TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. (NYSE: TRW) is demonstrating its Emergency Steering Assist (ESA) system on a prototype vehicle at an event at the Hockenheimring today. ESA helps support the driver in an emergency situation when an evasive steering maneuver is initiated. The system applies an additional steering torque during the maneuver and assists the driver in lateral vehicle guidance.
Dr. Carsten Hass, engineering manager, Integrated Active & Passive Safety Systems, TRW, commented: “Emergency Steering Assist is our next step in collision avoidance. For example, if you swerve to avoid an obstacle, the system will calculate the optimal trajectory around it and additional steering torque will be applied to help to follow the trajectory and stabilize the car. The driver remains in control of the vehicle and can override the system at all times. ESA is designed to enhance the driver response by helping the driver to react faster and more accurately.”
ESA integrates data from TRW’s video camera and radar sensors to provide an accurate and real-time image of the road ahead, with an interface to the electrically powered steering (EPS) system.
TRW has developed the system together with the TU Dortmund (Technische Universität Dortmund) and anticipates that the technology will be ready for production in 2017 for 2018 model year applications.
