The ZF Vision Zero Vehicle, a show car demonstrating
the parts maker’s latest technologies and a path forward to autonomous cars,
will make its in-the-flesh debut the 2017 Frankfurt motor show in September.
ZF Friedrichshafen is a German automotive parts
manufacturer, best known for its automatic transmissions. Besides slushboxes,
the component maker also makes drive units and safety equipment. The Vision Zero is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to creating a
world with zero accidents and zero fatalities. Based on the Volkswagen Touran,
the ZF Vision Zero features the company’s new mSTARS or Modular Semi-Trailing
Arm Rear Suspension setup, which includes a 204 hp electric motor. Claimed to
allow automakers to easily electrify existing cars, the mSTARS system can be
used for both pure electric vehicles and hybrids.
Among its new safety features, the Vision Zero
includes Driver Distraction Assist, which monitors the driver’s head movements
with a “laser-based time-of-flight interior camera with learning capability”.
Unlike regular cameras, the Vision Zero’s system monitors head position in
three dimensions, and works equally well at night as during the day.
When the assistant detects a dangerous situation, it
will try to alert the driver via messages on the dashboard, warning chimes and
tightening the seatbelt. If the driver doesn’t respond in time, the car will
take over control and, if necessary, park the car in a safe spot.
The car is also equipped with Wrong Way Inhibit.
Using regularly updated detailed map data, and road sign and street marking
recognition, the system can detect when the car is being driven the wrong way
on an entry or exit ramp. In this situation, the system will warn the driver
via dashboard messages, audio tones, seat belt tightening, and significantly
increased steering resistance. If no action is taken, the car will engage high
beams and hazard lights, steer itself onto a shoulder, and slow down to a stop.
Once there, the driver can only turn the car around
outside the traffic lanes or reverse back onto the originating road.
