Abstract
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) has become popular as an active safety device that prevents traffic accidents. ESC detects vehicle skidding when the vehicle is traversing along a slippery road or when the driver suddenly swerves. It then maintains vehicle stability by automatically applying the adequate brake force on each wheel. ESC utilizes the friction force between the tires and the road surface. Therefore, the ESC performance is limited by the tire friction force. In order to improve ESC performance, it is necessary to obtain information of the road in advance. An ESC system coordinated with an automotive navigation system (NAVI-ESC), which can provide information on the curve being approached by the vehicle, has been developed. Using the map database stored in the navigation system and the vehicle location detected by the global positioning system (GPS), this system determines whether the vehicle can maneuver the curve stably. The NAVI-ESC warns the driver and automatically intervenes to slow the vehicle down, if necessary. In this paper, an outline of the NAVI-ESC is provided and its effectiveness is verified on the basis of the vehicle tests.
Keywords: Electronic Stability Control, Navigation System, Curve Radius, Reference Point, Reference Speed