Tactile Mobility Launches New Virtual Sensor Solution to Prevent Vehicles from Running Over Objects Completely

According to foreign media reports, Tactile Mobility, a tactile data and virtual sensing technology company, has launched a runover virtual sensor solution that enables vehicles to determine the object being hit in real time, thereby preventing complete runover.

(Image source: Tactile Mobility)

The software-only solution uses tactile technology to detect objects of varying heights, sizes, shapes and materials on the road, such as people, road debris and other objects. The virtual sensor prevents the vehicle from running over objects, which could cause injury, death or damage to the vehicle. The virtual sensor will be added to the Tactile Processor Platform, which includes the company's suite of virtual sensors, such as sensors for grip estimation, tire health, road surface perception, and vehicle health.

According to NHTSA, hundreds of children are killed and thousands injured each year in non-traffic accidents in parking lots and on the road. Runover virtual sensors in self-driving cars and ADAS-equipped vehicles can send signals to the vehicle to alert the vehicle and driver at different stages of the run, thereby helping to reduce casualties. This new virtual sensor will enable the vehicle to sense the road, identify the type of material under the tire, and issue an alert when a collision initially occurs, preventing the vehicle from completely running over the object and causing a fatal accident.

Three-quarters of Americans are afraid to ride in fully self-driving cars. To gain the public's trust, self-driving cars must be safer than human-controlled cars. To do this, self-driving cars must respond to vehicle road dynamics like human drivers, or even better than human drivers, and must not only be able to "see" the road ahead, but also be able to "feel" road friction, roughness, curves, slopes, bumps and objects on the road. Runover sensors allow vehicles to sense the road and respond to obstacles, hazards and vulnerable objects, thereby significantly reducing damage.

Tactile Mobility's solutions include vehicle computer-based on-board modules and cloud-based systems. Its software collects primary data from the vehicle's built-in non-visual sensors, including wheel speed, wheel angle, rotation speed, and gear position, and then analyzes it to obtain actionable information in real time. This information provides a clear and accurate description and analysis of the vehicle, road, and vehicle-road dynamics. Due to its availability, accuracy, and high quality, this data can be used in areas such as road planning and management, tire condition and wear tracking, and insurance.