Press Release
BMW Active Cruise Control Stop & Go
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- Proximity radar with a range of up to 20 meters supplementing ACC radar.
- Extension of ACC function all the way to a standstill.
- No attempt to take control away from the driver.
ACC Stop & Go is a further enhancement of ACC Active Cruise Control already available on the BMW 7 and 5 Series. And now BMW Group engineers are already working on the introduction of a stop & go function extending the useful speed range covered by ACC all the way down to a standstill. This makes it essential to monitor the area directly in front of the car, the sensors used for this purpose being able to detect other road users within a close range of up to 20 meters over the entire width of the car.
To provide this function the long-range 120-meter sensor used with ACC is supplemented by additional close-range radar sensors operating in the 24 GHz band and measuring the distance, lateral position and relative velocity of a vehicle ahead. Using such environmental information, ACC Stop & Go masterminds both the engine and the brakes, supporting the driver on the motorway and country roads by maintaining an appropriate distance from the vehicle ahead and, wherever necessary, even slowing down the car to a standstill. And whilst the sensors also monitor vehicles at a standstill,
the primary objective of this control function is to ensure highly convenient and reliable motoring in convoys behind moving vehicles and even vehicles that have come to a stop.
Again following the same principle as with "regular" ACC, ACC Stop & Go intentionally keeps the driver in control, enabling him to choose his - or her - distance from the vehicle ahead and intervene whenever he wishes.
A further point is that ACC Stop & Go limits the maximum power of brake intervention to 2 m/sec² at typical motorway speeds whilst applying more brake power at lower speeds. And whenever ACC Stop & Go detects a situation which goes beyond its own limited deceleration function, the driver is informed in good time by optical or acoustic signals.
ACC Stop & Go and ACC serve primarily to provide comfort functions supporting the driver and relieving him of his usual chores. But it is equally obvious that these assistance systems make an important contribution to driving safety on the road. The starting point in the development of ACC and ACC Stop & Go is the BMW Group's ConnectedDrive philosophy, driver assistance systems serving to support the driver to the greatest possible extent and with maximum flexibility geared to each situation. But since such systems should never take over themselves by intervening in the car's controls on their own accord, BMW ConnectedDrive combines the strengths of human skills with the strengths of technical systems to give the driver optimum convenience at the wheel.
Photo Caption:
Top: ConnectedDrive: Technology test bed BMW X5 with short range radar sensor
