TRW Automotive unveils advanced automatic emergency braking systems

TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. has announced the development of its latest intelligent safety system - automatic emergency braking (AEB), which the company says can potentially mitigate the severity of accidents and therefore help reduce the dangers to drivers and passengers.

AEB combines advanced environmental sensing and brake systems to slow a vehicle and potentially lessen the severity of an impact when a collision is unavoidable.

"Automatic Emergency Braking is the ultimate expression of TRW's suite of pre-crash automotive technologies," said Josef Pickenhahn, vice president of braking engineering for TRW. "AEB combines advanced driver assist systems and premium electronic stability control to rapidly decelerate the vehicle with or without driver intervention if a crash is determined to be inevitable."

TRW's AEB systems can utilise Long Range Radar (LRR) or Medium Range Radar (MRR) in combination with a video camera (usually mounted behind the rear view mirror facing forward through the windshield). These sensors independently gather data - the LRR or MRR looks forward in a long but narrower field of view while the camera covers a wider field of view and helps detect and classify objects such as other vehicles.

The data gathered by each of these sensors is fed to the control unit and is constantly compared every 40 milliseconds in what is called data fusion. Both sensors need to independently verify the criticality of a foreseeable crash and confirm that AEB should be deployed. The rapid deceleration of the vehicle can then be accomplished through the use of a premium electronic stability control unit that can build high levels of brake pressure quickly.

Pickenhahn added: "AEB is another example of a Cognitive Safety System that is constantly sensing the environment, analyzing the situation and acting in the most appropriate way to help keep drivers and passengers safer."

With 2007 sales of $14.7 billion, TRW Automotive ranks among the world's leading automotive suppliers. Its products include integrated vehicle control and driver assist systems, braking systems, steering systems, suspension systems, occupant safety systems (seat belts and airbags), electronics, engine components, fastening systems and aftermarket replacement parts and services.