Top 12 emerging technologies

A look at vehicle advancements affecting your service shop — now and in the future

By: Mike Mavrigian

Sophisticated electronic systems provide warnings in the case of a tired or inattentive driver by monitoring personal driving style, driving conditions, the driver’s use of controls, lateral and longitudinal acceleration, lane changes, etc. Mercedes-Benz refers to this as their “attention assist” system.

Technology is advancing rapidly, with automakers jumping through hoops to offer the “latest and greatest,” both to meet ever-more-stringent federal mandates and to make their vehicles more appealing to the buying public.

Listed here is what we feel are significant technologies that tire dealers and service shops will likely face in the near future.

 1. ANTI-COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEMS

Since it’s obvious that the roadways are in short supply of “smart drivers,” the “smart car” of today and tomorrow will incorporate an increasing number of “accident avoidance” systems.

These systems, to name but a few, will address closing speeds (“forward alert” to either alert the driver of an oncoming obstacle, where the braking system engages automatically), back-up warnings, blind-spot alerts, lane change/merge monitoring and warning, and road departure (alerting the driver that the vehicle is wandering away from the marked roadway).

Mercedes-Benz has designed a “braking bag” (displayed in their 2009 S400 Hybrid) that is situated in the vehicle floor. If a pre-crash sensor determines that an impact is unavoidable, the braking bag is deployed shortly before the crash and contacts the road surface, stabilizing the vehicle via a friction coating. This helps to decelerate the vehicle (vehicle acceleration increases the friction, serving to slow the vehicle — a sort of expanding skidplate that scrapes the road in an effort to slow the vehicle).

Warning alerts and sensors may be either optical (i.e. cameras) or radar based.

Systems also are being developed to minimize pedestrian injury by deploying external airbags in the event of a vehicle-pedestrian collision. Software and sensors also are being developed that will (in theory) actually identify a pedestrian based on movement and surface texture.

We’re definitely entering the Buck Rogers era of technology. Shop techs can now look forward to facing an increasing use of video, radar and sonar systems. Unless you want the vehicle to be referred back to the dealer, you’ll need to become familiar with these systems and their circuits.

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Related Topics: Anti-collision avoidance systems, Auto Service, Brakes, Diesels, Emerging technologies, Engines, Fly-by-wire, Heads-up display, Intelligent tire systems, Mike Mavrigian, Multiplexing, Steering, Vehicle lighting, Vehicle video cameras, Wheel Alignment

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