The Bavarian manufacturer unveiled a new motorcycle and car communication system that aims to prevent cars pulling across the path of oncoming bikes. The „Left Turn Assistant” is activated automatically in the BMW 5 Series test vehicle as soon as the car’s sensors detect that it is entering the left-turn lane and the car registers the driver’s wish to turn off. Recognition of the left-turn lane takes place on two levels. The vehicle positioning function of the navigation system allows the location of the car to be fixed to within a metre at intersections.
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And a mono camera, comparable with standard cameras already in use, registers the turn-off lane markings and lane borders on the road. With the left turn assistant activated, three laser scanners in the front end of the car map the area up to 100 metres in front of the car. The laser scanners pick up not only cars and trucks, but also motorcycles. If the sensors detect vehicles approaching from the opposite direction but the car continues to move into the intersection, the left turn assistant activates an automatic braking input in a low speed range up to 10 km/h to prevent a collision. At the same time, a warning sound and relevant warning symbols in the instrument cluster and Head-Up Display advise the driver of the reason for the intervention. This automated action is triggered deliberately without a prior warning stage, as a rapid response is vital in this situation to prevent the car from moving into the intersection and presenting an obstacle to oncoming traffic. If the driver first had to react to a warning, the car would continue forward into the collision area and an accident would no longer be avoidable.
The left turn assistant can activate an automatic braking input
The left turn assistant is designed to work at speeds of up to 10 km/h. The automated braking function does not therefore trigger dramatic deceleration from high speed, but instead should be viewed as a system that prevents the car from moving off or continuing along its path. As soon as the driver engages the brakes himself, the braking input triggered by the left turn assistant is disengaged and the car is “released” again to continue normal driving. To maximise safety the driver can always override the left turn assistant. For example, if the driver needs to guide the car to the side of an intersection to clear the way for an emergency vehicle, he can do so at any time with a short dab of the accelerator.
The premiere of the left turn assistant will take place as part of the INTERSAFE 2 Final Event on 17 and 18 May at a closed-off intersection in Wolfsburg. The premiere will therefore be held in a real-life environment, rather than under test conditions, as is usually the case.
via BMW
