces to combine their world-class steering and braking technologies to create a new collision avoidance functionality for commercial vehicles. Evasive Maneuver Assist is yet another industry leading innovation that has the potential to significantly advance commercial vehicle and road safety worldwide” said Dr. Stefan Sommer, Chief Executive Officer, ZF Friedrichshafen AG.
WABCO and ZF demonstrated Evasive Maneuver Assist for the very first time at the test track of RWTH Aachen University in Aldenhoven, Germany.