IN a move that could have come from Tom Cruise’s film Minority Report, Honda has launched a cruise control system that can tell the future and spot bad drivers.
Claiming a world first, Honda’s predictive cruise control system, called Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (i-ACC), is capable of foreseeing and automatically reacting to other idiot drivers ‘cutting-in’ to the car’s lane.
The new i-ACC system is able to spot wayward driver behaviour up to five seconds before it occurs
Based on extensive real-world research of typical European driving styles, i-ACC uses a camera and radar to sense the position of other vehicles on the road. It then applies an algorithm to predict the likelihood of vehicles in neighbouring lanes cutting-in by evaluating relations between multiple vehicles, enabling the equipped vehicle to react quickly, safely and comfortably.
Dr. Kleinehagenbrock, responsible for i-ACC at Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) said: “i-ACC takes cruise control systems to a whole new level, offering what we call ‘predictive safety’.”
The system will make its debut this year on the new European CR-V, building upon the traditional Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system.
Traditional ACC systems keep an eye on the car in front but have to brake harder if some reckless motorist cuts in.
The new i-ACC system is able to spot wayward driver behaviour up to five seconds before it occurs, making for a smoother, more controlled braking manoeuvre. In this case the system applies just a mild brake initially, with an icon appearing on the driver display, informing the driver why a slow-down occurs. It then proceeds to apply a stronger brake to adapt the velocity to keep a safe distance. The system recognises the side of the road you are driving on whether in the UK or on the continent and automatically detects which neighbouring vehicle is the most critical to be aware of at any given moment.
