Brake assist
Encyclopedia
Brake Assist is a generic term for an automobile
braking technology that increases braking pressure in an emergency situation. The first application was developed jointly by Daimler-Benz
and TRW/LucasVarity. Research conducted in 1992 at the Mercedes-Benz driving simulator in Berlin revealed that more than 90% of drivers fail to brake with enough force in emergency situations.
and SL-Class
. In 1998 Mercedes-Benz became the first company to make Brake Assist standard equipment on all its models; other brands including Volvo and BMW soon followed suit.
Other systems like the Volvo CWAB (see below) are also available such as the Mercedes-Benz Brake Assist Plus (BAS Plus) was first made standard equipment on the W221 (2006 onwards) S-Class Mercedes-Benz
. This system works much like the Volvo system with a warning and precharging of the brakes but will not automatically brake for you. The BAS Plus system has been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of rear-end collisions, and so is very significant in the development of driver aids that improve road safety.
Both the Volvo and the Mercedes-Benz radar systems are also used for the speed/distance regulated cruise control systems used by both manufacturers.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
braking technology that increases braking pressure in an emergency situation. The first application was developed jointly by Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines; founded in 1926. An Agreement of Mutual Interest - which was valid until year 2000 - was signed on 1 May 1924 between Karl Benz's Benz & Cie., and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, which had...
and TRW/LucasVarity. Research conducted in 1992 at the Mercedes-Benz driving simulator in Berlin revealed that more than 90% of drivers fail to brake with enough force in emergency situations.
Overview
Brake Assist detects circumstances in which emergency braking is required by measuring the speed with which the brake pedal is depressed. Some systems additionally take into account the rapidity of which the gas pedal is released, pre-tensioning the brakes when a "panic release" of the gas is noted. When panic braking is detected, the Brake Assist system automatically develops maximum brake boost in order to mitigate a drivers tendency to brake without enough force. In doing so, Brake Assist has been shown to reduce stopping distance by a significant margin; up to 20% in some studies.Mercedes-Benz
In December 1996 BAS premiered to the world on the Mercedes-Benz S-ClassMercedes-Benz S-Class
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a series of luxury sedans produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The classification was officially introduced in 1972 with the W116 S-Class, which succeeded previous Mercedes-Benz models dating to the mid-1950s...
and SL-Class
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
The Mercedes-Benz SL is a grand tourer manufactured by Mercedes since 1954. The designation SL derives from the German Sport Leicht, or Sport Lightweight — and was first applied to the 300SL 'Gullwing' named also after its gullwing or upward-opening doors.The term SL-Class refers to the...
. In 1998 Mercedes-Benz became the first company to make Brake Assist standard equipment on all its models; other brands including Volvo and BMW soon followed suit.
Other systems like the Volvo CWAB (see below) are also available such as the Mercedes-Benz Brake Assist Plus (BAS Plus) was first made standard equipment on the W221 (2006 onwards) S-Class Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz W221
The Mercedes-Benz W221 is a chassis code of S-Class, the successor of Mercedes-Benz W220.The vehicle was unveiled in 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show.-Styling:The W221 S-Class' exterior styling is distinctly different to the W220...
. This system works much like the Volvo system with a warning and precharging of the brakes but will not automatically brake for you. The BAS Plus system has been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of rear-end collisions, and so is very significant in the development of driver aids that improve road safety.
Volvo
The Volvo system Collision Warning with Auto Brake 'CWAB' uses a radar to detect when a collision is likely and will pre-charge the brakes so that when the driver uses the brakes, however lightly, full braking is applied. The system will also flash a light and make a warning sound, if the driver does not respond to the warning at the point where a collision cannot be avoided the system will apply the brakes automatically and dramatically reduce the speed of the collision.Other
Volvo cars can also be equipped with the City Safety System which automatically brakes in stop start traffic. Mercedes-Benz also has a similar system called Distronic Plus.Both the Volvo and the Mercedes-Benz radar systems are also used for the speed/distance regulated cruise control systems used by both manufacturers.
European Commission announcement
In October 2007 the European Commission announced that it wanted Brake Assist to be included on all new models sold in the EU as standard by 2009.See also
- Precrash systemPrecrash systemA precrash system is an automobile safety system designed to reduce the severity of an accident. Also known as forward collision warning systems they use radar and sometimes laser sensors to detect an imminent crash...
- Electronic brakeforce distributionElectronic brakeforce distributionElectronic brakeforce distribution ', Electronic brakeforce limitation ' is an automobile brake technology that automatically varies the amount of force applied to each of a vehicle's brakes, based on road conditions, speed, loading, etc...
- Anti-lock braking
- Electronic Stability ControlElectronic Stability ControlElectronic stability control is a computerized technology that may potentially improve the safety of a vehicle's stability by detecting and minimizing skids. When ESC detects loss of steering control, it automatically applies the brakes to help "steer" the vehicle where the driver intends to go...