AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM:

Automatic braking is a technology for automobiles to sense an imminent collision with another vehicle, person or obstacle; or a danger such as high brakes or by applying the brakes to slow the vehicle without any driver input. Sensors to detect other vehicles or obstacles can include radar, video, infrared, ultrasonic or other technologies. GPS sensors can detect fixed dangers such as approaching stop signs through a location database.

WORKING PRINCIPLE:
Automatic braking by the system after sensing an obstacle can be executed in two modes. In collision avoidance, the collision is avoided by the automatic braking, but the driver will not be warned in this type of system. There is a very good chance of wrongly interpreting the signals, especially in the case of radars or lasers. So this is not so effective method of automatic braking. In collision mitigation system, the sensors detect the possibility of collision but will not take immediate action. A warning will be sent to the driver in the form of a signal or a voice message. There is a threshold safe distance calculated by the system and if the driver fails to respond even when the vehicle crosses that region, then only brakes will be applied automatically. Even if there is a mis-interpretation of signals, there is no problem because, the decision to apply brakes is left with the driver and the brakes are applied automatically only in the most emergency situations. Many vehicles are provided with the option of turning on or off the automatic system based on their surroundings. In some automobiles even though they cannot be completely disabled, they can be limited to warning the driver about coming obstacle. Even this emergency braking initiates ABS which helps the driver to retain the control over vehicle without any skidding. Automatic braking system is only effective if the mode of sensing the obstacles is reliable, or else any kind of false interpretation may cause a lot of damage

TYPES OF PRE-COLLISION SYSTEMS:

Sound alarm: Some systems sound an alarm to notify drivers that a collision may be imminent - a sound simply to alert the driver and get him or her ready to take evasive action. Other systems actually take control of certain aspects of the car. There are pre-crash brake systems, which apply additional pressure to the car's brakes to assist the driver in slowing the car down as fast as possible and potentially reducing damage caused by an accident. Some others include: Seatbelt pretensioners: Some systems also connect the PCS unit to a pre-crash seat belt system, which can automatically tense passengers' seat belts before a crash. These are often referred to as seatbelt pretensioners. The development of these types of systems needs to be fine-tuned and highly accurate, since any malfunction could disrupt a drivers' attention and potentially cause an accident. Obviously, designers and manufacturers put pre-collision systems through rigorous testing to ensure that this doesn't happen. Mercedes-Benz per-safe system 2003: One of the earliest uses of accident detection was the Mercedes-Benz Pre-Safe system in the 2003 S-class sedan, which the company touted as the "world's first production car equipped with an astonishing new system that can sense a possible

collision a few seconds in advance and take pre-crash protective measures." The system used sensors to measure the car's steering angle and acceleration, but not its surrounding environment -- actions such as pre-tensing of the seat belts, automatic sunroof closing and raising of reclined seats were triggered during any emergency maneuver. Radar System: More recent accident detection technologies use radar systems, like Toyota's Pre-Collision System. The system uses millimeter-wave radar to determine when additional braking assistance is required as well as when to apply tension to the seat belts. Toyota has also added pre-crash seatback preparation for rear seat occupants. If a crash situation is imminent, reclined rear seats are automatically brought to an upright position. Forward collision warning and braking: Forward collision warning systems sense when the vehicle ahead is slowing or stopped and alert the driver of the risk of a possible crash. While most systems use radar, some use a laser, or camera. The system monitors the relative speed and following distance to the vehicle in front. When your vehicle gets too close to the vehicle in-front, a signal (audible and/or visual) alerts the driver. Some systems offer collision warning with brake support. If the driver does not react after the collision warning has been given, the brake support function prepares the brake system to react quickly, and the brakes are applied slightly. A light jolt may be experienced. In the event of an imminent crash and the driver has not applied the brakes, some of the newer systems apply strong braking automatically to help reduce the impact of the crash. Many systems will also activate the seat belt pre-tensioners, pre-charge the airbag systems and the brakes. Other systems may stop the vehicle completely to avoid the crash.
Some names for these systems include Pre-safe Braking, Collision Warning with AutoBrake (CWAB), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS).

Things to keep in mind:

These systems are designed to aid in the driving task. They are not intended to replace the drivers attention and judgment. The driver is still responsible for maintaining a safe distance and speed even when the collision warning system is in use.
The automatic braking function will not prevent a collision. The driver must apply the brakes for full braking effect. The radar sensor may not be able to detect other vehicles in heavy rain or snow, or stationary vehicles. For systems with cameras, adverse weather conditions such as heavy snow, dense fog, will affect the functioning of the system. Strong sunlight, reflections from the road surface, etc., may reduce the cameras ability to detect another vehicle. Warnings for stationary or slow moving vehicles may not be provided in dark conditions.

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