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Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS): Explained In Detail
The Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are becoming part of more cars and this system is becoming a trend in the automotive community.
Though this system is new to our country, the system has been present in the market for more than two decades.
The ADAS can be classified into 6 levels based on its automation level, where 'Level 0' offers no assistance and 'Level 5' offers the maximum assistance.
Most automotive manufacturers provide Level 1 and Level 2 driver assistance systems. Also, in 2015, Volvo started offering ADAS across its model range.
For the Level 1 driver assistance system, the system is partially responsible for the control of the vehicle, where either the driver controls the steering inputs and the automation system is responsible for the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle or vice-versa.
In the Level 2 driver assistance system, the system has the ability to take control of acceleration, deceleration and steering. However, the driver should be aware of the surroundings and should be ready to intervene if the system fails to respond.
In Level 3 driver assistance systems, a larger degree of autonomous driving is introduced where the driver can safely take the eyes of the surroundings and do other things in the car such as watch movies or browse the internet. However, the driver should be awake and ready to take control of the vehicle, in case the system demands attention.
In Level 4, the system can handle a variety of situations and require almost no driver assistance. This means the driver and the passenger of the vehicle can sleep in the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion.
Vehicles equipped with Level 5 autonomous driver aids require no steering at all. Everything will be controlled by the vehicle's automated systems.
In India, though some premium cars offer ADAS, the system gained popularity after its introduction in mass-market vehicles such as MG Gloster, Mahindra XUV700 and MG Astor.
Out of these three cars, the MG Gloster comes with Level 1 autonomous driver assistance systems, whereas the MG Astor and Mahindra XUV700 come with the more advanced Level 2 autonomous driver assistance systems.
Some of the important features in ADAS include Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Park Assist, and Auto Emergency Braking.
1. Adaptive Cruise Control
The Adaptive Cruise Control is a system that is similar to cruise control but with an added degree of autonomous function.
While Cruise Control helps the car maintain a set speed limit without any accelerator input from the driver to reduce fatigue during long drives, the system gets deactivated once the driver uses the brake pedal to slow down or stop the car.
This means, using Cruise Control on busy roads is a task itself. However, vehicles equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control can automatically adapt to the speed of the vehicle in front without any braking assistance from the driver.
With the Adaptive Cruise Control engaged, the driver doesn't have to brake for any slower moving traffic as the vehicle itself will adapt to the speed of the vehicle in front. Apart from that, the vehicle can cruise at a set speed limit once the traffic in front has been cleared.
2. Lane Keep Assist
Unlike the Adaptive Cruise Control which takes control of acceleration and deceleration, the Lane Keep Assist feature takes control of the steering.
In most cases, the Lane-Keeping Assist feature uses a forward-facing camera to monitor the lanes and keep the vehicle within that lane by taking control of the steering.
3. Park Assist
The Park Assist feature is a very convenient feature if you live in an area where people follow proper parking etiquette. This system identifies the parking space by measuring the distance between two parked vehicles and takes control of the steering input while giving instructions to the driver regarding throttle and brake inputs.
However, in most cases, this system can only park the vehicle between two vehicles as the system requires reference points. Moreover, the same set of sensors is also used to warn while reversing from the parking spot or identifying objects in blind spots.
4. Auto Emergency Braking
This system uses sensors to scan the road ahead and the system only engages if the driver fails to apply brakes during an emergency. The system has also been responsible for saving countless lives to date.
MG ASTOR
In India, the MG Astor is the most affordable car with ADAS. This vehicle features Level 2 autonomous driving and it is powered by two engine options. The base engine on offer is a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine with 108.5bhp and 144Nm of torque.
There is also a sportier and more potent 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 138bhp and 220Nm of torque.
Mahindra XUV700
The Mahindra XUV700 is the most affordable 7-seater SUV with ADAS and like the MG Astor, it is also capable of Level 2 autonomous driving.
The Mahindra XUV700 comes with a choice of one petrol engine and two diesel engines. The petrol engine is a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with 197bhp and 380Nm of torque. Both the diesel engines are 2.2-litre units, where the more powerful version pushes out 182bhp and 450Nm of torque, whereas the base version puts out 153bhp and 360Nm of torque.
Thoughts About ADAS
As more and more vehicles are equipped with ADAS, road safety is bound to improve and reduce the number of accidents, but the system can also contribute to more relaxed driving for users.