General interest press release
SIEMENS VDO HELPS DRIVER'S STAY IN THEIR LANES
Siemens VDO, Mobileye, Supply Lane Departure Warning To BMW 5 Series
Siemens VDO with partner Mobileye, is supplying BMW with an intelligent Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system that will help warn drivers both visually, through the vehicle's instrument cluster or head-up display, and physically, through simulated "rumble strips" vibrations in the steering wheel, before the vehicle unintentionally leaves its lane. Last month, BMW globally launched its new 5 Series, which offers Siemens VDO's first LDW application safety system as an option to customers.
"By using tactile warnings, BMW's new lane departure warning system provides an intelligent rumble strip imitation giving drivers an advanced lane departure warning, even when there are no physical strips on the road,” said Siemens VDO global CEO of Chassis and Safety Division Dr. Jürgen Goetz. "In contrast to systems requiring lane markings on both sides of the vehicle, the company's Lane Departure Warning technology is one of the few that can use a single lane marking to detect unintended departure."
Siemens VDO and Mobileye, a world leader in the development of vision-based driver assistant systems, collaborated in the development and testing of this advanced LDW system to perform in a wide range of weather conditions, road types and lane markings. The system uses a high-dynamic range digital Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor (CMOS) camera and an electronic control unit with advanced algorithm technology to recognize lane markings.
The jointly developed LDW system’s warning duration varies, depending on the speed in which the vehicle crosses the lane marking. For quick lane changes, the system will provide a short warning of under one second and in slow lane changes the warning can be several seconds longer.
Siemens VDO offers a network of advanced driver assistant systems, under the name pro.pilot, which includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Detection and Night Vision. Pro.pilot technology helps keep a watchful eye on the traffic in front, on the side and to the rear of the vehicle, constantly working to adequately warn drivers of potential hazards before an accident occurs. Siemens VDO's Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot Detections systems will go into series production for European applications later this year.
Siemens VDO Automotive AG is one of the world’s leading automotive electronics and mechatronics suppliers, earning approximately 70 percent of its total annual sales in this segment. As an automotive industry development partner, the company's innovative products and solutions enhance safety, driving comfort, cost-effectiveness and performance, as well as reduce emissions and keep drivers informed and in touch with the world. In the 2006 business year (Sept. 30, 2006), Siemens VDO generated sales of more than EUR 10 billion ($12 billion) and achieved results of EUR 669 million ($905 million) based on US-GAAP, which corresponds to an EBIT margin of 6.7 percent.
