THRESHOLD-2004

TITLE: - Adaptive Cruise Control for Modern Automobile

Submitted by: - Mr. RAJESH M. ARU.

Third year B.E. (Mechanical)
Mr.NITIN S. ATTARDE.
Third year B.E. (Mechanical)

Address:-RAJESH M. ARU.
Gandhi Ward, Pusad.
Dist:-YAVATMAL.
Pin No:-445204

e-mail:-rajesharusince1983@yahoo.co.in

Abstract:
Adaptive cruise control is basically used for avoiding of danger of accident due
lapsing of concentration or sleepy feeling. In ACC first the hazardous object in the
trajectory of vehicle is detected and then proper action is taken accordingly. ACC system
may be employed on front; rear and side of vehicle. ACC systems are of two types namely
active and passive. Passive system can only give an audio or visual warning to the driver
about the potential hazard present but it cannot take any corrective action itself. On the
other hand, active system can take a corrective action to avoid possible collision. Active
system may take corrective action in the form of putting brakes or steering the vehicle
away from path. For ACC to work properly reliable detection of hazardous object is of
great importance. There is various method of object detection .Most of the method used
principle of RADAR. Depending upon the time interval between transmission and
reception of wave the distance between the host vehicle and hazardous object is detected
and proper action is taken. For more reliable detection of object camera based system are
also employed. ACC is used in collision avoidance system. If employed properly and used
properly it can acts as a life saving system in certain condition.

1) INTRODUCTION:
 The basic aim of any cruise control is to warn or to alert the driver of a vehicle of a
potential hazard and assist him in taking action to avoid that hazard. Although object
detection & collision avoidance systems may still be regarded as being in their infancy,
there perceived value in enhancing safety and reducing accident is very high. These system
promise special benefits for older drivers.
Development engineers are proceeding very cautiously with active collision avoidance
work. Any system that takes control of brakes (and in future steering)from the potential
sources of litigation, particularly in north America Standard & Federal regulation s will
emerge during the next few years , which will cover such system. For Ex. In United
States, the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) is establishing
functional requirements for collision avoidance system. These will cover parameter such as
sensor range & sensitivity, system reliability, driver warning information & data
architecture standards. Similarly, in Japan the Ministry of Transport is conducting an
advance safety program (ASP).
Like all other automotive safety systems, to be truly effective & influence safety statistic,
these system will need to be widely adopted, and that in turn will require a low production
cost.
Technology impact is significant as an improvement in sensing capability on the vehicle is
necessary, & increased computing throughout is required. The challenge now facing the
suppliers is to find a viable balance between perceived value by the driving public, &the
cost of producing such system.
It should be noted that the cost of such system might largely be hidden within an existing
vehicle cost, as there will be much reuse of existing electronic controllers. It is now
common place for vehicle to have engine controllers, antilock breaking system, electronic
steering controllers, and audio systems. The collision warning and avoidance systems will
use these existing system control units for additional functions.
Once more challenge faced by major suppliers is type of required traffic. Today advance
version of Cruise Control(adaptive , on which our discussion is centered) have the
capability to maintain the vehicle at a desired speed set by the driver .So in the regions
where traffic situations commonly permit steady speeds (such as in United States)this
function has been widely accepted. Thats why Cruise Control is fitted in more than 90%
of U.S. vehicles. In regions characterized by irregular traffic situation with frequent speed
changes, rise control is seldom found. In Europe this feature is fitted in less than 10% of
vehicles.
2) Adaptive Cruise Control:
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) introduces a function in automobiles, which
relieves the driver of significant amount of task of driving, in comfortable manner. The
historical development of ACC can be seen as further development of cruise control,
which maintains constant speed for the driver.
The majority of speed changes can be taking place in traffic can be attributed to standard
situations, which are measurable, by technical equipment. By measuring the host vehicles
distance from &relative speed to preceding vehicles, and by employing suitable actuator
systems for speed control, vehicle speed can be controlled in manner , which automatically
makes most necessary speed adjustments.
ACC takes a desired speed from the driver &keeps the vehicle at the set speed as long as
there is no danger in the range of sensor used. The moment ACC identifies a potential
hazard ahead in the trajectory of host vehicle, it warns the driver of the vehicle about
hazard. Till now, proper control on steering is not developed, so mainly the brakes are
applied .The brakes intensity increases as the distance between host &preceding vehicle
decreases. As long as the relative velocity between the two vehicles becomes 0, the brake
system disengages. When the track ahead is clear, ACC accelerates the vehicle to set speed
& maintains that speed.
Despite of many developments going on in this field, the basic structure of ACC remains
the same. It consists of basic 5 blocks.
1) Sensor:-
It comprises of the sensor used in the vehicle to detect the hazard. Depending on the
situation encountered, one or more of the different types of available sensors like scanning
laser, FMCW etc. are used.
2) Computing Unit:-
It is the heart of cruise control. It is here that all computation work, like calculating the
distance between host and preceding vehicle, relative velocity, brake intensity etc. is done.
3) Man Machine Interface:-
This interface between the driver & the ACC of the vehicle. From the panel available in
front, the driver sets the ACC according to his /her requirement.
3) Engine and Brake Control:-
This unit utilizes the result of computing unit. It practically realizes the ACC function
.According to the computed value, it applies brakes. Soon there will be controls, which
will govern the fuel inlet in the engine, there by helping in more efficient control.
4) Warning System:-
This unit gives proper alarm as soon as some potential hazard is spotted ahead. Generally
it is blended with the MMI, which saves additional cost as well as contribute in making
system more compact.
3) Types of Cruise Control:-
According to types of action the cruise control can be classified in two categories:
a) Passive Collision Warning System:-
This system seeks the risk of collision by warning the driver of an impending risk so that
he/she can take action to avoid the hazard.
There are many system s, which provide warning to driver. The first warning system
available on production vehicle was typically parking assist type system, which provides
an audible tone when parallel parking and approaching a stationary object such as another
vehicle or wall. Today there are much sophisticated systems that used radar and warn
occupant of potential impending collision under normal driving conditions.
In passive warning system a visual and/or audible warning is signaled to the driver, but
there is no active intervention by system to avoid collision.
b) Active Collision Avoidance System:-
Active system takes the collision avoidance philosophy a stage further by interacting with
the power train, braking and even the steering systems. Every manufacturer appears to
have
A slightly different approach, but the common goal is to sense objects that present a
collision risk with host vehicle, and then take preventing measure to avoid accident.
Advance active collision systems use many clever techniques, over and object detection, to
ensure that a collision avoidance event is facilitated and efficiently. For example sensor on
the windshield can be used to detect the presence of rain and thus a potentially slippery
road surface.
4) Types of Vehicular System:-
This section describes three types of vehicular systems. The most popular today are front
and rear, although development in side warning system and lane sensing will be more
important as future highways become more automated.
4.1) Frontal Vehicle systems:-
There are two types of frontal vehicular systems: active & passive. They both operate on
the same principle of object detection, although the active system will control the throttle
and possibly steering and braking system to avoid frontal collision. Different types sensors
with an algorithm are used to detect the hazardous objects. This detection system is
usually mounted at the front of the host vehicle to detect objects in the vehicles forward
path.
The forward rang of these systems is usually about 100 to 200m,which gives about 3to 6
sec. Warning hazard when the host vehicle is traveling at 100Km/h.
4.2) Rear Vehicular System:-
Rear warning system can use shorter range, often non scanning sensor to provide closed
range for parking assist capability, or scanning radar for more advance sensing capability.
This will give the driver an indication of vehicle traveling dangerously close to the host
vehicle, or when backing up in a parking situation, would warn that another object was
nearby, perhaps a difficult to see bicycle, go-cart, or such.
A near system would typically use a lower frequency radar system than a frontal system.
4.3) Side Vehicular Systems:-
Side warning systems use radar sensor to detect objects in traditional blind spot that are
often responsible for causing accidents. The sensor used would be mounted in the rear
quarter area of the vehicle and detect object in adjacent lanes.
Radar mounted on the sides are not just useful for blind spot warning, but may also aid in
lane tracking, in order to determine corridor trajectory.
5) System Interaction:-
The cruise control system actually has a lot of functions other than controlling the speed
of your car. For instance this cruise control pictured below can accelerate or decelerate the
car by 1 mph with the tp of a button. Hit the button five times to go 5 mph faster. There
are also several important safety features the cruise control will disengage as soon as you
hit the brake pedal, and it wont engage at speeds less than 25 mph (40 kph).
The system pictured in fig.4 has five buttons: On, off, Set or Accel, Resume and Coast.
It also has a sixth control, the brake pedal: and if the car has a manual transmission, the
clutch pedal is also booked up to the cruise control.

1) The on and off buttons dont actually do much. Hitting the on button does not do
anything except tell the car that you might be hitting another button soon. The off button
turns the cruise control off even if it is engaged. Some cruise controls dont have these
buttons: instead, they turn off when the driver hits the brakes, and turn on when the
drivers hits the set button.

2) The set/accel button tells the car to maintain the speed you are currently driving. If
you hits the set button at 45 mph, the car will maintain your speed at 45 mph, the car will
maintain your speed at 45 mph. Holding down the set/accel button will make the car
accelerate: and on this car. Taping it once will make the car go 1 mph faster

3) If you recently disengaged the cruise control by hitting the brake pedal, hitting the
resume button will command the car to accelerate: back to the most recent speed setting.
4) Holding down the coast button will cause the car to decelerate; just as if you took 1
your feet completely off the gas. And on this car, tapping coast button once will cause the
car to slow down by 1 mph.

5) The brake pedal and clutch pedal each have a switch that disengages the cruise
control as soon as the pedal is pressed. So you can disengage the cruise control with a
light tap on the brake or clutch.

5.1 How its connected:-

The cruise control system controls the speed of your car the same way you do by
adjusting the throttle position. But cruise control actuates the throttle valve by a cable
connected to an actuator, instead of by pressing a pedal. The throttle slave controls the
power and speed of the engine by limiting how much air the engine takes in. There are
two cables connected to a pivot that moves the actuator. When the cruise control is
engaged, the actuator moves the cable connected to the pivot, which adjusts the throttle;
but is also pulls on the cable that is connected to the Accelerator pedal.

5.2 Controlling the Cruise Control:-

The brain of a cruise control system is a small computer that is normally found under
the bonnet or behind the dashboard. It connects to the throttle control seen in the previous
section, as well as several sensors. The diagram shown in fig 5 shows the inputs and
outputs of a typical cruise control system.
The cruise control system controls the speed of the car by adjusting the throttle
position, so it needs sensors to tell it the speed and throttle position. It also needs to
monitor the controls so that it can tell what the desired speed is and when to disengage.
The most important input is the speed signal: the cruise control system does a lot with this
signal.

Proportional Control:
In a proportional control system, the cruise control adjusts the throttle proportional to
the error, the error being the difference between the desired speed and the actual speed.
So, if the cruise control is set at 60 mph and the car is going 50 mph, the throttle position
will be open quite far. When the car is going 55 mph, the throttle position opening will be
only half of what it was before. The result is that the closer the car gets to the desired
speed, the slower it accelerates.

PID Control:
 Most cruise control systems use a control called proportional-integral-derivative (PID)
control. APID system uses basic maths calculus in that the integral of speed is distance,
and the derivative of speed is acceleration.
A PID control system uses these three factors
-Proportional
-Integral
-Derivative
Calculating each individually and adding them to get the throttle position.
The integral factor is based on the time integral the vehicle speed error.
Translation: the difference between the distance your car actually traveled and the distance
it would have traveled if it were going at the desired speed, calculated over a period of
time. This factor helps the car deal with hills, and also helps it settle into the correct speed
and stay there. So if car starts to go up hill and slow down. After a little while, the integral
control will start to increase the throttle, opening it more and more, because the longer the
car maintains a speed slower than the desired speed, the larger the distance error gets.
Now add in the final factor, the derivative. Remember that the derivative of speed is
acceleration. This factor helps the cruise control respond quickly to changes, such as hills.

V e h ic le s p e e d s ig n a l C lu tc h p e d a l s w itc h
S te e r in g w h e e l c o n tr o ls B r a k e p e d a l s w itc h

C r u is e
C o n tro l
C o m p u te r

c a b le to th e
th r o ttle v a lv e

T h r o ttle v a lv e

6) Object Detection System:-

Object detection system is the most important part of an adaptive cruise control system.
For proper working go ACC, object detection reliably is important
Objects may be classified as:
1) Stationary and Moving
2) Hazardous and Non hazardous
Hazardous objects are those objects, which are in the trajectory or corridor of vehicle.
Trajectory of corridor of vehicle is defined as:
Corridor: It is an intended path of a vehicle.
Some of the examples of the stationary, moving, hazardous and non-hazardous objects
are:
Stationary: tree, signboard.
Moving: Any vehicle.
Hazardous: Any vehicle in corridor.
Non hazardous: Trees along roadside.
 VEHICLE SPEED
VISUAL WARNING
WIPER STATUS
AUDIO WARNING
STEERING WHEEL
ANGLE

SIDE RADAR

FRONTAL
RADAR
COLLISION
AVOIDANCE
REAR RADAR SYSTEM
VIDEO
CAMERA

POWER TRAIN ANTILOCK BRAKING DATA LOGGER

ECU ECU ECU

POWER
STEERING
ECU

FIG: COMPLETE HIGH END COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM

6.1 Radar Based Systems

There are two types:
1. Scanning pulse laser radar
2. Frequency modulate continuous wave radar

6.2 Camera Based System:-

Poor night visibility particularly in bad whether is a dangerous. Troublesome and al too familiar for
drivers. The visibility problems include:
 The short range of sight with low beams, which is generally underestimated.
The blinding by headlights of oncoming vehicle and by their reflection from wet
roads.
The reduced range of vision under conditions of rain, fog or snow flurries.

The system consist of near infrared laser headlight, a close coupled device(CCD) camera to
generate a video image, and a liquid crystal display(LCD) to present the image to the driver. These
headlights are installed in addition to the standard visible units and will be mounted along with the
vehicles flashers in the existing housing. The laser headlights illuminate the top of the bus and optical
filters are mounted in front of the camera objective of the LCD display at a distance of 0.85 meters
from the driver, avoiding frequent accommodation of the eyes from the traffic sance to the display.
Under dry weather conditions, fig illustrates the drivers view through the windshield of a car and
the position of the image. On the road is another car with low beam headlights at a 40-m distance and
a pedestrian at 50 m. the driver could not see the pedestrian who could be seen clearly on the video
image. The course of road was visible for 150-200 m in the video image.

7. High End Collision Avoidance System:-

a fully equipped system, which includes all of the subsystems, is as shown in fig.7 this level of
technology would be considered high end and would support an advance system such as automated
highways. The collision avoidance electronic control unit is shown at the center of the fig. the frontal
vehicular system features two sensors: a 77GHz FMCW and a camera system. Data from both these
sources is fused to map out a reliable picture of potential hazard. As well as determining the best
information about environment by correlating data from two sources, having two objects detection
system is excellent as back up. Many vehicular systems have inherent redundancy for safety, and this
especially needs to be addressed in a system such as collision avoidance, where the vehicle is
maneuvered automatically. Providing several sources of information is good strategy if it can be
achieved economically. Low frequency radar is used for rear object detection, side radar system also
integrated in to the total system.
Steering angle is an important input to the system. Although sensor such as yaw, pitch and roll
will be used to provide information on actual dynamics of vehicle, steering angle is an indication of
intended direction of driver. The vehicle speed input could be determined independently or may be
supplied by ABS ECU. The ABS system calculates individual wheel speed from sensor inputs. The
vehicle speed is then estimated using an algorithm. Alternatively, speed over ground can be
determined more accurately using radar. The viper status input is also used as audio alert for the
system. This system would switch radio an automatically and provide the driver the darning of an
impending risk.

Conclusion:-
-ACC must be regarded as beginning of the development leading to more powerful
driver assistance system.
- While most of the development going on, the next generation ACCs is being worked
on in parallel.
- In the end, financial success will depend on the acceptance of system, in which so far
hundred million dollars have been invested worldwide.
Reference:
- Handbook of automotive engineering- Jordan
-Automotive mechanics-Crouse and Anglin
-Automotive engineering magazine-July1999.
-WWW.upkar.com
-WWW.isa.com.