What Is Adaptive Cruise Control? Driver-Assistance Tech Explained
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However, as ACC systems evolved and improved, we became more accustomed to them. We now look at regular cruise control as barbaric. Cruise control is still the more prolific of speed controls offered on today’s new cars, but adaptive cruise control has started gaining ground.
Multi-sensor systems
The technology enhances passenger safety and convenience as well as increasing road capacity by maintaining optimal separation between vehicles and reducing driver errors. It’s no surprise that an automaker obsessed with safety was an early adopter of adaptive cruise control. Volvo was also one of the first automakers to pair the technology with autonomous emergency braking, allowing a car to both automatically follow a vehicle in front and brake if it encounters an obstacle. Volvo’s latest Pilot Assist II system doesn’t need to track a vehicle ahead, can a keep a car centered in its lane, and can operate at speeds up to 80 mph. To do it, a car must be equipped with sensors that allow it to detect nearby vehicles and potential obstacles. Most adaptive cruise control systems use radar, with high resolution radar on the horizon, although a camera and lidar (which works on the same principle as radar, but with light waves) can be used as well.
Vehicle models supporting adaptive cruise control
Yes, you will find aftermarket adaptive cruise control kits available. Depending on the features, they range in cost from $250 to nearly $4,000. For most involved electric-system installations, it’s best to get them done by a dealership or certified mechanic.
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ACC systems allow you to set a desired speed until your vehicle encounters slower-moving traffic. Then it will brake to maintain a set distance from the car ahead. Once the traffic starts moving again or if there is no longer a car in the lane ahead, ACC will accelerate to resume the previous set speed. Although ACC systems may take some getting used to, our survey respondents told us they appreciated the stress relief the feature brings.
More car models provide it as standard or as an available option. But, what exactly is adaptive cruise control, and how does it work? Laser-based systems do not detect and track vehicles in adverse weather conditions nor do they reliably track dirty (and therefore non-reflective) vehicles. Laser-based sensors must be exposed, the sensor (a fairly large black box) is typically found in the lower grille, offset to one side. In essence, not only did the 1999 S-Class introduce the driver-aid technology adaptive cruise control (ACC), but it also set the cornerstone of the foundation for self-driving vehicles.
Subaru’s EyeSight system uses cameras instead of radar, bringing down its cost and making installation of the hardware a bit easier. On some models, Subaru has also added a driver-facing camera to ensure the driver stays alert while these features are in use. ACC technology is regarded as a key component of future generations of intelligent cars.
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It maintains a set speed for your vehicle, like a conventional cruise control system, but it also adjusts the speed based on the traffic flow. Better systems can come you a full stop in heavy traffic and continue when congestion lightens. This technology can make cruise control more useful by taking some (but not all) of the workload off the driver. Level 3 – If Level 2 is partial self-driving, Level 3 is conditional full automation.
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It’s too bad Super Cruise isn’t widely available, at least, not yet. Cadillac launched the system on its flagship CT6 sedan but has been slow to expand to other models. With the CT6 set to be discontinued, Cadillac finally announced that Super Cruise will be available on the CT4 and CT5 sedans when they go on sale in the coming months. Those sedans use a new electrical architecture that can support Super Cruise. A more recent development is the binocular computer vision system, such as that introduced to the US market in model year 2013 by Subaru. These systems have front-facing video cameras mounted on either side of the rearview mirror and use digital processing to extract depth information from the parallax between the two cameras' views.
Mercedes Distronic Plus
A conventional cruise control system does not automatically keep a set distance away from the car in front, and it is indicated by a similar logo without the car next to the speedometer. A tip to know if your car has adaptive cruise control or regular cruise control is to look for the “gap distance” button, which usually shows a symbol of a car with horizontal distance bars in front. This button will determine how much space your car leaves between its front bumper and the rear of the car it is following. There continues to be plenty of confusion about self-driving or autonomous systems, what they are, and how they operate.
The complexity of adaptive cruise control systems puts them beyond the reach of the aftermarket. Radar-based ACC is often sold together with a precrash system,[43] which warns the driver and/or provides brake support if there is a high risk of a collision. Also in certain cars, it is incorporated with a lane maintaining system which provides a power steering assist to reduce steering input burden on corners when the cruise control system is activated.
The system will automatically resume driving if the car remains stopped for less than three seconds; longer stops require a tap of the accelerator pedal or of the cruise control’s “resume” button. A steering-assist feature helps keep the car centered in its lane, and certain versions of the system can initiate lane changes. Adaptive cruise control is at the center of the pile of electronic driving aids some automakers believe could form the basis of fully autonomous driving. We’re nowhere near autonomous cars, though, and it’s important not to mistake adaptive cruise control and other related technologies for full autonomy. These systems are designed to help the driver, not to drive the car themselves while the driver dozes off or counts blue cars going the other way. Adaptive cruise control takes it to the next level.
Adaptive cruise control systems vary in sophistication from carmaker to carmaker and sometimes even model to model. For example, Genesis calls it Smart Cruise Control, while BMW identifies it as Distance Control. However, in a nutshell, the feature holds a safe preset speed while maintaining a safe following distance from the traffic before it. ACC essentially makes commuting and road trips so much easier. Systems with multiple sensors can practice sensor fusion to integrate the data to improve safety and/or driving experience.
However, the major difference between adaptive cruise control and a self-driving system is, ACC is simply a component of a driverless system. That is to say, ACC provides automatic braking and acceleration in a self-driving system that also includes steering, and sometimes automatic lane changing. Level 2 – To qualify as Level 2, a vehicle must have at least two driver-assistance technologies. This typically includes ACC and another technology like lane-centering assist or lane-keeping assist. With these technologies, the vehicle can steer, accelerate, and brake on its own in certain conditions.
That’s because Cadillac did a thorough job in setting up Super Cruise. Not only does the system rely on an array of cameras, radar, and lidar, but Cadillac also mapped 200,000 miles of highway. Super Cruise also has a driver-facing camera, and will only work if a certain level of driver alertness is maintained. Control is based on sensor information from on-board sensors. Such systems may use a radar, laser sensor or a camera setup allowing the vehicle to brake when it detects the car is approaching another vehicle ahead, then accelerate when traffic allows it to. “Most ACC systems can only be set to speeds above 20 mph but will slow the vehicle to speeds below that in stop-and-go traffic,” she says.
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