Active safety systems are one of the latest high-tech developments in the automotive industry, and use a complicated network of sensors to alert drivers to imminent crashes. In its most advanced form, the technology can even take over a vehicle's braking or steering system to prevent an accident all together. Though originally high-end, expensive features, these systems have grown cheaper as they've developed, and now appear in increasingly low cost vehicles.
It's a rapidly growing piece of the automotive industry: the sector is already worth $3.3 billion, and a report from Institutional Investor has estimated that the market will triple in size to $10 billion by 2020.
In an effort to stay on top of this growing market, General Motors has decided to invest $14 million in the continued research and development of these systems. It's announced that it'll provide over 22 separate driver assistance technologies in its 2016 lineup of Chevrolets, Buicks, GMSs and Cadillacs, and recently built a new 52-acre facility to test these technologies, including a six lane highway simulation complete with on and off ramps, a range of lighting conditions, and a series of interchangeable road signs, a pedestrian testing zone that includes a rig capable of placing a crash test dummy in the path of an oncoming vehicle, a parking section complete with a range of curb types and landscaping options, a tunnel including walls and posts, and a central observation hub that with built in controls for a robotic car.
Mark Reuss, the executive VP of Global Product Development, Purchasing, and Supply Chains at General Motors, said at the facility's opening that "the work we're doing here is extremely important," and that GM's goal is "a world without crashes."
Jeff Boyer, GM's VP of Global Vehicle Safety, added that the company is "working aggressively to prevent crashes" and that the addition of active safety to the company's vehicles is "important here and globally."
While active safety features are the primary test subjects of the facility, GM has said that they'll also be using the grounds as an area to assess broader vehicle performance with regards to general regulatory standards, like those set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Euro New Car Assessment Program, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
One of the most novel technologies shown off by GM at the facility's ribbon cutting was City Speed Front Automatic Braking, more commonly referred to as Emergency Autonomous Braking. When a vehicle's sensors detects an imminent front-end collision, these sensors provide both auditory and visual warnings. If the driver fails to take action quickly, the vehicle then automatically applies its brakes in an effort to avoid the crash or at the very least, lessen its severity.
They also demonstrated a system called Front Pedestrian Braking: a variant of Emergency Autonomous Braking directed specifically at pedestrian safety.
While there are still many steps left to traverse along the way, GM says it's envisioning a future free from automobile crashes, and that it's dedicated to testing and improving automated technology until it can make that vision a reality.
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