SUBARU Eyesight in the test

With the new SUBARU Outback (driving report) SUBARU is also presenting its Eyesight assistance system on the German market at the same time.

This is how the Eyesight system from SUBARU works

The system is based on a stereo camera and has been used in other markets since 2008. With the 2015 model year of the new Subaru Outback, the Japanese manufacturer is now bringing its Eyesight to Germany. However, some details have been revised. The cameras are now looking to 40% more in width and just as much further forward than before. The two cameras are the heart of the system and sit on the top window frame near the inside mirror.

Unlike in the automotive industry, Subaru is open-minded about the technology and even reveals who the supplier of the system is. The cameras are supplied by Hitachi, for example. The control systems were then developed by Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru.

Test - Subaru eyesight system

The Press appointment for the new Subaru Outback not only provided an impression of the new Outback, but also enabled a first “dry test” of the Eyesight system. Very brave Japanese fitted the Outback test car with a GoPro and captured the experiment on film:

EyeSight features include a predictive Brake Assist
(Pre-Collision Braking Control), an adaptive speed and distance control
(Adaptive Cruise Control), a Lane Departure Warning
Lane Sway Warning Assistant, a pre-collision throttle
Management) as well as a so-called “Lead Vehicle Start Alert”, which notifies the driver at a traffic light or in a traffic jam when the vehicle stopped in front of him starts. The stereo cameras used for the system are located inside the car. They are mounted as integrated units on the right and left sides of the rearview mirror. The ability to identify objects achieved in this way is similar in complexity to that of the human eye.

Difference between “lane guidance assistant” and “lane keeping assistant”

The two assistance systems sound similar and also have comparable tasks. While the lane keeping assistant is intended to prevent you from leaving the lane by beeping annoyingly, the “lane control assistant” (Lane Sway Warning) takes on the task of a drowsiness warning.

The Lane Keeping Assist is currently still designed as a passive assistant. He warns, but he doesn't intervene. Although the Subaru Outback has electric power steering, the implementation of an active “driving aid” that counteracts the unintentional crossing of a lane through the influence of steering force or through “counter-steering” has not yet been implemented. However, in discussions with Japanese engineers and developers, there was an agreement that this system is coming. The market just has to demand it. Now you can say that there are drivers who don't like it when the car uses an assistant to intervene in the steering. Yes, that may be the case, but the decision should rest with the customer and if the system is on board, you can always turn it off.

Personally, I find the pure beeping not sufficient. During the test drives on country roads in Slovenia, the impression emerged that the system would either beep too often - or too late. After the first admittedly rather short test drive, I wasn't really convinced yet.

Lane Sway Warning however, could be a real help. Many drivers are unaware of the fact that they are getting tired. If attention drops, it is a gradual process. But some people know the result. You no longer drive concentrated and a kind of serpentine line within your own lane. Hardly noticeable for yourself - the lane control assistant should warn in this situation. This function has not yet been tested.

Pre-Collision Braking- worked well. As you can see in the video above. Also the work of the adaptive tempomat is good. This accelerates the vehicle already when starting the overtaking process, if previously a higher speed was set by cruise control.

Eyesight - a right, an important step

There are still drivers who want the leather reins of the carriage back and reject assistance systems. That's nonsense, of course, because no human being is infallible. And anyone who drives a 1.5 ton object on the motorway at 200 km/h should not be averse to having a “good friend” at their side. How do you always say? Four eyes see more than two. The two cameras from Eyesight are therefore the right step. Although there is still potential for optimization.

 

 

 

 

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