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PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2011 18:33 
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BMW tests laser-guided car junction buddy

BMW has developed a laser-guided accident avoidance system to safely guide drivers out of junctions where they cross a traffic lane.

You know: you're at a T-junction, turning right. That manoeuvre will put you at risk from cars approaching from the right. That's no problem if you have a clear view. BMW's system is designed to step in if you don't.
BMW Left-turn Assistant

In Germany, where the system was developed, the technology looks out for left-hand turns, of course. BMW says the approach is constantly scanned and if the driver enters a left-turn lane - detected using the GPS system combined with a camera that looks out for appropriate on-road lane markers - the laser unit is triggered.

It sends out three beams from the front of the car to map out a zone to a range of 100m. Cars, trucks and motorbikes are detected. If the car continues to move despite their presence, and is travelling at 6.25mph (10kmh) or less, the brakes are applied.

The driver gets audio and visual warnings too.

As soon as he or she hits the anchors, the auto-control system is disengaged. Likewise, if the gas pedal is tapped - a safety feature, BMW said, essential if the driver is not turning left but pulling over out of the way of an emergency vehicle.

The boffins at BMW envisage the kit fitted to all sorts of vehicles and, when combined with car-to-car communications, allow the approaching vehicles to know exactly how fast the other is travelling and in what direction. That data allows them to calculate trajectories and thus the likelihood of a collision, taking action if the event has seemingly been missed by the drivers.

Impressive stuff, and the left-turn kit is already working in test vehicles. No word yet, though, on when the tech will make it to ordinary motors. ®

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PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2011 01:34 
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Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 02:17
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Is this flawed ? Am I missing something ?
If you are doing less than 6.25mph it brakes when you are turning L or R appropriately ? Surely if you are pulling out in traffic you may well be starting out doing less until you can see enough and pull out more quickly ? So you'd end up in a stop start mess, surely ? (As it releases the brake after you stomp on it when the car brakes automatically .... then it recognises that you are still int he situ and off it goes again.... I can appreciate it says that when moving for emergency vehicles it allows you too but what is written makes it not do this?
Did they mean if you are doing less than 6.25 you will not be stopped not that you are stopped ?

If this is the case then people will have to start to pull out more quickly and that could be very risky indeed if not dangerous, and then relying on the car to stop you perhaps at the very second that you need to be moving fast to avoid a crash !

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