ZF Showcases Advanced Partially Automated Driving Functions

ZF is proudly exhibiting advanced partially automated driving capabilities for customers at its Driver Assist Systems plant in Brest, France. Drivers will get a chance to experience a ‘Highway Driving Assist Multi-Lane’ feature which merges environmental sensing, braking, automatic steering, and acceleration to help maintain vehicle control. The revolutionary system can support automatic, driver initiated lane changes which spot the lane type and presence in neighboring lanes.

In a statement, Karl-Heinz Glander, chief engineering manager for Automated Driving Systems at ZF, explained that enabling the next generation of vehicles to See, Think and Act in increasingly integrated and intelligent ways would help redefine the future of mobility, and automated functions would be applied across the wide array of transportation sector. He added that for vehicles on the highway, it would be a huge step forward to add multi-lane features such as overtaking assistance to existing longitudinal and lateral control functions, hence further supporting driver safety and comfort.

The blend of decision-making, perception, planning and vehicle control enables hands-free and feet-free highway driving speeds from 0-130 kph, including automated driver-initiated (or vehicle-proposed and driver-confirmed) lane changes.

Integrated in the demonstration vehicle are ZF TRW’s AC1000 radars and next generation camera systems along with its Electrically Powered Steering Belt Drive (EPS BD) and Electronic Stability Control. It merges automated longitudinal control with automated lateral control functionalities and adds AC1000 short range radars on the corners of the vehicle to support, for instance, the overtake feature.

Thanks to the automated longitudinal control, the vehicle is kept at a set speed and/or safe distance from the vehicle in front, while the lateral controller helps keep the car in the center of the lane. When there is a slower moving vehicle, the side facing radars have the capability to spot vehicles in adjacent lanes and determine if there is an adequate gap to overtake safely. If so, the automated driving system can notify the driver of the option to overtake the slower vehicle through the HMI interface. The driver can get the recommendation by activating the turn indicator. Then, the lateral controller and vehicle steering system executes the lane change maneuver. Plus, the driver can override the system ay time.

Glander further explained that the new lane change feature is another milestone on the roadmap to automated driving, and the 360 degree sensor system could also support further safety and comfort improvements such as collision avoidance, automated parking, and blind spot detection. He concluded that the system could also be merged with advanced vehicle control systems such as active kinematic control for rear wheel steering maneuverability and continuous damping control enabling for enhanced comfort and safety from the active suspension system.