The Mobileye collision avoidance system is an Autonomous Driving Technology launched by Israeli company Mobileye in 1999. The company was initially launched as academic research for collision avoidance technology. Intel acquired Mobileye in 2017 in a deal estimated to be worth $15.3 Billion. The Mobileye system uses cameras and software algorithms to sense other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists on the road and makes driving so much easier and safer.
What is Mobileye Collision Avoidance Technology?
According to the company, they now power over 15 million vehicles worldwide, making autonomous driving a reality for so many people. The Mobileye collision avoidance system has three focal points of operation to ensure the system works optimally.
- First, the Mobileye software fuses data from cameras and radar systems to detect objects ahead. The company says this works with amazing accuracy of 99%.
- Second, the Mobileye Autonomous Driving Technology maintains rapidly updated high-definition maps with the help of crowd-sourcing.
- And finally, the company developed a software driving policy that controls vehicle behavior on the open road with inputs from human drivers.
In addition, the Mobileye system comes with a display they call “EyeWatch”. This feature provides visual warnings with proximity measurements to the obstacles for drivers.
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How Does Mobileye Technology Work?
The Mobileye system works by providing drivers with warnings about impending collisions and also helping them navigate their route. This is especially important because, in accident scenarios, a driver’s reaction time is usually a huge factor in deciding how bad it gets. Research shows that drivers with faster reaction times may have a better chance of avoiding crashes.
In addition to Mobileye’s immediate warning system, it provides a longer-term safety measure by providing drivers with feedback on how often they had near collisions, got too close to the car in front of them, or drifted out of their own lane. This data if well utilized can help improve drivers’ safety.
How the Mobileye Collision Avoidance system work
- Forward Collision Warning: record shows that Rear-end crashes are the commonest collisions incidents. And most times, they happen because drivers follow too closely to vehicles in front, drivers are distracted or speeding. The Mobileye forward collision warning feature sends a visual and audio alert when it detects an imminent collision with a vehicle or any obstacles ahead. The system is designed to alert drivers up to 3 seconds before a collision, thus allowing the drivers time to react.
- Lane Departure Warning: run-off-road crashes make up a large proportion of crash fatalities and serious injuries. This type of accident typically starts with unintended lane departure and could prove devastating. The Mobileye Lane Departure Warning feature sends a visual and audio alert to the driver when there is a lane deviation without signaling.
- Pedestrian & Cyclist Collision Warning: studies have shown that pedestrians and cyclists make up the list of the most vulnerable road users. The Mobileye Pedestrian & Cyclist Collision Warning feature sends a visual and audio alert before an imminent collision with a pedestrian or cyclist. This is done in time to allow the driver enough reaction time to avoid the incident.
- Headway Monitoring & Warning: The main cause of rear-end collisions is following too closely to cars in front of you, and it is even more dangerous in bad weather conditions. The Mobileye Headway Monitoring & Warning feature monitors the distance, in seconds, to the vehicle ahead. Drivers will get an alert if the distance becomes unsafe.
- Speed Limit Indicator: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report, speeding-related crashes were up 11% in 2020 compared to what it was in 2019.The Mobileye speed limit indicator feature scans for speed limit signs along the road then alerts the driver they exceed the speed limit with the help of the visual indicator.
Mobileye products
The two major Mobileye products currently in the market are;
- Mobileye 8 connect: this features Mobileye’s latest generation of collision avoidance technology and comes with greater range, 10x accuracy improvement, and a wider angle lens for better performance. It features all Mobileye technology and provides drivers with great data analytics to help improve their driving.
- Mobileye Shield+: apart from having all the Mobileye technologies, this includes a fully optimized telematics system that provides data that can serve as the basis for improvements to city infrastructure. The Telematics system is provided by a third party and comes with no fee for the first year but may include a fee for subsequent years.
Conclusion
So far, the Mobileye collision avoidance system is probably the closest we’ve come to Autonomous Driving cars. The technology has been deployed to over 15 million vehicles worldwide, with the company targeting mostly fleet delivery companies and electric vehicles like Tesla. Mobileye collision avoidance system installation is easy and cost-effective and has proven a lifesaver for many users.