Cruise Control System

Technology has been ruling our lives since quite a long time now, and it's no wonder that it advances with every passing day. Hordes of newer technologies, mechanisms, machines, sciences and disciplines enter the market and consequently, our lives quite unknowingly. 

These days, man is fascinated with all those beasts that reign the roads all the way through. After all, speed is something that has excited him from time immemorial. So with the advent of powerful technologies, it is obvious that man will channelize his energies in coming up with faster, safer and more exuberant road wonders that will cater to his adrenaline rush.
In recent times, thanks to technology, yet again, cars have been installed with cruising systems to make the driving experience more pleasurable and safer at the same time. 

Tell me, when was the last time when you drove freely on a flyway for a good ten minutes, uninterrupted? Well, chances of this happening are pretty low especially in countries like ours, which is bound to be hit by insanely huge road traffic. 
Enter an absolutely amazing technology that lets you take charge even in heavy traffic. No, you need not do anything much because this car system does that for you. Any guesses what we’re talking about? Yes, guessed it right – Adaptive Cruise Control System!  

Before we head into the precise subject of the Adaptive cruise controlling, we’d better start off with a definition of cruise control: in short words, the cruise control is an advanced system that maintains the speed of a car, depending on a number of factors. Basic systems usually take control over the throttle, while more advanced technologies are capable of braking and re-accelerating every time the car in front reduces or increases speed.

Coming to Adaptive Cruise Control – it senses the presence of nearby vehicles and adjusts the car speed accordingly. It sets a maximum speed and monitors the traffic in front of you to maintain a safe speed based on real-time traffic. This is completely done by the car’s own intelligentsia, and you need not do anything great about you. So, technically and practically, it is your own personal protection system that safeguards you from unforeseen accidents that are a common phenomenon given the poor state of traffic management in many developing and densely populated countries like India. 

But yes, the driver needs to do his tiny bit before the ACC system is activated in the car. All the driver needs to do is to simply switch on the adaptive cruise control and put in the maximum speed he wants to drive and the distance at which he is comfortable following other cars. Bingo! That’s it. As long as there’s no one in front of the car, the ACC system will maintain that speed without any driver input. Well, its goodness doesn’t end there – When the driver inevitably comes across a slower vehicle, or even stops and then moves with traffic, the vehicle will automatically brake and accelerate to keep up with traffic.

What does Adaptive Cruise Control employ to accomplish the task?

Interestingly, ACC doesn’t take help from Satellites and GPS-based services, instead, it employs powerful sensors that obtain sensor information from onboard sensors only. 

What is the mechanism of Adaptive Cruise Control?

As mentioned above, ACC uses radar, it even uses the laser on many occasions or both. The system employs a radar or laser sensor set-up enabling the vehicle to decelerate when it approaches another website and speed up when the traffic is cleared. The car does this in order to catch up with the traffic rush. Intelligence personified, we can say! 
Usually, the ACC system has the radar (or laser) placed under the front grill or bumper that measures the distance to the vehicle in front of you. Many automakers will actually use two radars—one for close range and a second for vehicles that are further out. The system uses this information to calculate distance and speed of the vehicle ahead and react to any changes to maintain a safe driving gap.

In the event the vehicle ahead brakes suddenly, the system will either alert the driver or, in some cases, apply the brakes to prevent an accident. So simply put, the Adaptive Cruise System does its bit in saving your loved ones from accidents on the road. In recent times, airbags have also been highly successful, but ACC seems to be the flavor of the season as they are being integrated into most of the present luxury cars: Mercedes, BMW, and Volkswagen 

Where is the Adaptive Cruise Control Mechanism installed?

In most cars, ACC buttons are installed right on the steering wheel, although some of the older models provide a separate lever similar to the ones used for headlights and windscreen wipers. The Basic models of ACC systems are often equipped with three or four buttons (on, off, resume and coast), whereas newer variants are mostly based on one or two controls that allow the driver to enable the system and to set the maximum/minimum cruising speed. In new cars, the cruise control is automatically disabled once the driver presses the clutch pedal, the brake or the throttle.
Convenience is the key here, so most ACC systems can be enabled from the dash or steering wheel, itself. 
 

Should you have ACC System installed in your car?

If you’re looking for smart safety in your car, then go for ACC system. If you’re a speed junkie and often find yourself being handed challans by traffic policemen, then you must own an ACC system in your car. If you’re an aging person who fears road mishaps, then ACC can keep your fears away on most grounds. If you’re parent of a teenager who loves to speed up the vehicle, then ACC will give you a considerable amount of peace of mind.
Yes, the mechanism weighs a little heavier on the pocket, but it is totally worth it. The dynamics of science is totally astonishing in cruise control systems.

What else can the Adaptive Cruise Control system do?

Apart from controlling the speed of the vehicle, the ACC system can accelerate or decelerate it by pressing a simple button (usually found on the dashboard of the car). For instance, the cruise control can amazingly change the course of the travel by 1mph. 

Also, the cruise system instantaneously disengages on hitting the brake pedal of the car. Therefore, an ACC system changes any normal car into a supercar, thanks to the myriad of facilities it provides. Therefore, it is not so hard to believe the wonders of this system because, of late, many, many companies are gradually making it a part of their new-age cars.

Which cars employ the Adaptive Cruise Control System?

Well, the advent of this technology has hit far and wide – especially, in the North American continent. Some of the world’s finest automobile makers are now incorporating this system in the best cars of the world. Now, almost all of the luxury cars can boast of having this wonderful system embedded in them.

A few of the very popular ACC system featuring cars include:
•    Audi
•    BMW
•    Bentley
•    Buick
•    Cadillac
•    Chevrolet
•    Chrysler
•    Dodge
•    Ford
•    Honda
•    Hyundai
•    Jaguar
•    Land Rover

Therefore, it is pretty clear now that Autonomous or Adaptive Cruise System is a worldwide phenomenon that has taken the world by storm. The lucrative benefits it provides is surely something that will continue to lure car enthusiasts and automobile fanatics to try it out in every possible field, and from the looks of it, this reality will gain more prominence in the days to come, for sure!