A Review of the VORAD™ Vehicle Detection and Driver Alert System

This paper describes a forward looking on-board vehicle detection and driver alert system that provides a distance indication and alert tone to the driver. The system, called VORAD (Vehicular On-board Radar), is the first of its kind to be fielded. The system can be programmed to function in different operating modes, allowing customization to the user's requirements. Some possible operating modes include simply providing an alert to the driver, providing following distance indication measured in seconds based on the vehicles' speeds, or providing following distance measured in feet. The VORAD System also has optional features to enhance its usefulness, including a blind spot alert system and a built-in event recorder. The blind spot system provides additional information to the driver regarding the presence of vehicles in his blind spot for use in making lane changes. The event recorder can act as a “flight recorder” for accident reconstruction, safety training and fleet management activities.

The current version of the system does not interface with any vehicle controls. New applications under development include advanced control systems such as Intelligent Cruise Control. In addition, future systems can be designed to provide vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to roadside communication functions.