Tokyo, March 21, 2000 - The Honda Intelligent Driver Support (HIDS) system for reducing the strain of driving has been under development for some time, and Honda Motor Co. has announced that it has become the first automaker to obtain approval from the Minister of Transport for public road testing. More intense tests will be conducted to verify the system's marketability as it moves closer to becoming a commercially viable technology.
Honda has continuously pursued technical development from all perspectives in conformance with real driving situations. Safety has been divided into primary safety centering on driver education, secondary safety centering on preventing crashes beforehand, and tertiary safety centering on reducing injury severity in a crash. HIDS is an unprecedented driver support system and has evolved out of the Honda Advanced Safety Vehicle (ASV) research project. By reducing the strain experienced by the driver while driving on high-speed expressways, the system helps to maintain the driver's ability to recognize ever-changing road conditions and act accordingly in a timely manner. The system also compensates for any deterioration in ability due to fatigue. By so doing, it ensures a greater margin of safety.
The system detects when there is a vehicle ahead and controls the HIDS car's speed to maintain a safe distance behind the vehicle. HIDS also detects lane markings in order to keep the car in its lane. The system is therefore able to control the car's position in both forward and sideways directions. The results of the company's recent road tests have verified that HIDS significantly reduces the amount of effort required of the driver and thus reduces the degree of tension experienced by the driver.
< General Description of HIDS >
1. Control of a car's speed, and distance between it and a vehicle ahead
Main functions
- When there is no vehicle in front of the HIDS car, the car travels at a constant preset speed.
- When there is a vehicle in front of the HIDS car, it tracks that vehicle at the preset speed, or slower.
- When the vehicle in front has turned off or changed lanes, the car accelerates to the preset speed.
- When a slower vehicle is detected ahead, the car is slowed down. A warning tone is emitted when the distance to the vehicle ahead shortens too far.
How the system operates
- The system exercises optimal speed control over the car with respect to any vehicle ahead in the same lane. Laser radar measures the distance between the HIDS car and the vehicle in front, and a vehicle speed sensor and yaw rate sensor detect the movement of the HIDS car itself.
- When the distance to the vehicle ahead becomes too short, the car is initially decelerated by closing the throttle and then, if necessary, by applying the brakes as well so that the appropriate distance between the vehicles is maintained. When the car is traveling too close behind the vehicle ahead, a warning device sounds to urge the driver to take corrective action.
- When the distance to the vehicle ahead is sufficient, the system functions as a normal cruise control.
How the system operates
Control over the car's lateral position in its lane is achieved by Honda's unique image processing system, which accurately recognizes broken lines, double broken lines and yellow lane markings on the road.
- The width, length and continuity of the lane markings are detected by processing the images captured by a CCD camera, making it possible for the system to identify what are and are not lane markings on the road.
- The data obtained by the image processing system are arithmetically processed by an ECU, and the steering torque required to help keep the car centered in its lane is calculated. The system controls the current applied to the electric power steering and helps the driver to stay in the lane.
This system significantly reduces the need for the drivers to make regular steering corrections to keep the car in its lane. This improves driving safety, even under the influence of sudden crosswinds and other external factors.
3. Lane center deviation warning
- When the car starts to stray out of its lane, the lane center deviation warning is sounded to warn the driver to take immediate action.
Principle functions
Overview of function operations
