Standard cruise control has a
major deficiency in that it knows nothing about vehicles ahead, and one can
easily collide with the rear end of another vehicle if not careful. In a smart
cruise control system a microwave or optical radar detects the presence of a
vehicle ahead and measures that distance. But there is a question of what to do
with this information. Just warn the driver with some visual or auditory alarm
(auditory is better because the driver does not have to be looking in the right
place)? Can a warning be too late to elicit braking, or surprise the driver so
that he brakes too suddenly and causes a rear-end accident to his own vehicle.
Should the computer automatically apply the brakes by some function of distance
to obstacle ahead, speed, and closing deceleration, If the computer did all the
braking would the driver become complacent and not pay attention, to the point
where a serious accident would occur if the radar failed to detect an obstacle,
say, a pedestrian or bicycle, or the computer failed to brake?
Should braking be some combination
of human and computer braking, and if so by what algorithm?
These are human factor questions
which are currently being researched.
It is interesting to note that
current developmental systems only decelerate and downshift, mostly because if
the vehicle manufacturers sell vehicles which claim to perform braking they
would be open to a new and worrisome area of litigation.
The same radar technology that can
warn the driver or help control the vehicle can also be applied to cars
overtaking from one side or the other. Another set of questions then arises as
to how and what to communicate to the driver and whether or not to trigger some
automatic control maneuver in certain cases.
