[Quietcars] Regression testing 2010 Prius

[Robert Wilson]

> 
> This accident avoidance system is being advertised on e of the MB sport
> utes.  I think that it is the ML350 that systems seat belts, rolls up
> windows, applies brakes etc.  . . .

Similar systems are available for the SAAB, Lexus and the top-end Prius. But with the exception of the Prius, these vehicles start at over $40,000. The Prius is cheap at $30,000 but even this is too rich for my budget. 

One of the ironies of life is the Prius systems, even the older ones, are already electronic controlled. This makes them a natural for automated accident avoidance systems. But best of all, the same sensors that prevent an accident also provide what is called 'smart cruise control.' This means the car follows the truck or car in front and maintains a safe following distance all the time. Today's cruise controls have no distance feedback mechanism so the driver has to still moderate the speed for the vehicle in front.

The other important feature they provide is 'lane following.' This means they keep the vehicle from wandering off the road (to you know where!) The accident statistics say vehicles going on sidewalks are rare but I remember reading this past year of a drunk banker who assaulted a blind pedestrian by driving his jeep on the sidewalk and pinning the pedestrian. The last news report showed the pedestrian in the hospital, awake, but in for a long and painful recovery. I can't help but think that lane following in that jeep might have avoided that accident (although electric shocks through the seat sounds more appropriate for that drunk driver.)

Last year, these accident avoidance systems virtually didn't exist. It wasn't until December of 2008 that I first got hint of them. Now I can buy a digital signal processor designed to take digital camera and radar inputs and recognize objects in the road. Many of these digital signal processor and camera systems have existed in factories for years on assembly lines watching the robots assemble small parts but now this technology is moving towards our cars.

Non-hybrid cars still have mostly mechanical systems, a fraction of the computer controls found in a hybrid electric. So I don't see them adopting these accident avoidance systems rapidly, certainly not in the economy vehicles. However, antilock brakes and electronic vehicle stability systems are an important element. With brake inputs, you have a basis to start from even though it is a crude sort of control.

In contrast, the only way my Prius moves is a network of computers that operate the different systems. I'm not really driving the car as much as providing inputs to these control computers that handle power steering, power brakes and the hybrid electric power systems including the engine. There is no throttle cable from the accelerator to the engine but signals from the operator controls to the control computers. This is the natural home for always working, accident avoidance systems that can provide the extra margin for both pedestrian and vehicle safety. 

My first posting was to share that the 2010 Prius has a distinct audio signature that experience Prius owners have noticed. We care because it helps us with problem diagnosis. These sounds, the inverter mosquito-like whine, brake pump and inverter pump may help those with limited or no vision and possibly be incorporated in guide dog training. That is why regression testing of the 2010 Prius may make sense.

Bob Wilson

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