Reflecting industry demand and growing recognition of the positive impact driver assistance systems have on fleet and highway safety, Bendix Wingman Advanced – A Collision Mitigation Technology will become standard equipment on Kenworth Truck Company’s T680 models this summer.
“We couldn’t be more proud to see Bendix active safety technology achieve standard position on one of North America’s most trusted, recognized, and innovative trucks,” says Scott Burkhart, Bendix Vice President – Sales, Marketing, and Business Development. “Quality, performance, safety and reliability are the hallmarks of Kenworth and its T680, and Wingman Advanced is an ideal complement that will enhance those aspects of Kenworth’s flagship on-highway vehicle.”
A radar-based collision mitigation system engineered to help drivers mitigate rear-end collisions, Bendix Wingman Advanced delivers adaptive cruise control with braking, along with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) technology. This proven system – with millions of on-road miles – is built on the full-stability Bendix ESP Electronic Stability Program to create a system that can help drivers in collisions, potential rollovers, and loss-of-control situations.
Kenworth made Bendix ESP standard on the T680 – as well as its top-tier vocational model, the T880 – earlier this year.
“Wingman Advanced is a very popular fleet option on Kenworth’s Class 8 on-highway trucks, and we’re pleased to offer it as a standard feature to customers purchasing new Kenworth T680s as of July 1,” says Kenworth Marketing Director Kurt Swihart. “We share Bendix’s commitment to creating safer environments for truck drivers and everyone who shares the road, and adopting cutting-edge, established technologies that have been shown to improve vehicle and highway safety is one way we continuously pursue that goal.”
Bendix, the North American leader in the development and manufacture of leading-edge active safety and braking system technologies for commercial vehicles, introduced Wingman Advanced in 2011.
Kenworth is a strong supporter of Bendix technologies: In addition to Wingman Advanced and ESP, the company offers Bendix’s flagship driver assistance system, Bendix Wingman Fusion, and the SmarTire Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) by Bendix CVS on its T680 and T880 models. Wingman Advanced is also available on Kenworth’s medium-duty T270 and T370, and the Bendix ADB22X air disc brake has been standard on all Kenworth Class 8 tractors and trucks since 2013.
Sensor-Powered Alerts and Interventions
Wingman Advanced provides warnings and active interventions using a front-mounted radar sensor, and delivers following distance, impact, and stationary object alerts, all of which are always available – whether cruise control is engaged or not. Once cruise control is engaged, the system will actively intervene to help maintain safe following distance behind a forward vehicle by reducing the throttle, engaging the engine retarder, or applying the foundation brakes.
Whether cruise control is activated or not, the system’s collision mitigation feature provides additional interventions by first alerting the driver and then, if necessary, automatically applying the brakes when Wingman Advanced senses a rear-end collision may be imminent. The driver maintains control at all times, and can help avoid or minimize the collision situation through additional braking or steering.
An innovative stationary object alert provides audible and visual alerts to the driver when the vehicle is approaching a large stationary metallic object such as a car, steel drum, or other metallic obstruction in the lane of travel. The warning is always available above 10 mph, and gives the driver up to 3 seconds’ warning before a potential impact, assisting their response time.
The Next Level
Bendix Wingman Fusion, built on Wingman Advanced and Bendix ESP, integrates the proven, road-tested suite of Bendix radar and brake system technologies with a forward-facing camera to create a comprehensive, next-generation driver assistance system. Kenworth has offered Fusion as an option since early 2016.
Fusion combines and cross-checks information from multiple sources to deliver enhanced rear-end collision mitigation, braking on stationary vehicles, lane departure warning, and overspeed alert and action. Wingman Fusion also helps drivers avoid additional crash situations, including rollovers, loss-of-control, and sideswipe crashes, while prioritizing alerts to help reduce driver distraction. The Wingman Fusion system camera is powered by the Mobileye System-on-Chip EyeQ processor with state-of-the-art vision algorithms.
With camera, radar, and other sensors working together, and not just in parallel, the system realizes events sooner – alerting the driver and intervening faster – to help the driver mitigate potential collisions or lessen their severity, with fewer false alerts and interventions.
Assistance, Not Replacement
“As advanced as Bendix technologies are – and even as we continue to evolve them further – they are engineered to assist professional drivers, not replace them,” Burkhart says. “Proper, ongoing driver training remains essential to improving highway safety, and nothing is more important than safe, alert drivers exercising safe driving habits. Ultimate responsibility for safe vehicle operations remains in the hands of the men and women behind the wheel who keep things moving safely every day.”
Driver assistance systems are part of the ever-growing Bendix portfolio of technologies that deliver on safety, plus other areas critical to fleets’ success. By improving vehicle performance and efficiency and providing unparalleled post-sales support, Bendix aims to strengthen returns on investment in equipment and technology, helping fleets and drivers lower their total costs of vehicle ownership, and enhancing roadway safety.
