An electronic version control system is another way to keep the car on the road. Appointment
Appointment
This system helps the driver to stick to the chosen lane and thereby prevent accidents. The system is efficient when driving on motorways and on federal roads, but only where there is quality road markings.
Device and operating principle
Many car brands are equipped with similar systems. They are similar in design and work. Only the names of "electronic assistants" are different. For example, the Nissan system is called the Lane Keeping Support System, Mercedes-Lane Keeping Assist, and Opel, BMW and GM have the same-Lane Departure Warning System.
There are two kinds of traffic support systems. The passive systems only warn the driver of the exit from the lane, while they are also helping him to return to the lane by adjusting the steering.
All manufacturers have a video camera, an electronic control unit and executive mechanisms.
The activation and deactivation of the system shall be carried out by the driver by means of a special key, which is located on the dashboard or switch gear switching knob.
The video camera is located right in the control unit located on the windshield of the car behind the rearview mirror.
The monochrome camera writes and digitize the image. The camera-sensitive matrix transforms the image into a black and white picture. This allows the camera to detect lines of road markings as grayscale. The image is instantly processed by an electronic control unit.
The actuators include a sound signal, a control lamp, a steering motor on the steering wheel, a heating element (on a windshield) and an electric motor of the steering control. All these devices support the work of the "assistant" as needed.
A control lamp is provided to inform the driver of the operation of the system on the dashboard. The driver also warns the vibration of the steering wheel and the sound signal. The steering is vibrating thanks to the electric motor embedded in the steering column.
The heating element is on the windscreen in the rear-view mirror area. It shall be independently activated by freezing or conjecture of the appropriate area of glass, thereby ensuring the normal continuous operation of the chamber.
Adjusting the system shall be effected by means of an electromechanical amplifier of the rudder through an electric motor.
The system control unit is operating according to a certain algorithm. First, the electronics defines the position of bar layout lines, the quality of the camera's markup recognition. Then it calculates the width of the band relative to the size of the car. The next step-if necessary, the control unit sends a signal to the motor of the steering wheel, and the steering wheel is corrected. If the system cannot handle the situation on its own, it informs the driver of the vibration of the rudder, the sound and the light signals.
If the system is powered on but the driver wants to move to another lane, it is not necessary to disable it. You need to enable the appropriate blinker. Otherwise, the device will impede the manoeuvre.
In cases where the road has carried snow or markings, the "assistant" goes to sleep mode and is switched on again when the road conditions allow it to carry out its work correctly.
Operational issues
In the Russian reality, such a device often faces difficulties in the form of erased lines of road markings. In this case, the boundaries of the bars are difficult to determine, and there is nothing left for the driver to look at the road surface itself.
