A Review of Philosophical Considerations in the Development of Radar Brake Systems

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been involved in an investigation into the economic and technical feasibility of applying radar devices as sensors for automatic braking systems. Several different system application philosophies have been defined and discussed with consideration being given to the expected economic and safety benefits afforded by each.

The technical feasibility study, performed for NHTSA by the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences of the U. S. Department of Commerce, included such topics as radiation hazards, intersystem blinding effects, performance restrictions imposed by common highway geometries, effects of precipitation on signal propagation, and analysis of vehicular radar cross sections.