An intelligent 3D reversing assistance system
ViSy GmbH — vehicle safety systems
Replacing the telematics unit while extending its functions
Owasys owa450 (embedded Linux platform, 4G)
The problem
ViSy GmbH works on making the reversing manoeuvres of special vehicles safer, particularly refuse collection vehicles, which are especially dangerous because drivers do not have enough visibility of the space behind their vehicle. In the past, such situations have repeatedly led to serious accidents involving both drivers and uninvolved third parties.
ViSy already used the Owasys owa3X telematics platform. In a driver assistance system, the telematics unit plays a central role: it is the brain of the system, the point where all data converges, is coordinated and analysed. An assistance system can therefore only be as good as the unit installed in it.
In the course of further development, it became clear that the capabilities of the owa3X were no longer sufficient for the new requirements. ViSy wanted to take its system far enough to make a banksman unnecessary, without endangering other road users or passers-by. That calls for a large number of sensors and cameras — distance and proximity sensors, motion detectors, rear view and side view cameras — for monitoring that covers, if possible, 100% of the vehicle's operational radius. Beyond collision protection, area monitoring and positioning, the new system was to give the driver, thanks to 3D, full control of his working environment.
State-of-the-art 3D technology makes it possible to capture scenes and objects in a single shot, even under harsh conditions. Based on time-of-flight measurement, it records usable distance information, which triggers active reactions — an emergency stop within a motion sequence, for example. This requires the central unit to transfer all the recorded data very quickly and reliably: only then can differentiated warning levels, up to automatic intervention, be built.
ViSy was therefore looking for a platform offering more freedom in programming, more CAN interfaces and higher performance, without giving up the compactness of the owa3X, its approval for installation in vehicles, or its existing features: 3G or better, radio, GNSS, Bluetooth and WiFi, programmable sensors.
The solution
The assistance system was extended with a diagnostic function handled entirely by the owa450. Moving to this platform also made it possible to add a reversing register: it relies on the GPS of the owa450, without which it cannot exist. The unit records the entire vehicle telemetry and transfers it to the corresponding cloud application, where the register is created. As the owa450 contains a standard Linux distribution, existing tools could be reused.
As soon as the owa450 was released, ViSy started the first tests. The software adaptation was quick, thanks to the technical proximity to the owa3X previously used: the migration proved very straightforward and the first results of the new assistance system were available after just a few weeks. Installation of the units in the special vehicles began after four months.
The result
ViSy now has permanent real-time monitoring that increases safety and productivity, reduces risk situations and makes processes transparent. The new system remains flexible enough that its possibilities are far from exhausted.
