Bendix Introduces Wingman Fusion Warning-Control System
Wingman Fusion uses camera and radar to track following distances, detect vehicles in a truck’s path, monitor lane departure, and warn drivers and fleets when a truck exceeds posted speed limits.
The announcement came March 25 at the Mid-America Trucking Show here.
The system detects vehicles moving into a truck’s travel lane and sounds an alert to the driver, or applies brakes if the truck is following the other vehicle too closely. It also can see a vehicle stopped in the truck’s lane and sound an alert, and if needed, apply brakes to slow or stop the truck.
The lane departure feature uses a video camera to pick up road service markings and alerts the driver when the truck drifts out of its lane.
Wingman Fusion uses a camera to read speed limit signs, and the system alerts the driver if the truck is 5 mph over the posted limit. When the truck goes over another speed threshold, such as 10 mph, the system backs off the throttle and sends a “critical event” message to the fleet office.
T.J. Thomas, director of Bendix Marketing and Customer Solutions-Controls, said that the system is flexible. For example, if the forward-looking radar-video system detects an object in the truck’s path but cannot identify it as a vehicle, it alerts the driver but does not activate automatic braking.
The system prioritizes several warnings occurring at the same time, favoring the collision avoidance/mitigation system over lane departures, for example.
International Truck announced at MATS that it will offer the Bendix Wingman Fusion system on its ProStar trucks. The system can be ordered now on ProStar sleepers, with availability in May. It will be available on daycab and LoneStar models later in the year.
