Chrysler 2010 Annual Report Download - page 51

REPORT ON
OPERATIONS
50
RESEARCH
AND INNOVATION
Advanced Technology for Mobility and Safety
The principal objective is to equip Fiat Group with the necessary technological know-how in secondary systems,
electronics, telematics and preventive safety to improve mobility by making vehicles that are safer, more versatile and
more eco-compatible. Major results achieved in 2010 include:
Cooperative preventive safety systems. Safe, efficient and ecologically sustainable mobility is a priority
for all European citizens. Full collaboration between vehicles and between vehicle and infrastructure would
maximize results by providing complete information on vehicle position and movement and predicting
driver intentions. The European Commission has therefore chosen to co-fund major R&D projects – such
as SAFESPOT (coordinated by CRF), CVIS and PRE-DRIVE C2X – to study how wireless Vehicle-to-
Vehicle and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure communication technologies can improve safety and efficiency for
the mobility of the future. The current results of these projects were presented in 2010: the fundamental
elements for collaborative mobility are now available and working prototypes of the principal applications
have been developed. The next step will be large-scale testing in several member states to determine the
interoperability of these solutions and proceed with standardization. At the Cooperative Mobility Showcase
2010 in Amsterdam, CRF presented the results of on-road testing of technological solutions developed
under the SAFESPOT project and demonstrated the open, flexible platform developed through the CVIS
project, which offers more than 25 applications for traffic efficiency and road safety. For the PRE-DRIVE C2X
project, presented in September in Ulm (Germany), CRF used two demo vehicles to demonstrate a group
of applications using vehicular communication in real traffic conditions. The results of this project will serve
as the starting point for the integrated DRIVE C2X project, whose primary objective is to validate mobility
applications based on cooperative systems through road tests at various locations throughout Europe.
Driver Attention Support and Driver Style Evaluation. For trucks and commercial vehicles, driver
behavior is fundamental to safety and reducing consumption. Using a video camera to monitor the extent
to which the vehicle is staying within its lane, the system can evaluate the driver’s level of distraction and
fatigue/drowsiness. When appropriate, warning signals are activated to alert the driver, prompting him to
pay greater attention or stop and rest. Driving style can be a significant factor is reducing the environmental
impact of vehicles. Tests conducted on trucks and other heavy commercial vehicles have in fact shown
that improper driving can increase consumption by 10% to 15%, depending on the type of mission. This
fact, together with an analysis of data from systems already in use, such as Fiat eco:Drive, led to CRF and
Iveco establishing a joint working group to develop a Professional Driving Style Evaluation system aimed
at reducing consumption. This system consists of an on-board device that collects data in real time from
the CAN network (the local network that connects the intelligent devices of different vehicles) and the GPS
system, analyzes the data, transmits it to a remote center and provides feedback to the driver on the quality
of his driving. This on-board device interfaces with a remote system that feeds the data received into a
database, which is then processed using specific algorithms to evaluate driving style, mission, performance
and problems with the vehicle. Development will continue in 2011, with the completion and refinement of
several calculation modules, integration of the system in the vehicle architecture, development and finalization
of the system, including extensive testing with end customers.
Low environmental impact auxiliary systems. During the year, CRF continued testing innovative climate
control and auxiliary systems that minimize environmental impacts and energy consumption, while at the
same time increasing efficiency. To ensure a comfortable interior environment is maintained even when the
main engine is switched off (Start&Stop) or a combustion engine is not being used (i.e., hybrid and electric
vehicles), CRF has developed an innovative device powered by an electric compressor that functions as a
heat pump. This system, which was developed on an Iveco Daily, uses a cycle inversion valve that allows the
evaporator and condenser functions to be switched, enabling the generation of hot and cold air in the vehicle
interior through a single exchanger. The obvious strong point of this system is the energy saving operation of
the compressor, which can be controlled independently from the main engine. Over the next few years, this