Posted on 08/12/2008 7:51:30 AM PDT by Red Badger
Now being installed by a Japanese car manufacturer, the Accelerator Force Feedback Pedal (AFFP) gives warning of dangerous situations by vibrating and exerting counter pressure in the accelerator pedal. This should make the driver take his foot off the pedal and brake. With the aim of reducing accidents and CO2 emissions Continental's AFFP reaches market production for the first time. The system relies on warning the driver through sensory stimulation. The hazard warning is felt directly by the driver's foot, making him aware of the situation so that he can react. The pedal can also help to drive at a more even speed and therefore more economically with the aim of reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. However, the driver still remains in control and can accelerate if required.
The central mechanical feature is an electric motor directly linked to the accelerator pedal. The result is a very short reaction time: the motor can affect the pedal position within 0.1 seconds of responding. The drive is a one-way design and so the motor only turns in release direction. The AFFP can be installed in any vehicle, being suitable for both suspended and floor-mounted pedals. Thereby the most frequent causes of accident, inadequate distance between vehicles and overtired drivers, can be avoided.
The system vibrates if the Adaptive Cruise Control senses that the vehicle is too close to the vehicle in front. Using infomation from the radar or camera sensors the AFFP identifies the best speed for staying with the flow of the traffic. By integrating this system into future vehicle systems the active accelerator pedal could make a contribution to vehicle safety. According to a company's spokeswoman Continental is not at liberty to publish the name of the car manufacturer that equippes its vehicles with the new pedal.
I will refuse to by any vehicle with this “feature”. Cars are already too much “nanny state” designed, with countless “features” REQUIRING the owner to do certain things in a specific way (like forcing one to put transmission in neutral and foot on brake before it will start).
I would never buy a car with this on it, ever.
IIRC, my '74 Pinto required that............
I don’t know if I’d want this activated on some country road when I’m trying to pass a grain truck...
Oh goody. What’s next, a car that pulls over and refuses to run once you’ve exceeded your daily carbon allowance?
Just like I disconnect the kill switch on my riding mower, this too will be lacking power the first time it argues with me.
I don't quite follow.............
No, it’ll notify the taxing authorities and they’ll empty your bank account...............
True, but only if the two share equal mass
Just another device to screw up and require you to go back to the dealer.
actually, I should have said “are of” equal mass to be clear
We switched the shifter from the column to the floor. When we did, we left the original column, with the original collar there and just removed the shift lever.
The neutral safety switch was still wired to the original shift collar. You could move the collar so the pointer moved out of park or neutral and the car wouldn't start. It took us a while to realize this when I bumped the collar out of place one day, but then we discovered a nice little anti-theft device.
Ya mean that I won’t be able to tailgate slow drivers during rush hour? No thanks!
Like two Rams butting heads.
I love the warning system idea—like the stick shaker on a commercial passenger jet—but the eco-warning feature is a deal breaker.
Better to put an LED “instantaneous MPG” readout in the cab, maybe even on a heads-up display. Let the driver know which behaviors are wasteful but without being an annoyance about it.
Yea that’s a head scratcher. Even if it’s ‘equal mass’, a 2-ton brick wall will fare much better than the car.
Yeah you’re right. The Japanese should factor that into the equation before impact. Problem is, who are they going to get to test this out to see if my theory is true?
Great, so when I try to achieve highway speed to merge, I’ll be fighting the pedal? You know, because of all the CO2 I’ll be spewing in accelerating. Yeah, that doesn’t sound dangerous at all.
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