Philips x-by-wire

[GIR]

I couldn't tell you guyz much about this because of a NDA, but Philips has finally gone gold and here it is.

Imagine how much safer roads would be if your car thinks along with you, swinging into action if you get into trouble. So that if you go into a skid, for instance, the car immediately applies perfectly balanced brakes on each wheel to stabilize you, the accelerator reduces speed instantly (even if your foot is on it) and the steering automatically corrects itself. Or when you’re driving at high speed along the motorway, the car automatically senses how close you are to the vehicle in front, and reduces speed to avoid a collision, without interfering with your handling of the steering wheel.

Sound too good to be true? While these kinds of scenarios used to be restricted to science-fiction movies and TV series, a ‘smart’ car – or intelligent car – like this is now about to become reality, thanks to work being done on In-Vehicle Networks by the FlexRay consortium – made up of Philips and core partners DaimlerChrysler, BMW, Motorola, General Motors and Bosch and a whole host of associate companies.

How does it work?

The smart car uses X-by-wire technology that basically eliminates the mechanical and hydraulic systems that enable today’s cars to steer, brake, accelerate and regulate suspension control. Instead, it replaces them with sophisticated and reliable electronic systems. In the smart car, electronic signals communicate the driver’s intent to turn, accelerate, brake, stop, etc. It’s similar to developments in aircraft engineering last century, which enabled planes to abandon the heavy mechanical parts that controlled the aircraft’s ability to manoeuvre and were hard work on hard pilots and replace them with the sophisticated electronic fly-by-wire controls that practically enable planes safely to fly themselves.

And, just as with modern aircraft, future In-Vehicle Networks will be fitted with a series of fail-safes to ensure that you’re never without control over the smart car, even if one of the systems fails. X-by-wire is being developed as a fault-tolerant technology - meaning it will have a foolproof back-up component that takes over if a primary system shuts down.

The possibilities for such technology are endless. X-by-wire can be used in a number of basic systems, including braking, climate control, oil pumps, steering and balance systems. It will boost a car’s performance, increase safety, improve vehicle responsiveness and reduce emissions, making tomorrow’s cars even more efficient and more environmentally friendly.

Setting the standard

The FlexRay consortium is working on developing a definitive in-car control system, which it hopes will become the future X-by-wire standard. In addition, FlexRay is also working on bringing a complete X-by-wire car onto the market as soon as possible.

What exactly is Philips’ role? To put it as simply as possible, Philips Semiconductors is developing silicon solutions for this evolving standard, using its technological know-how to manage and control the increasing numbers of sensors, actuators and electronic systems integrated into the next generation car.

Waiting game

If you’re keen to see for yourself just how intelligent the smart car is, you’ve got a while to wait. According to current estimates, the first smart controls will begin appearing in production vehicles in 2006 at the earliest, while most of us won’t be able to try it out for another two years after that. But surely it’s worth the wait for a more energy-efficient, smoother and safer ride?

[Anzeige eBay]

Hallo GIR,

 

kennst du schon Philips x-by-wire (Anzeige)? Dort ist vieles zu finden.

 

Andere Automarken Ersatzteile (Anzeige) | Andere Automarken Zubehör (Anzeige)

[LateNightCable]

I think I'll just stick to watching science fiction movies, thats' good enough for me :roll: .

[thepolarfoxqx]

i think car makers need to remember why we all fell in love with cars.

I assure you, it was not gizmos, or something interviening between us and the road.

[rage1128]

I completely agree. People love the sense of power they get from driving a car. I would never let a car drive for me, I want to do it myself.

[GIR]

Well I kinda was expecting these responses... Oh well, dream another day I guess.

Anywayz being semi involved in the Philips x-by-wire developement I can say that this is/will be the most advanced piece of hard/software ever. With this it's almost impossible to crash a car or run a pedastrian over. I am kinda disappointed that we didn't get the big contract (Philips decided they want to do everything in-house) but a smaller subcontract I was looking forward to this.

We hoped to open a new automotive division and put the DAF and Philips projects there but since the longterm Philips contract didn't come through it's not profitable. Too bad cause being a car freak myself I had hoped to combine my passion for cars with my passion for electronics and ofcourse you guyz could drop in and test it out for some feedback

I should post that in Cable's thread

And Cable I can assure you, the Philips system has a manual hydraulic backup incase the primary system fails.

[thepolarfoxqx]

on the topic of that, my best freind is very into computer vision, he is working on system that allow for guidance by vision, and on that topic, carnegie mellon university here in the states has both a hummer and a corvette totally driven autonomously by computers rolling around. I actually saw the vette on the pennsylvania turnpike once. The man in the driver seat had his hands behind his head.

I don't trust the stuff that much though. A HUMMER IS BIG!!!

anyway, ask any commercial airline pilot why the don't like to fly airbus.

the computer will stop override the pilot if it find the pilots actions to be irrational. That has nearly caused a number of actions.