Continental‘s Accelerator Force Feedback Pedal has reached market production for the first time – and aims at significantly reducing the number of accidents.
The accelerator pedal is now being installed by a Japanese car manufacturer,
The Accelerator Force Feedback Pedal (AFFP) gives warning of hazardous situations by vibrating and exerting counter pressure in the accelerator pedal, making the driver take his foot off the pedal and get ready to brake.
The AFFP relies on warning the driver directly through sensory stimulation; the hazard warning is felt directly by the driver’s foot, making him aware of the situation in the quickest and most reliable way so that he can react.
The central mechanical feature of the Accelerator Force Feedback Pedal is an electric motor, directly linked to the accelerator pedal, without any additional working parts, and in a very short reaction time adjusts the pedal position.
Even in heavy traffic, the Accelerator Force Feedback Pedal helps drivers to maintain optimum vehicle distance and to drive at a consistent speed. The system uses information from the radar or camera sensors, identifies the best speed for staying with the flow of the traffic, and warns the driver by gentle pedal counter pressure that if they were to accelerate any more, she would be exceeding the optimum speed range and distance. The result is that the vehicle keeps to an even engine speed, avoiding frequent braking and accelerating. This noticeably reduces fuel consumption.
See e.g. Driving Vision News, week 33 about Nissan’s Eco Pedal