Adios a los ángulos muertos
2009/5/26
El ángulo muerto en los camiones no es algo tan sencillo de resolver como en los turismos. En los reyes de la carretera, debido a sus amplias dimensiones, no basta con un simple giro de cabeza, y eso se demuestra con los datos. Cada año, 400 personas en Europa mueren en accidentes de camión provocados por la mala visibilidad.
A partir del pasado mes de abril, una nueva normativa obliga a todos los vehículos matriculados en la unión europea a adaptar sus retrovisores para ampliar su visión y evitar los ángulos muertos. Esta normativa se aplica por igual a camiones nuevos como a viejos por lo que requerirá de una inversión de éstos último para cumplirar. Por suerte para los que compren un camión nuevo, las marcas ya son conscientes de ello, y por esa razón están instalando en sus últimos modelos nuevos retrovisores que eliminan el ángulo muerto.
El nuevo equipamiento se compone de un retrovisor principal y otro de gran ángulo. Además, en el lado del copiloto se añade un espejo de aproximación sobre la puerta que barre la zona comprendida entre el parachoques, la puerta del acompañante y las inmediaciones de la rueda delantera. Posiblemente la zona más crítica de visión para el conductor. Si esto no fuese suficiente, además cuentan con retrovisores de marcha atrás más otro de gran ángulo de visión posterior que permiten una mejor visión en el eje trasero.
Para quien cuente con un camión “no adaptado” la solución pasa por la instalación de nuevos retrovisores exteriores que mejoren la visibilidad en ambos lados del vehículo o en su lugar elementos que nos ayuden en ese fin. Este último caso es el de la lente Fresnel TruckView de la que ya os hablamos desde Circula Seguro. Una lente que permite eliminar el ángulo muerto y que cuenta con gran aceptación en el mercado británico. Es más, en su distribución contó con el apoyo de la Driving Standards Agency, la DGT británica.
RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS
2009/4/2
We are looking for volunteer professional drivers to take part in a research project using bus and truck driving simulators.
Welcome to the professional driver recruiting programme of the CABINTEC research project.
We are looking for experienced heavy-vehicle (bus and truck) drivers of both sexes, over 21 years of age.
If you wish to drive a new-generation simulator and you meet the above requirements, do no hesitate to fill in our questionnaire.
We will call you for further information after compiling the volunteer database.
Your details will be kept on our internal database and will not be used for commercial purposes.
GENIVI. AN OPEN SOURCE IN-VEHICLE INFOTAINMENT PLATFORM
2009/3/4
Leading automobile manufacturers and suppliers announced today the formation of the GENIVI alliance, a non-profit organization committed to driving the development and broad adoption of an open source In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) reference platform. The new alliance will unite industry-leading automotive, consumer electronics, communications and application development companies investing in the IVI market and driving innovation. The effort will result in both reducing time-to-market and total cost of ownership.
No Doze: Mercedes E-Class alerts drowsy drivers
2009/2/27
With fatigue causing more than 100,000 crashes and 1,500 deaths annually on roads in the United States, Mercedes-
Benz has rushed to make the world’s first drowsy-driver detection system standard on next year’s new E-class sedan.
Mercedes, which has been working on the system for more than 10 years, accelerated its development and will
reveal it at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month.
Mercedes claims its system is an independent judge of fatigue, constantly monitoring a driver’s behavior to send
warning chimes and flare a coffee-cup sign when it senses a serious drop-off in alertness levels.
Cabintec in Youtube
2009/2/20
In the last few years, YouTube has become the most important reference point for audiovisual communication.
Naturally enough, CABINTEC has also stepped into the net via the YouTube platform with a view to gathering opinions and video clips on the forthcoming Intelligent Vehicle Cabin for professional road transport.
NEWS dated 16/2/2009:
Truck sales plummeted in January by as much as 72%, the biggest fall ever
The number of new truck registration plates amounted to barely 1,074 units last January, plunging by as much as 72% from the 3,859 units registered during the corresponding period in 2008. According to the manufacturers association (Anfac) and the dealers association (Ganvam), this is the biggest drop in history.
Truck sales plummeted in January by as much as 72%, the biggest fall ever
2009/2/16
LThe number of new truck registration plates amounted to barely 1,074 units last January, plunging by as much as 72% from the 3,859 units registered during the corresponding period in 2008. According to the manufacturers association (Anfac) and the dealers association (Ganvam), this is the biggest drop in history.
The Spanish Council of Ministers allocates over 4,000 million euros to the automotive sector
2009/2/13
The Programme (PIA, Integral Automotive Programme) is intended to help the sector recover and to safeguard its industrial infrastructure.
The aid packet includes a set of industrial measures with a view to boosting demand, preserving employment, improving logistics and promoting R&D and innovation, as well as a number of financial measures.
Five different central government Departments have been involved in designing the packet, together with regional governments, trade unions and the motor companies themselves.
The Programme is part of the so-called Plan E, the Spanish Economy and Employment Stimulation Plan, under the directives contained in the European Economic Recovery Plan.
Compared to similar programmes underway in other European countries, the PIA is second in the rank of total allocated funds, followed by Germany and the UK, who intend to invest 2,000 and 3,000 million euros respectively.
Upon request from the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Trade, Mr. Miguel Sebastián, the Council of Ministers approved the PIA during today’s plenary session. It is a set of measures involving various government Departments, whose main goal is to encourage the recovery of the automotive sector.
Owing to its considerable weight in both the industrial infrastructure and the labour force, together with its knock-on effect on other sectors and its high contribution to exports, the automotive sector plays a strategic role in the Spanish economy. In response to the current economic situation, the PIA channels a series of short, medium and long-term actions aimed not only at safeguarding the productive infrastructure but also at making it more competitive.
The Programme is made up of five large blocks: industrial and demand-boosting measures, employment measures, logistics-improving measures, measures to promote R&D and innovation and, lastly, financial measures. Due to this diversity, the following government Departments had to work hand-in-hand: Industry, Tourism and Trade; Labour and Immigration; Transport and Public Works; Science and Innovation; and Economic Affairs and Finance.
As well as that, input from regional governments, trade unions and private companies has been taken into account.
The approval of the PIA is the first ever joint action involving different Central Government Departments specifically conceived for the automotive industry, a sector which accounts for 6% of Spain’s GDP and directly or indirectly employs over 350,000 people.
The Programme is part of the so-called Plan E, the Spanish Economy and Employment Stimulation Plan, under the directives of the European Economic Recovery Plan, approved by the European Council on 11th December 2008.
Compared to similar programmes underway in other European countries, the PIA is second in the rank of total allocated funds, followed by Germany and the UK, who intend to invest 2,000 and 3,000 million euros respectively. France is first, with a total investment of 9,220 million euros.
As far as the demand-boosting measures are concerned, the initiatives underway in Spain amount to 2,000 euros per vehicle, less than in Germany (2,500 euros per vehicle) but considerably more than in France (1,000 euros) and the UK, who has not developed any demand-boosting plans.
The Spanish demand-boosting aid packet represents 0.013% of its GDP, whereas in Germany and France it represents 0.060% and 0.013% respectively.
Globally (demand-boosting measures and investment measures), the Spanish Government’s Programme accounts for 0.38% of its GDP, compared to 0.161% in the UK, 0.08% in Germany and 0.472% in France.
Regarding the total cost ratio per single employee, the Spanish PIA also ranks second in the European countries list with 26,062 euros, followed by the UK, which allocates 16,216 euros and Germany, with 2,307 euros. The cost per employee in France amounts to 33,406 euros.
Over half of the drivers talk on the mobile while driving
2009/2/12
Over half of the Spanish drivers admit to answering and talking on their mobile while driving, even when they are travelling with their families.
According to a special report –“the family barometer”- studying the driving habits of Spanish families and published in “Padres” -magazine on parenting-, 14.5% of drivers answer the phone just to say: “I’ll call you back later, I’m driving now”.
60% of men use the mobile while driving, as opposed to just 38% of women.
Miguel María Muñoz, President of the Spanish Road Association and the Road Safety Institute of the Mapfre Foundation, reminds everybody that up to 40% of casualties in road accidents are caused by driver’s distraction.
The barometer goes on to explain that not only the mobile can cause drivers’ distraction, but also other electronic devices such as the GPS, which over three out of ten drivers manipulate while they drive.
Muñoz adds that “road accidents are the main cause of unnatural death and the WHO estimates that by 2020 they will have become the second most serious health problem, immediately after cardiovascular diseases”.
He insists on how important it is for children to warn their parents against these risks since “the child’s remarks make the parents think, which is usually more effective than any TV add”.
During the 2008 Best Family Car award ceremony, José María de Moya, the parenting magazine editor, stated that safety and a spacious interior are the two criteria most appreciated by users when choosing a family car.
De Moya also highlighted that there are no remarkable differences between men and women’s criteria regarding the vehicle’s features or engine power.
Road accident statistics
2009/2/2
The DGT (Spanish Road Traffic Authority) has published comprehensive data regarding road accidents during 2008.
Annual Polis Conference 25th & 26th November 2008 - Barcelona
2008/11/13
http://www.polis-online.org/index.php?id=359
Cabintec, at the head of R&D and innovation at the service of road safety
2008/10/20
The consortium CABINTEC engaged the main players involved in road safety in Spain to take part in an animated round-table in order to debate the crucial role of new technologies in reducing the impact of human error on driving accidents.
New Technologies at the service of Professional Drivers. A necessary integrative perspective.
2008/9/26
Auditorio Palacio de Congresos Principe Felipe (Oviedo, Spain)
15th October 2008. 17h30
ITS España and the consortium CABINTEC, within the framework of the 8th Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems to be held in Oviedo, are organizing a round-table to discuss the role of new technologies at the service of professional drivers. The round-table will be open to the general public.
CABINTEC’s profile and its success are based on an integrative perspective, that is to say the indispensable integration of the various sectors involved in its field of activity. The composition of the round-table perfectly reflects this integrative profile:
Chairman: D. Alfonso Brazález. (CEIT)
Guest speaker: Dña. Mª Luisa Castaño.
Deputy Director-General for the Coordination of
Technological Centres and Technical and
Scientific Platforms. Ministry for Science and
Innovation.
Delegates:
• D. Raimundo García Cuesta. AEAV.
• A representative of ITS España
• D. Baltasar Gil de Egea. ESM
• D. José Manuel Prieto. Professional Driver.
• D. José Antonio Bartolomé. DGT
• A representative of IVECO
CUANDO LA CABINA PIENSA
2008/9/11
El 5 de Julio del 2008 se público en el periódico `El Pais` un artículo de nuestro proyecto CABINTEC en el cual explicaba Alfonso Brazález alguno de los subproyectos que completan CABINTEC
2008/1/15
Launching of the CABINTEC project website
2007/12/27
This website has been created to keep all those interested in the project well-informed on its development and evolution.
It also includes an extranet enabling communication among the various partners involved in the projects.
A number of Spanish universities and companies are working together to design an intelligent vehicle cabin for road transport
2007/12/4
A consortium made up of 16 universities, technological centres, companies and associations, is currently working on the Cabintec project, funded by the Ministry of Education and Science. The project’s goal is to build an intelligent vehicle cabin for road transport with a view to increasing road safety. Cabintec will allow the driver to interact with the vehicle so that the vehicle warns him, amongst other things, of the bad state of the road or potential overturn risks.
Alfonso Brazález, who carries out research work within the CEIT-IK4 in San Sebastián and is the project co-ordinator, explains that Cabintec is geared towards passenger and goods transport vehicles, “since these are obviously more exposed to risks than other types of vehicles. Our aim is to decrease driving-related stress, increase concentration levels at the steering-wheel, monitor the driver’s alertness at all times and, if the need was, shorten the formalities following an accident”.
This ambitious project can be broken down into six subprojects. The first one, ‘Asiste’, will design an open hardware and software platform integrating all data coming from the vehicle sensors. This way, the driver will have on a single screen all the information concerning the working order of the vehicle and all the driving assistance devices.
The ‘Hito’ subproject is aimed at guaranteeing that all future technologies fitted in the vehicle are fitted in compliance with a standard methodology, while ‘Registra’ intends to design an accident recreation system incorporating details about the driver, vehicle and driving environment.
Alert: somnolence
Risk prevention is the aim of the ‘Alerta’ subproject. It will develop a system capable of alerting the driver every time his attention level at the steering-wheel drops. Brazález states that “the project aims to identify the driver’s state of drowsiness or sleepiness and to detect any unsuitable behaviour during driving”. This will be done by means of four TV cameras installed in the cabin and the use of techniques which will process the driver’s image. In the event of risk, the system will warn the driver.
The fifth subproject is called ‘eSeñal’ and could be described as an intelligent signalling system fitted in the speedometer sphere, capable of informing the driver about the presence of road signs, making it unnecessary for him to see them or interpret them. This device also offers information about traffic congestion, as well as weather conditions and forecast.
Lastly, ‘Estable’ will analyze the dynamic stability of heavy vehicles carrying various loads, alerting the driver about potential overturns during driving.
The regional government of the Principado de Asturias funds research studies for the ‘monitoring of drivers’ in vehicle cabins
2007/11/7
Herminio Sastre, Deputy Counsellor of Science and Technology in the Principado de Asturias, presented today in Oviedo at the the Hotel Tryp the ‘Cabintecc’ project : Intelligent Vehicle Cabin for Road Transport.
This initiative, supported by a number of Spanish technological centres and funded by the Ministry for Education and Science with eight million euros, intends to improve road safety by means of computer applications. The project co-ordinator, Alfonso Brazález, stated that the goal of this technological initiative is to increase road safety through the monitoring of the driver’s state of alertness, as well as his unsuitable behaviour at the steering-wheel.
Asturias, ECTV
At a press conference, the Deputy Counsellor declared that projects like ‘Cabintec’ are useful for tackling such social problems as road safety and he reminded the listeners that the future of innovating companies and technological centres will very much depend on the people working for them.
Sastre added that the Principado de Asturias will allocate six more million euros in 2008 to stimulate research in private companies through public-private partnerships (PPP).
Alfonso Brazález, as project co-ordinator of ‘Cabintec’, declared that this technological project aims to improve road safety by monitoring the driver’s state of alertness, together with his behaviour at the steering-wheel. ‘Safe driving is our objective’, he said.
Apart from monitoring the driver, this application is aimed at reducing driving-related stress, simplifying the formalities following an accident and increasing the level of concentration at the steering-wheel.
The ‘Cabintec’ system allows the vehicle to receive not only static information, but also a large series of data regarding environmental and traffic conditions. According to the project co-ordinator, what makes this project unique is the fact that it draws together all the players presently working on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).