xcel
08-26-2006, 11:38 PM
The rear-end crash system will not be offered in the United States initially. (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060826/AUTO01/608260357/1148)
AP - August 26, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/TMC_President_Behind_Wheel_of_Safety_Equipped_Lexus.jpg
Katsumi Kasahara – AP
Toyota Motor Corp. President Katsuaki Watanabe said the company is working on several sophisticated computer-based safety systems.
OYAMA, Japan - Cars equipped with the latest safety technology already warn drivers about oncoming cars.
Now Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. says it has developed the world's first system for detecting rear-end collisions before they happen.
A radar device is installed in the rear bumper to detect a vehicle approaching from behind.
Sensors in the front headrests detect the position of the driver's and front passenger's heads, and shift the headrests' position to reduce the risk of whiplash injury, it said. Hazard lights also start flashing to warn the driver of a possible crash from behind.
Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said Friday that a sophisticated computer like "a human brain" will be installed in the Lexus LS luxury model going on sale in Japan in September. It will control the latest safety features such as the rear-end pre-crash system.
The rear-end crash system will not be offered in the United States initially, and European plans are undecided, said executive vice-president Kazuo Okamoto.
"We are determined in our pursuit to develop vehicles that will have zero traffic accidents," he told reporters at a Toyota facility west of Tokyo.
Another new safety feature developed by Toyota can detect pedestrians in addition to oncoming cars and other obstacles, it said.
The system uses a newly developed stereo camera that can detect information on three-dimensional objects, in addition to the more common radar. An infrared projector in the headlights supports nighttime visibility, it said.
When the system detects a pedestrian or other objects, the seatbelts retract. If the driver fails to brake, pre-crash brakes kick in to reduce speed to try not to run over that person.
Safety for pedestrians is an especially pressing need in Japan, where roads tend to be narrow and more congested, and pedestrian fatalities are more common than in the United States and Europe.
The emphasis on sophisticated technology is part of the effort by the world's leading automakers, including Toyota, to woo customers at a time when nearly all cars are becoming sophisticated.
AP - August 26, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/TMC_President_Behind_Wheel_of_Safety_Equipped_Lexus.jpg
Katsumi Kasahara – AP
Toyota Motor Corp. President Katsuaki Watanabe said the company is working on several sophisticated computer-based safety systems.
OYAMA, Japan - Cars equipped with the latest safety technology already warn drivers about oncoming cars.
Now Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. says it has developed the world's first system for detecting rear-end collisions before they happen.
A radar device is installed in the rear bumper to detect a vehicle approaching from behind.
Sensors in the front headrests detect the position of the driver's and front passenger's heads, and shift the headrests' position to reduce the risk of whiplash injury, it said. Hazard lights also start flashing to warn the driver of a possible crash from behind.
Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said Friday that a sophisticated computer like "a human brain" will be installed in the Lexus LS luxury model going on sale in Japan in September. It will control the latest safety features such as the rear-end pre-crash system.
The rear-end crash system will not be offered in the United States initially, and European plans are undecided, said executive vice-president Kazuo Okamoto.
"We are determined in our pursuit to develop vehicles that will have zero traffic accidents," he told reporters at a Toyota facility west of Tokyo.
Another new safety feature developed by Toyota can detect pedestrians in addition to oncoming cars and other obstacles, it said.
The system uses a newly developed stereo camera that can detect information on three-dimensional objects, in addition to the more common radar. An infrared projector in the headlights supports nighttime visibility, it said.
When the system detects a pedestrian or other objects, the seatbelts retract. If the driver fails to brake, pre-crash brakes kick in to reduce speed to try not to run over that person.
Safety for pedestrians is an especially pressing need in Japan, where roads tend to be narrow and more congested, and pedestrian fatalities are more common than in the United States and Europe.
The emphasis on sophisticated technology is part of the effort by the world's leading automakers, including Toyota, to woo customers at a time when nearly all cars are becoming sophisticated.