Industry eyes: Blind-spot detection

Many drivers offer one simple excuse after an accident: "You were in my blind spot." If only they saw the vehicle speeding alongside their car or truck the crash might never have happened. Such accidents are numerous and severe enough for consumers to demand blind-spot detection technology.

One of the first General Motors cars offering such a system will be a Buick Company insiders say the division's brand mission is to be a technology leader so it's the logical choice to offer the first major collision avoidance unit

"We're moving as fast as we can towards a production application," says Mike Doble, concept vehicles/technology manger at Buick in Flint, Mich. While he won't lay out a specific time table for the system he says, "Buick is planning on it. We finally got the price down and we're ecstatic."

Development of the blind-spot unit, currently known as SideMinder, goes back to 1985, says its developer, Warren Hyland, president of AutoSense Ltd. in Las Vegas, Nev. California-based Siemens Microelectronics joined the effort in 1991 with its expertise in electro-optic components.

"We've been through the hoops over and over with the car companies. Now the package size and location works," Hyland says.

The unit sends out infrared beams from the mirror that cover an angle of about 35 degrees. Basically a triangle forms from the mirror rearward about 20 feet and out 10 feet from the side of the vehicle. As an object moves into that zone, the driver gets a warning. In current models, a triangle shaped icon on the exterior mirror changes from yellow to red

The system operates when the turn signal goes on, or it can be kept active all the time. Buick won't say how much this system will cost consumers but initial OEM cost will be under $100 for both sides of the vehicle, Hyland says. That should drop to under $50 when the system is offered on more vehicles. SideMinder units should appear in the 2001 model year, he says, but they might not be on a Buick

Another blind-spot detection method is being developed at DelphiDelco Electronics Systems. Known as Forewarn Side Detection Systems, the production units will also be mounted underneath the mirror. Today, both infrared and radar technologies are being studied.

"Infrared is probably going to be the first to market," says Kathy Fleck Forewarn product line manager at Delphi-Delco Electronics Systems in Kokomo, Ind. Then as the need for extended coverage grows, there would be a switch to a radar. `hat way you're not only telling someone that something's in their blind-spot, you're telling them, `Hey, someone's coming up really fast next to you."' Side detection is just part of the effort. Fleck says the company is working on an experimental collision avoidance vehicle with a 360-degree field of view around the vehicle.

Another version of blind-spot detection device comes from AL.I.R.T. Advanced Technology Products of Toronto, Ontario. The system uses a patented passive infrared sensor technology, which the company claims can sense thermal energy radiated from the tires of a moving vehicle. This difference between the roadway and tires is used to trigger a flabhing red light to warn the driver of the hazard.

Meanwhile, mirror-maker Donnelly Corp. uses Doppler radar in one of its systems. A in one of its systems. A transducer is placed in the outside mirror assembly and drivers are warned by icons on both the interior and exterior mirrors or by an indicator that shows up on a head-up display

Further out on the horizon are Donnelly-leveloped panoramic vision displays. Three cameras give the driver an image of what's happening on both sides and in the back of the vehicle. "It gives you a 70-degree field of view," says Niall Lynam, chief technical officer at the Donnelly Corp. in Holland, Mich. "It's enormous. Obviously, there's no blind-spot left." The unit should be on concept vehicles next year.

Of course, there's a simple, low-tech method for blind-spot detection that's been a successful and popular option on millions of vehicles in Europe and Japan for more than 20 years. That technique is aspheric or multiradius mirrors, which have a 40 degree field of view. Due to government regulations, U.S. automakers can only use a flat mirror. That type of mirror basically has a 15-degree field of view. Sounds like a rather short-sighted view of technology.