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Pooling strengths:

the system proposes the driver decides.

Driver assistance systems are vehicle functions which helpthe driver to take in information and make the right decisions,and relieve him of awkward driving tasks. In the future, thetargeted provision of information will make it even easier forthe driver to make the right decisions quickly. The result isassured responses at the wheel, even in complex road situa-tions. To this end, the primary aim is always for man andmachine to combine their strengths through an intelligentsharing of tasks.

BMW Group driver assistance systems.More comfort, greater assurance,improved safety.


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Navigation.

Navigating around the road network is a multi-

layered and challenging task, but one which is

already made a great deal easier for the driver

by a satellite-based navigation system. This

technology plans the best route for the journey

before the driver sets off, amends the route

during the journey in response to the latest

trafc information, for example and provides

additional information, such as the characte-

ristics of the road ahead, congestion bulletins

and detailed information on all kinds of fea-

tures, landmarks and amenities along the way.

Lane-keeping.

Driver assistance systems such as the Lane

Departure Warning system or Active Cruise

Control with Stop & Go function make driving

easier and help the driver to take the right

decisions at the wheel.

Vehicle Control.

Chassis control systems hugely increase

safety in critical driving situations by interve-

ning directly in various elements o f the vehicle

processes, such as the management of engine

output and braking impulses. Dynamic Stability

Control (DSC), for example, prevents the vehi-

cle from oversteering and keeps it on track.

Out on the road, the latest driver assistance

systems often see these three levels over-

lap. However, all of these systems serve the

purpose of relieving the stress on the driver,

improving his performance at the wheel and

thus enhancing comfort and safety.

The 3-level model.

The driving tasks in a car can be subdivided into three levels: Navigation, Lane-keeping

and Vehicle Control. Driver assistance systems provide useful support on all three levels.

Navigation. Lane-Keeping. Vehicle C ontrol.

The 3-level model

As the driver we are and will remain the element of the driver-vehicle-environment

triangle with the most control. However, despite our strengths we repeatedly come up against our

physiological limits. In certain situations, assistance from a technical system where it has denite

and clearly recognisable added value is useful and desirable.

3

- Flexibili ty to respond to the

situation as required

- Rapid decision-making, even

in highly complex situations

- Forward-thinking responses

- Rapid interpretatio n of

situations

- Strongly developed ability

to improvise

- Instantaneous ethical

assessment of situations

- No susceptibility to fatigue,

stress or distraction

- Objective measuring and

assessment of physical

values such as distance

and relative speed

- Fast pre-programme d reactions

with high level of precision

- Precise and reliable repetition

of pre-dened processes

Human strengthsStrengths of

technical systems

The best of both worlds

Driver

-vehicle-environmenttriangle


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Benet to customers is the focal point.

The primary concern of the BMW Group in the application of assistance systems is always the

benet to customers. Driver assistance systems need to demonstrate clear added value for the

driver; they have to be reliable, user-friendly, practical, safe and functional. This is the exacting

standard demanded of all the companys developments.

Aim: Relieving stress.

Driver assistance systems relieve the stress on

the driver by assuming responsibility for repeti-

tive tasks to a pre-dened degree. High-Beam

Assistant is a prime example. This system

automatically switches off the full-beam head-

lights when a vehicle comes into view on either

side of the road ahead, or if the road is already

sufciently illuminated e.g. in built-up areas.

The switch from low beam to full beam also

takes place automatically. The system is based

on a camera integrated into the rear-view mirror

which monitors brightness and other

vehicles on the road. This technology signi-

cantly reduces the burden on the driver.

Aim: Extending range of competency.

Driver assistance systems expand the range

of the drivers ability by providing him with rele-

vant information on the current driving situation

such as the characteristics of the road ahead

and difcult-to-spot objects at night. This ena-

bles the driver to react with greater assurance

and foresight.

Leading the way through the decades.

How it all began.

1976: Check-Control

1978: Cruise Control, ABS (Anti-lock

Braking System)

1980: Trip computer

1981: Service interval indicator

1987: ASC (Automatic Stability Control)

1991: Park Distance Control (ultrasound-

based parking aid)

1992: Xenon light

1994: Integrated navigation system

2000: Active Cruise Control

2001: Two-stage brake light

2003: Active Steering

Adaptive Headlights

Head-up Display

World premiere: assistance systems in

the 1970s, the radar-equipped BMW Tur-

bo, ABS, the precursor to the trip compu-

ter and much more besides.

In 1972 BMW presented the worlds rst

safety sports car: the BMW Turbo. This new

model was designed as an innovative research

laboratory on wheels and saw BMW showcase

a range of groundbreaking driver assistance

systems: ABS, a radar-controlled distance

warning device and a lateral acceleration mea-

suring system were pioneering developments

which set the benchmark for driving safety

over the years to come. The radar-controlled

distance warning device alerted the driver with

a buzzing sound if he drew too close to the

vehicle in front and reduced the cars speed

to avoid a rear-end collision. The BMW Turbo

was also tted with a new system which kept

a constant eye on the cars safety status. This

was the precursor to Check Control.

The BMW Group can look back on more than

three decades of development work in which it

has taken a leading role with numerous innova-

tions and prepared successful driver assistance

systems for introduction into series production.

For example:

In 1978 BMW launched the BMW 7 Series,

the worlds rst series-produced vehicle tted

with ABS and Cruise Control.

In 1987 BMW developed Automatic Stability

Control (ASC), which helped to stop the driven

wheels from spinning and prevent the resultant

under-/oversteer when accelerating out

of corners.

In 1994 the BMW 750i was tted with

Europes rst integrated navigation system.

The process that began as an experiment

with the BMW Turbo in 1972 quickly became

reality: pioneering driver assistance systems

brought successful and groundbreaking active

safety measures and enhanced comfort to all

BMW Group vehicles.

Driver assistance systems of yesterday BMW Group takes on a pioneering role.

Systems such as the Head-Up Display, Night Vision and parking systems are underpinned by

state-of-the-art, innovative technologies developed since the start of the current millennium.

However, driver assistance has been a rm xture in BMW Group vehicles for over 30 years.

5

Relieving stressthrough delegationof tasks

Extending rangeof competency

Everyday driving

Cutting thedrivers workload

Better skills

+ +


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Driver assistance today.

The BMW Group offers its customers a broad

spectrum of innovative driver assistance

technologies which meet the companys high

standards. These include systems that improve

visibility, chassis control systems and com-

fort functions, as well as efcient information

management and solutions for the interface

between man and machine.

Light and sight.

Improvements in visibility, in particular at night,

allow drivers to respond safely and with great

assurance to situations on the road.

BMW Group driver assistance systems in this

area include Adaptive Headlights, High-Beam

Assistant and Night Vision:

As an extension of conventional headlights,

Adaptive Headlights are tted with horizon-

tally pivoting light modules. Sensors constantly

record data such as speed and steering angle.

Electromechanical motors adjust the illuminati-

on from the xenon headlights to follow the path

and characteristics of corners.

During the hours of darkness, the thermal

imaging camera of the Night Vision system

ensures that people and animals on the road

are clearly visible. Differences in temperature

are detected as much as 300 metres ahead of

the car and the area illuminated by the full-

beam headlights is signicantly extended.

The electronic zoom function, meanwhile, dis-

plays an enlarged image of objects located fur-

ther away. Using thermal radiation to produce

a black-and-white image of the scene ahead

allows the driver to spot living obstacles on the

road that much more quickly. At a speed of

100 km/h, these key attributes give the driver

up to ve seconds longer to react as required.

Dynamics and safety.

The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) one

of the early groundbreaking driver assistance

systems is now an essential feature of all

BMW Group vehicles. Today, this system

comes as part of a package with Dynamic

Stability Control (DSC) to facilitate car con-

trol and enhance driving safety. DSC detects

understeer or oversteer in its early stages. By

analysing the cars yaw rate, and at the same

time taking into account the steering wheel

position, vehicle speed, lateral acceleration

and lateral movement, DSC can detect vehicle

instability in an instant. Through nely calcula-

ted brake impulses and tweaks in the engine

management, the system adjusts the forces

channelled through the individual wheels and

brings the car back onto the course set by the

driver through his steering wheel position.

Functions such as Active Cruise Control

with Stop & Go function (ACC Stop & Go)

support the driver in a linear ow of trafc. This

system controls the speed of the car and its

distance to the vehicle in front.

ACC Stop & Go uses radar sensors to calculate

the permanent acceleration and braking mano-

euvres sometimes to a standstill required

in heavy trafc conditions and tailbacks. The

system adapts the cars speed in slow-moving

trafc according to the progress of the vehicle

in front, allowing the driver to maintain safe

progress between vehicles, free from stress

and the danger of accidents. In so doing, the

car accelerates, brakes and stops automatically

within dened limits according to the trafc

situation. The driver receives an audible and

visual alert if heavier braking is required.

The Lane Departure Warning system pro-

vides assistance for the driver when it comes to

lateral manoeuvres. This system uses a camera

mounted into the rear-view mirror to recognise

lane markings, and warns the driver by sending

vibrations through the steering wheel if the

car is moving unintentionally towards the lane

marking. This feedback through the steering

wheel indicates to the driver where he needs to

take action, enabling him to respond intuitively

as required.

Adaptive Headlights Night Vision

High-Beam Assistant

Lane Departure Warning system

ACC Stop & Go

Lane Departure Warning system

Road Preview

7


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Comfort and parking.

Parking is a manoeuvre which lends itself

well to technical assistance. Parking requires

manoeuvring skill and is also a process which,

from a technical point of view, can be broken

down into stages. These stages can then be

reconstructed into reliable images by the requi-

site systems.

Park Distance Control (PDC) is a popular

parking aid. Ultrasound sensors in the front

and/or rear bumpers keep the driver updated

audibly and visually on the distance to the

nearest car, garage wall or other obstacles. This

system also enables the accurate judgement of

the distance to objects within 1.5 metres of the

car which are not in the drivers eld of vision.

Active safety.

The term Active safety is used to categori-

se functions which prevent accidents or by

optimising braking force, for example reduce

the impact energy if an accident cannot be

avoided. Systems which protect the driver in

an accident, such as airbags, belt tensioners

and many more, come under the umbrella term

passive safety.

Todays driver assistance systems are making

an increasingly signicant contribution to active

safety. Accident assessment statistics show

that these measures are continuing to reduce

the total number of accidents and thus also the

frequency of injuries and fatalities:

Development of accidents resulting in death from

1953 to 2006. Passive and increasingly active

safety measures have led to a steady reduction in

fatal accidents since 1970.

Human-machine interaction.

Todays driver assistance systems have a

considerable inuence over how we experience

mobility. They improve our performance at the

wheel, relieve the stress of driving, provide us

with relevant information and thus signicantly

increase road safety. To this end, making the

assistance systems as effortless and intuitive to

use as possible is of particular importance. The

BMW Group therefore focuses special atten-

tion on the human-machine interface in the

development process.

Machine to man displaying information.

The design process sees the developers

focusing in particular on ensuring that informa-

tion is presented as clearly as possible to the

driver (in terms of audibility, visibility or touch,

i.e. the type of sound, colour or size used) while

causing the least possible distraction from the

road. In addition, the signals should be given in

the area where the driver will react to them. For

example, steering wheel vibrations enable the

driver to respond more quickly and effectively

to an alert from the Lane Departure Warning

system than a signal light in the display. Here,

the driver rst has to see and understand the

information before translating it into an appro-

priate response. This would result in the loss

of too much valuable time.

Man to machine the user-friendliness of

functions.

Every driver assistance system is developed

to be as easy, intuitive and ergonomic to use

as possible. Here again, the amount of time

the driver has to look away from the road is

minimised. Buttons are positioned to deliver a

conrmation of activation or deactivation that

he can feel by clicking perceptibly into place,

for example. This means that the driver does

not need to divert his eyes away from the road

to use the system.

Human Machine

Interaction

9

Differentiation betweentypes of accidentresulting in death

in 2006

Accident statistics anddata on the course of

ents up to and includingaccidents serve as thebasis for the develop-

ment of driver assistanceystems. Chassis control

systems are thereforeesigned to help prevent

the type of accidentwith the most serious

nsequences, i.e. single-vehicle accidents.

Breakdown into accident types fatalities in 2006 (Germany)

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%Single-vehicleaccidents

Proportion[%]

Accidentsoccurring insame or oppositedirection trafc

C ro ss in g i nt er se ct io n O th er s In stationary trafc

42%

21%18%

10%

Urban - 27% of all fatalities

Extra-urban (excl. motorways) - 60% of all fatalities

Motorways - 13% of all fatalities

8%

1%

Fatalities (Germany)

20.000

15.000

10.000

5.000

0

1953 1960 1970 1980 1990 2006


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Head-up Display.

Head-up Display, introduced into BMW Group

vehicles in 2003, represented a breakthrough

in the control and display concept. This system

projects dynamic information affecting the

driver (speed, navigation instructions and, in

the future, data such as the characteristics of

the corner) onto the windscreen. The driver

perceives this information as oating two

metres in front of him. He has all the relevant

information directly in his line of vision, mea-

ning that distraction and diversion of his gaze

are reduced to a minimum.

The next generation of driver assistance tech-

nology will see the systems able to recognise

and differentiate between objects on the road.

This object recognition will be made possi-

ble by a targeted fusion of sensor data. As

humans, we benet from the combined input of

our various senses. In the same way, the poten-

tial of the driver assistance systems increases

when the different vehicle senses the data

from the sensors, in other words interlink and

overlap to a greater degree. A good example is

radar and thermal imaging. When combined,

these two sources of data provide more reliable

information on the cars environment.

Where does our journey go from here?

What will be the shape of driver assi-

stance in the future?

In the future, cars will be able to adapt their

driving characteristics with impressive exibi-

lity to either the environmental conditions or

the wishes of the driver. For the customer, this

means more driving pleasure, improved safety

and greater comfort. Classical driver assistance

systems will take on new characteristics, e.g.

parking aids will be able take over the job of

steering into parking spaces from the driver,

if desired.

However, the driver retains absolute control

over the car at all times. Complex decisions

are still down to the driver; rapid information

processing is the job of the vehicle electronics.

The aim is to assist the driver, provide him

with information or warn him, thus preventing

accidents through the use of preventative tech-

nology. After all, 50 per cent of serious acci-

dents can be attributed to the driver not having

enough information.

Combining onboard electronics and the cars

communications with its environment would

provide a solution to this problem and open up

a whole new range of possibilities for driver as-

sistance and information systems in the future.

0

In addition, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-

infrastructure communications will grow incre-

asingly in importance. Car2X communica-

tions which work using ad-hoc networks and

wireless data transfer can be used to bring

about further reductions in accident numbers

and enhance trafc ow. Data collected by the

drivers car and other vehicles can be com-

bined to produce a timely warning for the driver

of an obstacle lurking around an upcoming

corner, for example, or ice on a motorway exit.

In the same way, data concerning vehicle posi-

tions and current status can be used to provide

the driver with real-time information on trafc

tailbacks, roadworks and closed roads, and to

recommend an alternative route.

Research projects currently pointing the way

into this future include the intersection assi-

stant and trafc light assistant. These sy-

stems aid the art of driving with foresight and

are based not purely on onboard systems, but

communications with the environment around

the vehicle. The intersection assistant detects

vehicles approaching the intersection motor-

cycles in particular when they are concealed

or still out of the drivers eld of vision.

The trafc light assistant sees the car com-

municating not with other vehicles, but with the

trafc lights themselves i.e. with the trafc

network infrastructure. The system evaluates

the latest data collected on tailbacks and the

duration of the various trafc light phases, and

compares it with the cars current speed. Like

an electronic co-pilot, it then recommends to

the driver at what speed he should approach

the lights in order to arrive at the intersection

with the signals still on green, or if he should

coast smoothly and economically to a halt at

the lights.

The human factor will continue to occupy

centre stage in the future and driving will be

our job for a long time to come. Only the driver

can take responsibility, which is why the BMW

Group places commensurately high demands

on the systems of the future. Clear benets

for the customer, intuitive usability, enhanced

comfort and safety, and impressive reliability

are the requirements here. And so we can con-

tinue to enjoy the pleasure of driving our cars.

Head-Up Display

Vehicle and trafc lights communicate with oneanother

Intersection assistant

11

Car2Car Communication

Human factor is center stage


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Information online:

BMW Groupwww.bmwgroup.com

BMWwww.bmw.com

MINIwww.MINI.com

BMW ScienceClubwww.bmwgroup.com

BMW Forschung und Entwicklungwww.bmwgroup.com

Institut fr Mobilittsforschungwww.ifmo.com

BMW Group PressClubwww.press.bmwgroup.com

BMW Group publications

An overview of selected publications inGerman and English can be obtained fromTelefax: +49(0) 89/382-24418E-Mail: [email protected]

PublisherBayerische Motoren WerkeAktiengesellschaftTechnology CommunicationD-80788 Mnchen

BMW AG

The content of this brochure was correctat the time of printing. Subject to change.Status 08/08

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