It was a tragic accident. A few weeks ago, on the A6, a truck hit a family vehicle at the end of a traffic jam. Three children and the young mother are immediately killed, the father is trapped behind the wheel. It is - I myself am the father of a little daughter - a stroke of fate for which all words are missing. These situations are increasing. Traffic is increasing and the transport of goods on highways is no different. The danger remains. But as with all dangers, there are people who think about how to protect themselves. Find solutions. If you look into the automotive industry, it is the suppliers who have invented things like ABS, airbags and ESP to make everyday life on the road safer and to minimize the risks of accidents.
Already today it is an EU regulation that no new trucks can be registered that do not have ABS and ESP. For the future, the automotive supplier ZF has another solution in its portfolio.
Premiere of “Evasive Maneuver Assist” (EMA)
Networking and automation as key functions
It is the right step for more security. The networking of assistance systems and the integration of assistance systems already known in the car sector. The automotive supplier ZF TRW With the system called “EMA”, “Avoidance Assistant”, a system has been created with which the assistance system can take control of the truck if “braking” in front of an obstacle, for example the end of a traffic jam, is no longer possible . The driver gives the impulse to swerve, and the assistance system then takes control of the truck and its trailer. The electro-hydraulic power steering, also supplied by ZF, is part of the system. The driver's steering impulse would currently be - the system is still in a trial phase - definitely necessary, as the legislation does not allow “autonomous driving”, then cooperates with the “Highway Driving Assist” system and steers the truck into the free lane and at the same time initiates emergency braking.
ZF Innovation Truck 2016
EMA and HDA have now been presented to the trade press for the first time. The safety components were presented in a modern truck that ZF simply called the “Innovation Truck 2016”.
The “Evasive Maneuver Assist” is the result of the combination of safety innovations made by ZF and WABCO. The truck's electronic braking system comes from the Belgian supplier of braking and chassis systems.
A sudden “torn” of the steering wheel is understood by the “OnGoard brake assistant” from the supplier WABCO as a trigger moment to start the “avoidance assistant”. During automatic steering, the functional software continually recalculates the optimal avoidance curve and adjusts the steering angle accordingly. The EMA's integrated rollover protection function has been adapted for such extreme driving situations. The ZF Innovation Truck implements this networking of stability, braking systems and steering systems for the first time.
Tracking for trucks
What is already completely normal in the car segment, an active lane keeping assistant, is now being implemented by ZF in trucks for the first time with “Highway Driving Assist”. The system not only warns the driver of unintentional departure from the lane, but also independently and actively keeps the tractor-trailer on track. At the same time, it automatically monitors the safety distance to the vehicle in front across all speed ranges, which in this case even includes stopping and starting again.
With the “Innovation Truck 2016” ZF is demonstrating what is possible when a company works hard to make progress. The result is more security. Here’s to making tragic accidents a thing of the past!
