Audi has selected Hella’s 24-GHz radar-based lane-change warning system for the Audi A4, marking the sixth design win for the system. It’s also available on the Audi Q7 sport-utility vehicle.
The lane-change warning system, also known as the “Audi Side Assist,” is designed to alert drivers of vehicles in their rear “blind spots” when changing lanes. Once the car is driving in excess of 18 mph, the system constantly monitors the adjacent right and left lanes. It provides an optical alert – with warning lights on the side mirrors – if a vehicle is in the blind spot when the system determines that the driver is performing a lane-change procedure.
Hella’s system uses two 24-GHz radar sensors on both sides of the vehicle to detect other cars and trucks in the rear- and side-areas. The sensors have an approximately 164-foot range (about half a football field). The radar sensors are invisible on a vehicle’s exterior but work in all weather conditions.