Merc shows hazard 'early-warning' system

[Plex]

Stuttgart, Germany - Drivers will in future be warned of danger even if the hazard is around the next bend or even over the horizon.

The system is called WILLWARN (henceforth on this site Willwarn) and it's a development by DaimlerChrysler and partners whose full label is Wireless Local Danger Warning. There's more...

Five vehicles equipped with WLAN-based radio technology used Car-2-X Communication (told you) to radio details of critical situations detected by their sensors � fog, black ice or obstacles on the road such as broken-down vehicles � to following cars whose drivers were thereby prepared for the danger

DaimlerChrysler tested the technology six years ago � a world first, then � by sending the first inter-communicating vehicle fleet out on to the road as part of a "FleetNet" research project.

This field test demonstrated that WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) technology, which had already proved a success when used for wireless Internet access, also allowed vehicles to communicate with each other.

One of the key benefits is that expensive, fixed-installation transmitting and receiving devices are not required since each car is both transmitter and receivers. The cars establish an ad-hoc radio network and send any necessary warnings to all other vehicles within a radius of 500m.

Vehicles outside that radius receive relayed signals from the cars inside the radius and so on...

No sensors other than those already on the cars were required: data was collected from the anti-lock brakes, stability control, steering angle, external thermometer and satnav

DaimlerChrysler engineers incorporated the groundwork laid during the FleetNet project into the subsequent NOW (Network on Wheels) programme (a German co-operation project) and the current Willwarn project.

The DaimlerChrysler specialists supplied information to partners who only joined the project later after realising that the only way to establish a comprehensive WLAN radio network was to co-operate with other automakers.

Source: http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3575822&fSectionId=751&fSetId=381