Meritor Wabco launches next-generation collision warning system

Meritor WABCO's Collision Management System (CMS) has been used in commercial vehicles for nearly five years. The system uses a three-beam radar device to detect vehicles ahead with a range of 150 meters (492 feet).

Alan Korn, head of vehicle control systems at Meritor Wabco, said their biggest challenge now is that the system can only detect objects in front of it, but cannot distinguish whether the detected object in front is a Coke can or a large truck.

The next-generation OnGuard system has 34 independent beams that can scan all objects within 18° in front, within 200 meters away, and within 56° to the side and within 60 meters away.

“With the next generation of systems coming to market, the radar sensing system is more robust and can scan from multiple angles to see if an object is a threat to the vehicle, and then decide whether to apply the brakes or issue a warning,” Korn explained.

When the system determines that a rear-end collision is about to occur, the system will sound an alarm and a warning light will appear on the high-resolution LCD screen on the instrument panel, changing its color from green to yellow or even red. The new generation of the system will also automatically make fine adjustments, making ±3° adaptive adjustments in the horizontal and vertical planes of the radar scan, while the previous generation of the system required manual correction.

Because the next-generation system will have a wider scanning sensing coverage, the system will also be able to identify vehicles in adjacent lanes.

The system does not wait for the driver to react, as the driver will not make the correct evasive response when sensing a threatening vehicle in the adjacent lane. At this time, the system brakes automatically based on the detected situation.

Jon Morrison, general manager of Meritor Wabco, said the company has been working to improve the capabilities of the OnGuard system since 2004, when the technology was not yet available on the market, but has undergone many improvements. Since that year, more than 25,000 commercial vehicles have been equipped with the system and have driven more than 3 billion miles.

The next generation of CMS will be available after October 1, 2012. Company officials hope to add the ability to detect stationary objects by 2014.

The company also launched the LDW fatigue driving detection system and the ESCsmart electronic stability control system. More than 150,000 stability control systems from Meritor Wabco have been used on long-distance transport trucks, fire trucks, and buses in North America.

Morrison said, “Meritor Wabco will work with OEMs to overcome technical challenges and achieve the goal of further technological advancement.”