CAPS – Combined Active & Passive Safety – combines them to create an intelligent network that provides extra safety for drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

More than the sum of all parts

Today, virtually no cars are manufactured without airbags, pretensioners and ABS. In 1995, a new milestone in vehicle safety was also brought to market: the electronic stability program ESP®. The protective action of these efficient systems is actuated separately by different signals. Driving is also constantly becoming more convenient with functions such as parking assistants, Adaptive Cruise Control and night vision systems.

What if all your vehicle's safety and convenience systems communicated with each other? That exactly is the idea behind CAPS. If one system can access data that another system already has available, enormous synergies can be created to move a further step towards the vision of accident-free driving.

Decisive fractions of a second
One decisive factor in accidents is human reaction time. Accident research shows that around 60 percent of rear-end collisions and almost a third of frontal collisions could have been prevented, if the driver had reacted only half a second earlier. The components of the CAPS system constantly analyze the vehicle's environment and current driving situation to detect critical situations, often faster than is humanly possible. New CAPS safety functions then help prevent such situations or reduce their impact.

For instance one of the first CAPS functions uses the ACC distance and speed controls. If the distance to the vehicle ahead is reduced to a dangerous level, the breaks are prepared without the driver noticing anything, so they can react faster in an emergency. If the vehicle continues to approach closer, a signal, e.g. a light or jolt on the brakes, warns the driver. ACC was originally designed as a driver assistance system for long distance driving. Once networked with ESP®, its functions are extended to make it a proactive safety system that can prevent accidents and save lives.

Everything in view
Networking vehicle video systems also provides great benefits. For instance, it is possible to detect the direction of driving lanes. If the driver accidentally leaves the lane, a warning signal alerts her to the danger, so that she can steer or brake to stay on track.

Accident-free driving in the future
Driving is safer with CAPS. Exchanging data between different systems has enormous development potential. Bosch is working continuously on useful new combinations. For instance networking navigation systems: That would make it possible to warn drivers about tight bends, the end of traffic jams or the presence of a nearby kindergarten.