Skip to main content

TRW takes first step towards lane centring technology

TRW’s latest Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) technology, incorporating closed loop control, has gone into production for the first time on two vehicle platforms for the European market. LKA integrates data from a video camera sensor with electrically powered steering (EPS) to apply a short counter-steer torque via the steering system to assist the driver in preventing the vehicle from unintentionally leaving the lane. In conventional LKA systems, the technology is only active when the vehicle is close to t
December 4, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
TRW’s latest Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) technology, incorporating closed loop control, has gone into production for the first time on two vehicle platforms for the European market.

LKA integrates data from a video camera sensor with electrically powered steering (EPS) to apply a short counter-steer torque via the steering system to assist the driver in preventing the vehicle from unintentionally leaving the lane.

In conventional LKA systems, the technology is only active when the vehicle is close to the lane borders, at which point the counter-steer torque is applied, helping to correct the driving position. TRW says that, with this closed loop version, the steering angle is controlled more closely as the driver is 'coached' to steer the vehicle away from the border back to the centre of the lane. As with all LKA systems, the induced torque generated by the EPS system can be easily over-ridden by the driver at any time.

Andy Whydell, product planning, TRW Electronics commented: "Lane Keeping Assist technology has great potential in helping to improve road safety. According to 2011 834 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data, 53 per cent of road fatalities result from a roadway departure, and 7120 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) data estimates that lane departure warning and lane keeping assist systems could save more than 7,500 lives in the USA each year."

"This technology is the first step towards a full lane centring system where the EPS system will help keep the driver in the centre of the lane at all times. Such technologies are starting to form the basis for semi-automated driving functionality," concluded Whydell.

Related Content

  • Delphi to launch first coast-to-coast automated drive
    March 17, 2015
    UK automotive company Delphi Automotive will demonstrate the full capabilities of its active safety technologies with the longest automated drive ever attempted in North America. The coast-to-coast trip will launch near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on 22 March and will cover approximately 3,500 miles, finishing in New York. The journey will allow Delphi engineers to gather critical data and further advance the company’s active safety technology development in this rapidly growing segment of the a
  • Commission adopts common rules on road haulage and public transport
    March 21, 2016
    The European Commission has adopted a series of rules for road hauliers and road passenger transport operators. They include a common classification of serious road safety infringements under transport legislation, as well as new specifications for smart tachographs (the device that records driving times of lorry, bus and coach drivers) making the best use of new digital technologies such as Galileo. The objective is to enhance road safety, contribute to a fairer competition between road transport operators
  • US DOT proposes guidelines to address driver distraction
    November 25, 2016
    The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released proposed guidelines today to help address driver distraction caused by mobile and other electronic devices in vehicles. The announcement covers the second phase of voluntary guidelines to address driver distraction on US. roads. The first phase focused on devices or systems built into the vehicle at the time of manufacture. The proposed, voluntary guidelines are designed to encourage portable and after
  • Next Generation 911, updating the US 911 emergency system
    February 1, 2012
    Continuing developments in telecommunications and public expectation have left the US's legacy, analogue 911 emergency call system trailing. Linda D. Dodge, Public Safety Program Manager for the ITS programme in USDOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration, the sponsor of the Next Generation 911 initiative, writes about efforts towards updating