Chrysler 2011 Annual Report Download - page 57

Report on
Operations
56
Research and
Innovation
Social Sustainability
This area consists of research aimed at enhancing accident prevention capabilities through systems that can
identify potential dangers, assist the driver in taking evasive action, and also ensure maximum protection for the
vehicle occupants and other road users in the event of an accident.
During 2011, CRF’s research activities in this area primarily focused on traffic conditions and the ability to avoid
dangerous situations, by improving driver perception of conditions and preventing distraction. This requires
development of systems capable of monitoring conditions around the vehicle and communicating to the
driver most effectively in those conditions. One example of this is the INTERACTIVE project in which CRF has
developed a demo vehicle that suggests the correct maneuver for the driver to avoid a potentially dangerous
situation. In addition, the ability to monitor the vehicle’s position with greater precision enables activation of
warning and control systems to correct driver error and avoid dangerous situations attributable to, for example,
accidental lane changes or driver fatigue.
Sophisticated sensor systems enable utilization of a range of information – including position, relative speed
and distance, deceleration – to contribute actively to the control of the vehicle by acting on the principal control
systems (such as brakes or transmission) to avoid or reduce the severity of an impact. In addition to autonomous
on-board systems, research activities also include development of systems to support vehicle-to-infrastructure
and vehicle-to-vehicle communications, including sharing information on traffic conditions and potentially
dangerous situations between vehicles in the same traffic area. The widespread use of telematic devices in
vehicles has enabled the development of innovative navigation systems that can suggest the best route based
on traffic conditions, nature of trip and driver preferences. As part of the OASIS project, CRF has developed a
driver assist system that uses a human-machine interface to minimize distractions in critical situations and is
adapted to the specific needs of elderly passengers.
Passive protection systems, such as airbags and safety belts, can be deployed more effectively through the use
of new sensors that provide essential real-time information on the movement of the vehicle or on a collision that
is imminent or in course.
Economically-sustainable competition
This area consists of research aimed at increasing the competitiveness of new products through enhancements
in performance and functionality and a reduction in the time it takes to bring new technologies to market. The
most significant achievements in this area during 2011 include:
Innovative content. One of the safest and most immediate ways to control on-board telematic systems is
through voice commands. However, the level of performance of a speech recognition system must be high
enough to ensure effectiveness and ease of use. The “New speech-to-text solutions” project uses an off-
board recognition engine, which has access to networked servers with the calculating power needed for high
quality speech recognition. Voice commands are given through a vehicle-to-infrastructure connection based
on smartphone technology. This solution provides a simpler, more affordable on-board architecture together
with a high level of performance. The European SOFIA project, whose objective is to maximize integration
of personal devices (e.g., cell phones, media players, wireless headsets, etc.) with the on-board information
system, has introduced an interoperable platform that provides transparent access to the resources made
available by devices inside the vehicle. When a device connects to the SOFIA platform, it grants access to its
resources (connectivity, contacts, music files, audio playback) which are managed by the on-board telematic
platform in a secure and user-friendly format.
Comfort and perceived quality. During 2011, development in the area of human-machine interfaces and
user dialog led to creation of a system to actively manage information and assist drivers based on workload,
in order to reduce and control that workload, as well as increasing the effectiveness of communications and
assistance given to the driver, through innovations such as collision avoidance and lane assist.
Developed as part of the CAMMI project, the system detects driver workload in real time, by assessing driving