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Old 9th June 2009, 23:13   #1
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New Safety Technology: How Long Before It Hits Production Cars?

If you're planning on having an accident, take our advice and wait a few years. At least until this S-Class Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESV) goes on sale, which we hope it does, because it will make all crashes much more pleasant. So buckle up, aim for something rigid and immovable, then get ready for the science.
First, we have inflatable metal structures. Yes, inflatable metal. Sounds like something from Transformers and it kind of is - metal sheets are stowed within the crash structures, which pop out if the car senses an imminent smash, adding strength to the affected area. So it's telepathic, too.

Then, underneath the car there's a ‘braking bag', which fills with air and skids along the tarmac, creating friction to help it stop quicker - kind of like a fat man's belly if he trips and grinds the pavement.

The ESV has a ‘pre-safe pulse', too. This pumps air into the seat bolster to shove you into the middle of the car, away from the point of impact, and helps keep your spleen in one piece.

Finally, Mercedes has added a touch of showbiz with ‘spotlight lighting', which picks up hazards and pinpoints them with a beam of light. Things such as pedestrians in dark clothes, wandering the streets at night. Or ‘burglars' as we call them.

Mercedes has a history of this sort of thing. Back in 1974 it made its first ESV, which led to safety features such as head restraints, seat belt tensioners, crash structures and airbags being used in almost every car made since.

Quite important stuff, then. And if the tech from this latest effort catches on in the same way, that fat man's belly could be saving your life sooner than you might think.



Source: Top Gear
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Old 10th June 2009, 09:01   #2
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Report 1
A slew of vehicle safety systems are being showcased by Mercedes-Benz. The German premium car maker has created an Experimental Safety Vehicle, the ESF 2009 which is based on the upcoming S400 Hybrid. It is their first vehicle of this nature since the ESV24 which was introduced at the 1974 Geneva Motor Show.

The ESF 2009 features inflatable metal structures developed to save space and increase crash protection. These include side impact bars which would be blown to pressures of between 10 and 20 bar. When deflated they could save some weight and actually allow for other safety apparatus to be fitted.

Then they have an auxiliary brake in the floor of the ESF 2009. What makes this brake interesting is that it works with a bag that is similar to interior air bags but is much tougher. When the car senses an imminent collision the brake bag inflates to create friction with the road thus also slowing the car down. In addition to that it lifts the car up by up to 80mm to compensate for dive.

The interior, along with standard air bag and restraint systems is fitted with seat bolsters that shift the passengers about 50mm into the centre of the cabin should the car sense that a side impact is about to take place. The other safety features of interest arereflective tyres and air bags installed inside a seatbelts.

Full details and more photos expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Source: WorldCarFans.com

Report 2

Mercedes-Benz will revive the ESF nameplate under a modern approach via a whole new concept that is to be unveiled the following week.

We are talking about the Mercedes-Benz ESF 2009 Concept, based on the recently revealed 2010 S 400 HYBRID. The ESF is the german acronym for 'Experimentier-Sicherheits Fahrzeuge', meaning Experimental Safety Vehicle. The three letters have a long history at Mercedes-Benz, but strange as it may sound, there has been no other car to carry this badge since 1974, when the last concept of the range, the ESF 24, was shown to public, as the finish point of the Experimental Safety Vehicle Programme. Prior to it, there were the ESF 05 in 1971 and ESF 13 in 1972. You can read an interesting story about these concepts by following the next link: Mercedes-Benz-Blog TRIVIA: Safety research test lab on wheels.

Sticking to the point, the ESF 2009 Concept is simply a miracle of 21st century technology which shows the latest advances of the Mercedes-Benz Safety Department in the active and passive safety field. As a pioneer in this segment, the Stuttgart-based carmaker has prepared a range of clever systems that can make you and the passengers stay safe & sound when being at risk. Under the car, you will be able to find an inflatable sack that will act as a progressive brake, rising the friction with the road surface and, along with the conventional braking system, taking care to diminish as much as possible the braking distances. Inside the car, the Stuttgart boys have prepared a set of crazy airbags, placed between the front seats. Their main role is to avoid a possible, painful contact between the driver and the passenger during an accident. The ESF 2009 will also display a beltbag(that's obviously an airbag placed on the seat belts), an improved PRE-SAFE system, the usual ESP, BAS & DISTRONIC PLUS, better connected one with the other, an Active Lane Keeping Assist(wonder what's this doing better than the current non-active lane assistant?) and many, many more.

Source: Mercedes-Benz-Blog.com
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Last edited by hanmust : 10th June 2009 at 09:03.
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Old 10th June 2009, 18:32   #3
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The sheer randomness of the last pic makes me crack up. Well, crashing has never been so fun...whoopy!
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Old 12th June 2009, 11:03   #4
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Related Videos of the Mercedes Benz ESF 2009 Concept:

Video 1:


Video 2:


Video 3:
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Old 12th June 2009, 15:24   #5
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Some of that technology is just mind blowing. Incredible innovation from the guys at Mercedes..."car of the future" doesn't seem so futuristic now
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Old 11th July 2012, 17:15   #6
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Re: New Safety Technology: How Long Before It Hits Production Cars?

Volvo being a leader in safety now researches to aid autonomous driving and collision detection.has Outlines three new safety technologies it is developing in its drive to eliminate deaths or serious injuries in Volvo cars by 2020.
Quote:
The areas of safety technology in development include autonomous driving support, intersection support and animal detection.
Quote:
Autonomous driving support aims to ease driving in traffic conditions thanks to a camera and radar systems. These can detect if the car in front is braking heavily or changing direction quickly. If a danger is recognised, the car’s engine, brakes and steering react automatically. The system also helps to keep the car in the correct lane.
Quote:
Volvo’s intersection support uses in-built sensors to read traffic conditions and can brake the car automatically if an impending collision is detected.
Quote:
Animal detection is a further development of Volvo’s pedestrian protection system, which brakes the car’s wheels for wild animals

Volvo ramps up safety tech | Autocar

Last edited by volkman10 : 11th July 2012 at 17:25.
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Old 11th July 2012, 17:23   #7
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Re: New Safety Technology: How Long Before It Hits Production Cars?

Wouldn't it be easier if the seats could engulf you completely along with airbags? They just need to invent some material that is strong enough.
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Old 30th August 2013, 13:40   #8
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Re: New Safety Technology: How Long Before It Hits Production Cars?

Volkswagen launches new safety development Concept "Vision Zero".

In order to provide top safety features to its buyers and to win the race to become the safest car manufacturer, Volkswagen has started developing advanced technologies - "Vision Zero" Concept.

Volkswagen has set the goal of exploiting all potentials that contribute towards significantly reducing traffic fatalities as well as the sheer number of accidents.

New Safety Technology: How Long Before It Hits Production Cars?-vwvisionzeroconcept.jpg

In the development of innovative driver assistance systems, Volkswagen is pursuing this vision as systematically as it is the concept of piloted parking and driving.
Focal points of research and development at Volkswagen towards this goal are: improved perception of the vehicle surroundings and events in traffic, assisting the driver in challenging traffic situations, improving the safety of vehicle occupants and others in traffic and avoiding accidents and serious injuries.
Along with assistance systems for pedestrian detection – which initiate emergency braking if the driver does not react in time – Volkswagen is also introducing parking assistants that enable automatic parking and exiting from narrow parking spaces via smartphone.

Moreover, Volkswagen is also offering a look at systems that can navigate fully automatically through road construction zones and systems that assume steering control in a medical emergency and safely brake the vehicle to a stop.

Current innovations by Volkswagen Development engineers working in the area of driver assistance and safety systems are other steps on the path towards accident-free mobility. In the future, they will offer further relief to drivers and make car driving significantly more relaxed, and above all safer for driver and passenger – and continue to guarantee the driving fun that is typical of Volkswagen cars.

The other safety features include:
Park Assist 3
Remote control parking
Trailer Assist
Area View: 2nd generation
Emergency Assist
Construction site assistant
Blind Spot Monitor
CAR2X safety
City Emergency Braking
PreCrash occupant protection system

Cheers!

http://www.cardekho.com/india-car-ne...zero-11127.htm
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