WABCO introduced OnLaneASSIST, a pioneering safety technology for heavy- and medium-duty trucks and buses. WABCO’s OnLaneASSIST is the first application of active steering technology in WABCO’s portfolio of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
The launch follows WABCO’s recent acquisition of R.H. Sheppard Co., Inc., a supplier of steering technologies for commercial vehicles, and signing of a cooperation agreement with Nexteer Automotive, a global leader in intuitive motion control.
WABCO made the announcement at the inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle Show (NACV) taking place through September 28, 2017 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The company is showcasing its most advanced technologies which mobilize vehicle intelligence to support the industry’s vision of autonomous driving.
WABCO’s OnLaneASSIST helps improve commercial vehicle safety and driver comfort by avoiding collisions related to unintentional lane departures. It leverages unique active steering technology and a forward-looking camera to provide active lane correction functionality. OnLaneASSIST contributes to vehicle safety by detecting lane markings and continuously evaluating the vehicle’s position relative to them. It also distinguishes between planned lane changes and lane drifting. In case of lane drifting, the system autonomously intervenes before the vehicle unintendedly leaves its lane by applying a correction torque to the steering wheel to return the vehicle towards the lane center. OnLaneASSIST also smoothly releases the torque as soon as the proper driving path is reestablished.
OnLaneASSIST is WABCO’s first Advanced Driver Assistance System based on Sheppard’s U.S. market-leading steering technology integrated with Nexteer’s steering automation technology. WABCO’s acquisition of Sheppard provides key capabilities for lateral vehicle control through active steering, complementing WABCO’s leading technologies in longitudinal control through active braking, stability and suspension controls. Full dynamic control of commercial vehicles – lateral and longitudinal – is necessary to progressively achieve the industry’s vision of autonomous driving.
“OnLaneASSIST represents another important milestone on the commercial vehicle industry’s roadmap towards autonomous driving,” said Jorge Solis, WABCO President, Truck, Bus and Car Original Equipment Manufacturers Division. “This advancement demonstrates WABCO’s capability to address the challenges of lateral vehicle dynamics control – furthering progress on the path to self-driving commercial vehicles.”
“We are thrilled to introduce OnLaneASSIST in North America and beyond,” said Jon Morrison, WABCO President, Americas. “It represents the first innovation to result from WABCO’s dynamic expansion in the region through our acquisition of Sheppard and our cooperative agreement with Nexteer Automotive. These strategic moves increase and enhance WABCO’s ability to anticipate customer needs and deliver differentiating value to commercial vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators.”
