DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA
An assignment on “Mechanisms in Modern Vehicles that Promote Car Driver Interactions and ease of
use”:
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF ECE 521
ANETO JOSEPH ONYEMA
2020/247506
ECE 521 ASSIGNMENT 1
A. Mechanisms in modern vehicles that promote car driver interactions, with their sensors and
actuators:
1. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC): ACC is designed to make driving in traffic easier and less stressful. It
works by maintaining a safe following distance from the vehicle in front of you. You set your desired
speed and following distance, and ACC takes over. If the car ahead slows down, ACC will automatically
adjust your speed, even applying the brakes if necessary, to keep the set distance. Once the car ahead
speeds up or changes lanes, ACC will accelerate back to your set speed. This is particularly helpful in
stop-and-go traffic.
2. Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) / Lane Departure Warning (LDW): These systems help prevent you from
unintentionally drifting out of your lane. LDW is a warning system: if you start to drift, it will alert you,
usually with a vibration in the steering wheel or an audible warning. LKA goes a step further: if you don't
correct your course after the warning, it will gently nudge the steering wheel to guide you back into your
lane. These systems are designed to combat driver fatigue and inattention.
3. Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB): AEB is a crucial safety feature. It's designed to detect potential
collisions with other vehicles, pedestrians, or cyclists. If the system determines that a collision is
imminent and the driver hasn't reacted in time (by braking), it will automatically apply the brakes
forcefully to try to prevent or lessen the impact. AEB is a vital safety net, especially in situations where a
driver might be distracted or unable to react quickly enough.
4. Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM): Blind spots are areas that your mirrors don't cover, making it difficult to
see vehicles alongside you. BSM uses sensors to detect vehicles in these blind spots. If a vehicle is
present, the system will alert you, typically with a warning light in your side mirror. Some systems also
include an audible alert. This helps you make safer lane changes.
5. Infotainment Systems with Voice Control: These systems allow you to control various car functions
using voice commands. Instead of fumbling with buttons or touchscreens, you can simply speak to the
car to adjust the radio, set the navigation, change the climate control settings, and more. This minimizes
distractions and helps you keep your eyes on the road.
B. Attempt and in-depth explanation of the underlying engineering method’s common to all (the five
methods).
1. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC):
Sensors:
o Radar or Lidar: Measures the distance and speed of the vehicle ahead. Radar is more
common for all-weather conditions. Lidar is more precise but can be affected by heavy
precipitation.
o Wheel Speed Sensors: Determine the vehicle's own speed.
Actuators:
o Engine Throttle Control: Adjusts the engine's power output to accelerate or decelerate.
o Brake System: Applies the brakes when necessary to maintain the desired following
distance.
2. Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) / Lane Departure Warning (LDW):
Sensors:
o Camera-based Lane Detection System: Identifies lane markings on the road. These
systems often use image processing to analyze the camera feed.
Actuators:
o Electric Power Steering (EPS) Motor: Provides corrective steering input to keep the
vehicle in its lane.
o Vibration Motor or Audible Alert: Warns the driver if the vehicle is drifting out of its
lane.
3. Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB):
Sensors:
o Radar, Lidar, and/or Camera Systems: Detect objects (vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists) and
their proximity. Sensor fusion is often used, combining data from multiple sensors for
increased accuracy and reliability.
Actuators:
o Brake System: Applies the brakes forcefully and automatically to prevent or mitigate a
collision.
4. Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM):
Sensors:
o Radar Sensors: Typically mounted in the rear bumper, these detect vehicles in the
driver's blind spots.
Actuators:
o Warning Lights: Located in the side mirrors, these illuminate to alert the driver of a
vehicle in the blind spot.
o Audible Alert (Optional): Some systems also include an audible warning.
5. Infotainment Systems with Voice Control:
Sensors:
o Microphone: Captures the driver's voice commands.
Actuators:
o Control Units for Various Systems: These units receive the processed voice commands
and control the corresponding vehicle functions, such as navigation, audio, and climate
control. The "actuator" in this case is the system itself responding to the voice
command.
C. Underlying Engineering Principles
These driver-assistance systems rely on several key engineering principles:
Feedback Control: They use closed-loop feedback. Sensors gather data, a computer analyzes it,
and actuators make adjustments. The system constantly checks the results and refines its
actions. ACC, for example, uses radar to measure distance, calculates needed
acceleration/deceleration, adjusts the throttle/brakes, and then repeats the process.
Signal Processing: Raw sensor data (like radar reflections or camera images) is processed to
extract useful information. This involves filtering out noise, identifying objects, and calculating
things like distance and speed.
Sensor Fusion: Multiple sensors are often used together. For example, AEB might use both radar
and cameras to confirm a potential collision. Combining sensor data improves accuracy and
reliability.
Control Algorithms: The computer uses algorithms to decide what action to take based on the
sensor data. These algorithms can be complex, especially for systems like ACC and LKA, which
need to handle various driving scenarios.
Real-Time Operation: These systems must work in real time, processing data and making
decisions quickly. This requires powerful processors and efficient software.
Safety and Reliability: Because these systems are often safety-critical, they are designed to be
highly reliable. Redundancy (multiple components) and thorough testing are used to ensure
safety.
These combined principles make modern driver-assistance features possible, improving safety,
convenience, and reducing driver fatigue.
ECE 521 ASSIGNMENT 2
Scenario 1: Doors Lock Automatically After Starting the Car
This is a common and intentional safety feature. Many modern vehicles are programmed to
automatically lock the doors when the car is started. This is designed to:
Enhance Safety: Prevent accidental opening of doors while driving, especially for children.
Improve Security: Deter carjackers or intruders, particularly when stopped at traffic lights or in
less secure areas.
The car's Body Control Module (BCM) detects the ignition being turned on and triggers the door lock
actuators to lock all the doors.
Scenario 2: Doors Don't Lock Automatically After Closing
This is also typical behavior. Automatic locking after closing the doors is generally not a standard
feature for a few key reasons:
Prevent Lockouts: If the doors automatically locked after closing, you could easily lock your keys
inside the car. This would be incredibly inconvenient.
Driver Control: Drivers usually prefer to have control over when the doors lock. They might want
to leave the car unlocked temporarily while running a quick errand, for example.
To lock the doors after exiting the car, you'll usually need to:
Use the key fob (remote locking).
Press the lock button on the driver's side door panel.
In some cars, a separate button on the exterior door handle might lock the car.
BODY CONTROL
DOOR SWITCH IGNITION SWITCH
MODULE (BCM)
DOOR LOCKS LOCK ACTUATORS
In summary: Automatic locking upon starting the car is a safety and security feature. The absence of
automatic locking after closing the doors is a design choice to prevent lockouts and give the driver
control. Some vehicles do have automatic locking after closing, but this is less common and often
tied to other features like speed-dependent locking (doors lock when the car reaches a certain
speed).