Recent Active Pedestrian Protection tests conducted by ADAC have shown that an enhanced version of the A-PCS pre-collision safety system in Lexus vehicles can help save lives. Safety issues are key for Lexus cars. Therefore, the automaker has always offered a whole range of highly sophisticated and integrated active and passive safety technologies.
The enhanced 2012 A-PCS Collision Avoidance Safety System with Collision Avoidance Assist is one of the most advanced active safety systems for accident prevention in the industry. The technology was designed to help the driver avoid collisions, or it helped mitigate the consequences of collisions, whether with other cars or pedestrians, at various speeds in the city or on highways, during the day and in the dark.
A key part of the A-PCS system is the sophisticated obstacle recognition function, which combines information from radar operating in the millimeter wave band, projectors operating just below the infrared region of the spectrum, and a pair of cameras – it can automatically recognize a number of different obstacles with high accuracy. Thanks to this, the system can detect both standing and moving pedestrians, whether during the day or at night.
After the A-PCS system identifies an obstacle in front of the vehicle, it is able to evaluate the likelihood of a collision based on the object's position, speed and trajectory. If the system evaluates a collision as highly probable, a warning sound is activated and the warning "BRAKE" is displayed in red on the multifunction display in front of the driver.
The new A-PCS system simultaneously activates several integrated safety systems:
1) VGRS (Variable Gear Ratio Steering) emergency steering assistant – to improve the vehicle's response to steering wheel commands;
2) Adaptive variable suspension AVS – to increase the stiffness of the shock absorbers, both to prevent the nose of the car from sinking at the moment of activation of the emergency braking, and also to improve the vehicle's reactions during an emergency evasive maneuver;
3) VDIM system (integrated vehicle dynamics control) – to increase vehicle stability during an evasive maneuver;
4) And the emergency braking system with PBA (Pre-Crash Brake Assist) technology – to increase the force exerted by the driver on the brake pedal in an emergency braking situation.
If the system evaluates a collision as unavoidable and the driver does not take any corrective action, it will start braking automatically . Depending on the relative speed, the car can even come to a complete stop to avoid a collision.
The safety system is intended to assist drivers, but the driver is always responsible for paying attention to driving. The system cannot prevent all collisions and its operation depends on the condition of the road, the weather and the vehicle itself.
The system received special awards for advanced obstacle detection, emergency braking assistant and night vision support.
In safety tests, it was proven that the Lexus A-PC S system is able to prevent a collision with a pedestrian thanks to early detection of an obstacle and independent braking from a speed of up to 50 km/h.
Source: Lexus
