Reduced braking distance with maintained controllability
Do you know the feeling when one side of the road is covered with snow, ice, or wet leaves, and you have to brake in an emergency – like stopping for an animal or a pedestrian? You can maintain stability with standard ABS function but at the cost of longer braking distance. With the aid of controlled steering, as in S+ Split-μ Control, you can reduce the braking distance by 20 meters when driving at 70 km/h.
Split friction (μ) is a road condition that occurs when the friction significantly differs between a vehicle’s left and right wheels. Such road conditions are typical in cold climates when one side of the lane is covered with snow or ice, and the other side is bare ground. Split-μ can also occur when you accidently drive with one side of the vehicle on the hard shoulder or when one side of the road is covered with wet leaves or oil spill. Braking in split-μ conditions causes the vehicle to rotate and can lead to total loss of control.
In split-μ conditions, S+ Split-μ Control Mk I enhances vehicle stability together with the standard ABS function and significantly reduces the risk of vehicle spin. Staying in your lane is critical when split-μ conditions occur in curves. S+ Split-μ Control Mk I reduces the risk of course deviation and lane departure by detecting where the drivers want to go and guiding them there.
The more advanced S+ Split-μ Control Mk II efficiently reduces course deviation and significantly shortens braking distance with integrated steering and braking control.
Standard ABS functions stabilise the vehicle by reducing the brake forces at the wheels with high grip. As a result, the braking distance becomes longer. By adding steering control and differentiated brake pressure between the left and right sides of the vehicle, it is possible to let the ABS work harder and consequently shorten the braking distance while maintaining stability. S+ Split-μ Control Mk II implements the driver’s intention to follow the road also in curves.
Sentient’s test results show that a full-brake stopping distance at 70 km/h with S+ Split-μ Control Mk II differs by aproximately 20 metres compared to traditional ABS braking. This means that the car with S+ Split-μ Control is able to stop after 38 metres where the standard ABS car would continue at 42 km/h. Hitting a person at that speed can be fatal.
Full braking at 90 km/h would cause a standard ABS car to continue at 54 km/h when a car with S+ Split-μ Control would have stopped.
We know where the driver wants to go.
