Skip to main content

TRW pedestrian protection system

TRW Automotive Holdings has developed an advanced pedestrian protection system that uses up to three remote acceleration sensors (RAS) located in the front bumper area.
January 26, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSS601 TRW Automotive Holdings has developed an advanced pedestrian protection system that uses up to three remote acceleration sensors (RAS) located in the front bumper area. These sensors continuously transmit acceleration signals to an electronic control unit (ECU) which analyses the sensor data. In the event of a collision, the system will determine if the vehicle has struck a human body (of various sizes) or another object. If a pedestrian collision is detected, the system triggers hood lifter mechanisms – located on either underside of the hood – to activate and create more space between the hood and the hard engine components to help reduce potential injury.

"Our goal is a reliable system based on proven technology for the hardware, software and control algorithms," said Martin Thoone, vice president, TRW global electronics engineering. "In the pedestrian protection system, the RAS can be mated to a stand-alone ECU, but the more cost effective solution is to have the software integrated into an existing TRW airbag control unit."

TRW says the preferred integrated option also offers better interactions between the frontal impact sensing and pedestrian impact sensing algorithms; resulting in enhanced overall sensing performance. System advantages also include: sensor packaging flexibility across a wide range of vehicle applications; an electronic communication interface that works within established industry protocols, helping ensure high compatibility and reliability; and the use of TRW's proprietary X-RISA_8 pedestrian impact sensing algorithm.

Related Content

  • May 6, 2020
    Don’t forget security threat, says Econolite
    A new level of communication is helping deliver on the promise of Vision Zero and a more sustainable future. But amid the promise, Econolite’s Sunny Chakravarty suggests we need to be mindful of the potential downsides in an age of mass connectivity
  • July 24, 2024
    Flow Labs partners with Geotab ITS
    Contextual fleet & freight data will help traffic safety, sustainability & performance
  • June 30, 2016
    Machine vision’s transport offerings move on apace
    Colin Sowman considers some of the latest advances in camera technology and transport-related vision technology applications. Vision technology in the transportation sector is moving apace as technical developments on both the hardware and software sides combine to make cameras more multifunctional with a single digital camera now able to cover a multitude of tasks.
  • May 2, 2018
    V2X: The design challenges
    The connected future throws up a number of enticing possibilities for us all. But, says Houman Zarrinkoub of MathWorks, issues around visualisation, prototyping and model evolution need to be examined carefully. We are all aware of the huge amount of investment going into driverless car technologies. With the likes of Volvo, Tesla and BMW getting in on the act, soon they will be a common sight on our roads. However, for this to occur, the vehicles must be able to connect with each other and ensure driver