Curve Speed Warning- CSW

Curve-speed warning (CSW) technology has been developed to help drivers identify potentially dangerous situations if a bend in the road is taken too fast, and warn the driver in advance allowing him time to react properly. The information about such bends is drawn from pre-existing digital maps of the road and analysis of the geometric characteristics of the bend. By combining this information with external factors such as weather conditions and estimates of road friction, the maximum recommended speed for the bend is estimated. If the vehicle is approaching at a speed higher than the recommended value, the system can warn the driver of the potential hazard, prepare the safety systems in the vehicle, or actively inhibit further acceleration of the vehicle.

The overall performance of digital map-based CSW can be significantly improved with the addition of vision-based sensors such as Lane Detection and Tracking (LDT) and vision-based rain sensing. The lane-detection module can provide additional information about the shape and distance to the approaching bend, refining in this way the estimate of the maximum recommended speed. The vision-based rain sensor is able to detect rain-drops on the windshield and estimate the reduced road friction, an important parameter for the CSW module.

In addition to warning signals and active interventions, CSW may also assist the user during night driving by means of adaptive front lighting (AFL). This technology is able to adapt the shape, intensity and direction of the light beam to follow the direction of the road. By adjusting the direction of the light beam, AFL can prepare the driver for oncoming bends and guide him/her in the right direction, even before he/she can see the bend. This technology also helps reduce the blinding effect from the headlights of oncoming vehicles, offering increased driver comfort as well as improved vehicle safety.

Curve Speed Warning will be tested by Ford.