What Does a Car's Automatic Following System Rely on to Detect the Vehicle Ahead?
2 Answers
A car's automatic following system relies on the adaptive cruise control system of the vehicle ahead for detection. Detection method of the adaptive cruise control system: The driver activates the system using the control lever on the right side of the steering wheel, and the dashboard immediately indicates that the radar is ready. Then, the distance to the vehicle ahead is set using the buttons on the multifunction steering wheel, followed by setting the cruising speed via the cruise control lever. At this point, the driver can take their foot off the accelerator pedal. Introduction to the adaptive cruise control system: The adaptive cruise control system is an intelligent automatic control system developed from the existing cruise control technology. During vehicle operation, the distance sensor (radar) installed at the front of the vehicle continuously scans the road ahead, while the wheel speed sensors collect speed signals.
This adaptive cruise control system mainly relies on the sensors at the front of the car to monitor the vehicle ahead. The most common one is millimeter-wave radar, which emits electromagnetic waves and calculates the distance and speed relative to the leading vehicle based on the reflection time. It works even in rainy or foggy conditions. Nowadays, new cars are also equipped with high-definition cameras specifically designed to recognize the outline of the vehicle ahead and the status of its brake lights. During my last test drive, I noticed the system relies more on radar data to measure distance, while the visual system primarily identifies the type of vehicle ahead. However, on muddy days, if the camera gets covered in dirt, it becomes practically blind, and then the system has to rely entirely on the radar to keep going.
