Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC on Sept. 5 announced the availability of the next generation of Wingman Fusion, which company officials said marks another step toward an increasingly automated future.
Also during a Sept. 5 online press conference, Bendix said fleet trials of Intellipark are wrapping up and the electronic parking brake control system will be commercially available during 2019. Company officials said it is generating more excitement from fleets than any previous product.
First shown at last year’s North American Commercial Vehicles (NACV) show, Intellipark can help prevent rollaway or runaway incidents by automatically setting the brakes if a driver exits the vehicle while it is not parked. It also features “trailer auto-park release,” which can automatically release trailer brakes when the vehicle is moving.
“Automatic parking brake technology delivers safety, value, and a quick return on investment if it prevents even a single occurrence,” said Fred Andersky, director of customer solutions – controls.
Rebecca Carter, a product manager with Bendix, said research shows 60% of fleets over a two-year period have had at lead one rollaway incident.
Meanwhile, the software advancements for Wingman Fusion enhance emergency braking, collision mitigation, and automatic acceleration. Current users can upgrade without having to purchase new hardware.
Fusion can provide full braking power on the tractor, compared with the two-thirds power previously possible, along with pulsing air back to the trailer to provide trailer braking. During emergencies that means the system can reduce a vehicle’s speed by as much as 50 miles per hour.
The new multi-lane automatic emergency braking feature helps drivers avoid a potential second collision after being forced out of another lane in an emergency. The system can continue to apply the brakes if it detects a car ahead in the new lane.
New highway departure braking capability can apply the brakes to slow and further alert a driver if the system determines the vehicle has left the roadway.
Additionally, the new Fusion includes advanced cruise control and steering functionality that allows the driver to resume cruise control after braking to a stop without the need to push the resume switch, and reengages cruise control after Fusion brakes the vehicle above a certain speed threshold.
Kenworth Truck Co., Peterbilt Motors Co., and Mack Trucks offering Fusion as standard on highway tractors. Volvo Trucks offers Volvo Active Driver Assist, which is based on Wingman Fusion, as standard equipment on VNL and VNR tractors. On Navistar’s International highway tractors, Fusion is an option over the standard Wingman Advanced system.
