Meritor WABCO Vehicle Control Systems has introduced its OnGuard system, a forward-looking radar-based adaptive cruise control system that the company says is the first to employ active braking. Meritor WABCO unveiled the system Feb. 2 in Orlando to a gathering of journalists and fleet operators.
OnGuard, targeted for availability in the third quarter of 2008 as a factory-installed option at several truck manufacturers, automatically applies foundation brakes, both to alert the driver and to decelerate the vehicle when it breaches a pre-set following distance. OnGuard currently is installed on nearly 200 vehicles, most of them operated by truckload carrier Prime Inc.
“The driver is still the most important element in maintaining vehicle safety,” says Jon Morrison, president and general manager of Meritor WABCO Vehicle Control Systems. “However, the system can provide the additional split-second deceleration needed to maintain control of the vehicle in an emergency situation.”
Like other collision warning systems on the market, OnGuard offers visual and audible alarms and engine braking as alerts to the driver of potentially dangerous situations. What distinguishes OnGuard, Meritor WABCO says, is automatic foundation brake intervention, which can be as great as one-third of a full brake application. If the driver reacts, however, his actions will cancel out the automatic intervention. OnGuard’s one-pulse radar sensor can detect multiple moving and fixed objects at distances up to 500 feet.
According to Meritor WABCO, another advantage of OnGuard is integration with the company’s anti-lock braking and stability control systems, allowing various levels of safety control systems using a single ABS electronic control unit.
Meritor WABCO is a joint venture of ArvinMeritor and WABCO Automotive Control Systems.
