Subaru’s new Safety Systems “EyeSight” Can Recognize Brake Lights and Red Signals
Fuji Heavy Industries Reveals the Next Generation “EyeSight”
– All-New Stereo Camera Recognition Technology and Added Steering Assist Control for Better Safety and Further Reduced Driver’s Workload –
Date: October 2, 2013
Source: Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.
Tokyo, October 2, 2013 – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, has developed its next generation “EyeSight” advanced driving assist system to enhance safety performance and further reduce burden on the driver. FHI has fully revamped the stereo camera system from current version of EyeSight for significantly improved recognition accuracy and added steering assist control features.
The next generation EyeSight adopts the revamped stereo camera system enhanced with color recognition technology combined with an approximately 40% increase of viewing angle and visibility distance, expanding visible range, improving object recognition accuracy, and allowing it to recognize brake lights and red signals. The changes are an upgrade to all the basic EyeSight functions of avoiding collisions, reducing collision damage and reducing driver’s workload.
A new feature “Active Lane Keep System” has two functions. One is “Lane Keeping Assist” which recognizes the lines on both sides of the lane and has steering assist controls to keep the driver in the middle of the lane. The other one “Lane Departure Prevention Assist” will apply force to the steering wheel to suppress the deviation if the vehicle almost strays over the lane lines, enabling to further reduce the burden of driving. In addition, with color recognition for the stereo camera, EyeSight can detect brake lights of the vehicle ahead and link it to “Adaptive Cruise Control”, allowing even faster deceleration when following vehicles compared to current performance.
The current EyeSight is a system that uses only stereo cameras to measure distances and recognize objects. Just as a driver senses much information visually, it can recognize things like other vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles and lane lines, and also control the vehicle. Moreover, it includes multiple driver assistance features, such as “Pre-Collision Braking Control” to slow or stop the vehicle with automatic braking. Affordably priced at 100,000 JPY (tax excluded), EyeSight is a very popular feature with customers. The accumulated sales of the EyeSight-equipped models have surpassed 150,000 units*1 in Japan.
FHI is advancing the development for an achievement of “autonomous driving” as a safety technology to prevent traffic accidents aiming for zero accidents by automobiles. FHI is now one step closer to this goal with the new EyeSight system. Under the “Confidence in Motion” brand statement, FHI will continue to offer Subaru’s distinctive “Enjoyment and Peace of Mind” driving experience through its commitment to safety represented in the EyeSight technology as well as its continued pursuit of driving excellence.
The functions of newly-developed next generation EyeSight will be employed on new vehicles scheduled for release in Japan in 2014, rolled out to all models sequentially.
*1 According to in-house research (As of end of Sept. 2013)
Next generation EyeSight Features
Active Lane Keep System (New)
- Lane Keeping Assist
If EyeSight can recognize the lines on both sides of the lane when driving above approximately 65 km/h with Adaptive Cruise Control activated, it will automatically steer the vehicle to keep it in the middle of the lane. This greatly reduces the burden on the driver and supports stable driving. The system determines whether the driver is operating the steering wheel or not and if not in operation, it will turn this feature off. - Lane Departure Prevention Assist
If the vehicle is straying from the lines when driving over approximately 65 km/h as on limited-access highways, EyeSight will display and sound the lane departure warning and apply torque to the steering wheel to correct steering back to the center of the lane and suppress lane deviation.
Pre-Collision Braking Control
- The relative speed at which automatic braking is possible to avoid a collision between the vehicle and an object or reduce damage has been increased to approximately 50 km/h.
- By expanding visible range, stereo cameras can detect pedestrians crossing a street and pre-collision braking is applied at an earlier stage, enhancing performance of pedestrian protection.
Adaptive Cruise Control (Brake light recognition: New)
- The stereo cameras have been improved to increase response to acceleration and deceleration by the vehicle ahead, as well as improved performance in terms of tracking merging vehicles ahead and corners.
- With color recognition for the stereo cameras, EyeSight can detect brake lights of the vehicle ahead and link it to Adaptive Cruise Control, allowing even faster deceleration when following vehicles.
Pre-Collision Reverse Throttle Management (New)
If the system detects sudden accelerator input when in reverse, it displays and sounds a warning on sudden unintended acceleration and overrides the throttle to restrict abrupt driving in reverse.
Hazard Avoidance Assist (New)
If the system determines that collision with another vehicle or other obstacle in front of the vehicle is possible, it will assist the driver in steering to avoid the collision with integrated vehicle control technology in the VDC.
Fuji Heavy Industries unveils new safety features
Date: Oct. 2, 2013
Source: NHK World
Fuji Heavy Industries from Japan has unveiled its next-generation safety technologies for vehicles. It showcased a new device that can recognize brake lights and automatically slow a car down.
The manufacturer of Subaru vehicles already uses a safety system that enables a car to brake automatically. It features two cameras on the windshield that measure the distance to a vehicle in front.
Company officials say they have improved the system to recognize colors, such as those of brake lights.
They say this feature will allow the car to slow down more quickly, enhancing safety.
The company also unveiled a technology that assists steering. It will keep a car in the middle of its lane on an expressway. The system employs cameras that recognize lanes.
The automaker plans to install these safety features in its new models, to be released next year.