ZF Unveils Evasive Maneuver System, Outlines Automated Vehicle Strategy
AACHEN, Germany — ZF Friedrichshafen has announced a new collision avoidance technology that incorporates active steering, marking the next step in the component supplier’s broader push to enable automated driving capabilities.
The Evasive Maneuver Assist system, which ZF developed jointly with Wabco Holdings Inc., is designed to activate in situations where the truck cannot avoid a rear-end collision through braking alone.
In those cases, the system engages to help the driver steer around another vehicle or other obstruction in the road and bring the truck to a safe stop.
This new driver-assist function combines Wabco’s OnGuardActive radar-based collision mitigation technology with ZF’s electrohydraulic ReAX power steering system.
The evasive maneuvering capability can prevent crashes in situations such as traffic jams that appear suddenly after curves or when driving on wet road surfaces, the companies said.
During a June 28 press briefing here, CEO Stefan Sommer said ZF’s technology strategy over the next decade will focus primarily on industry “mega-trends” toward greater safety, efficiency and automated driving.
He said ZF is developing technologies that “see,” “think” and “act” to help support the emergence of autonomous driving features.
Onboard sensor technology, such as radar, cameras and lidar, enables the system to “see” by detecting the vehicle’s environment, Sommer said. The next step is to draw conclusions from that information and calculate the best path forward. And finally, the vehicle will need to incorporate components that enable automated acceleration, braking and steering to act based upon those calculations.
