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Mazda i-ACTIVSENSE: What are the Features?
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- Adaptive Front-Lighting System
- Mazda Radar Cruise Control
- Lane Departure Warning System
- Rear Vehicle Monitoring System
- Smart City Brake Support
- Intelligent Speed Assistance
- Driver Attention Alert
- Hill Launch Assist
Mazda i-ACTIVSENSE: What are the Features?
At Mazda, we pride ourselves on harmonising innovative safety technology with the epitome of driving enjoyment. A shining testament to our innovation is the i-ACTIVSENSE technology, a suite of advanced safety features meticulously designed to elevate driver awareness and automate crucial safety responses.
The objective of this blog is to provide a deeper understanding of the i-ACTIVSENSE technology, exploring its intricate workings and elucidating the multitude of benefits it bestows upon our cherished community of drivers.
Join us as we unravel the blend of intelligence and intuition that powers Mazda’s i-ACTIVSENSE, reinforcing our unwavering commitment to safety and exhilarating driving experiences.
Understanding Mazda i-ACTIVSENSE
Mazda's i-ACTIVSENSE is a sophisticated suite of safety technologies designed to elevate the driver’s situational awareness and automate essential safety functions. At its core, i-ACTIVSENSE aims to create a harmonious bond between the driver and the vehicle, ensuring a safer and more enjoyable driving experience.
Through the seamless integration of radars, sensors, and cameras, i-ACTIVSENSE continuously monitors the vehicle’s surrounding environment to provide real-time feedback, aiding in proactive safety measures and responsive action in varying driving scenarios.
This intelligent orchestration of sensors and cameras is what empowers i-ACTIVSENSE to deliver a robust safety shield, ensuring drivers can navigate the roads with enhanced confidence and peace of mind. Through i-ACTIVSENSE, Mazda continues its unwavering commitment to cultivating a secure and delightful driving journey for all.
Key Features of i-ACTIVSENSE
Adaptive Front-Lighting System
The Adaptive Front-Lighting System (AFS) is an intelligent feature that enhances visibility during nighttime driving. It automatically adjusts the headlight beams to the left or right in sync with the steering wheel operation once the headlights have been turned on, ensuring the road ahead is well-illuminated especially during turns.
AFS optimises the distribution of light from the headlights based on the driving circumstances. The system adjusts the low-beam headlights in the direction the driver intends to travel, considering vehicle speed and steering input.
Adaptive LED Headlamps
Mazda's Adaptive LED Headlamps (ALH) technology enables individual control of several LEDs to adjust the lighting pattern precisely. This system automatically broadens visibility at low speeds and extends vision at highway speeds, ensuring a safer and more comfortable driving experience. Through High-Beam Control (HBC), it detects oncoming vehicles when the vehicle's high beams are activated and automatically switches to low beams to prevent dazzling other road users.
Mazda Radar Cruise Control
The Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) is designed to alleviate the driver's load by maintaining a consistent speed and headway control. It keeps a constant preset speed without requiring the driver to depress the accelerator or brake pedal, thereby providing a more relaxed driving experience.
MRCC utilises a milliwave radar and judges the relative speed and distance to the car ahead. It then automatically adjusts the vehicle speed to maintain a safe following distance, ensuring a safer drive, especially in varying traffic conditions.
MRCC also includes a Distance Recognition Support System (DRSS), which measures the distance between your vehicle and the one ahead using a front-mounted radar sensor when driving above 30 km/h. It then indicates a recommended distance to maintain between the vehicles, thus aiding in keeping a safe following distance.
Lane Departure Warning System
The Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) is designed to alert the driver when the vehicle may be unintentionally departing from its lane. LDWS becomes operational when the vehicle's speed is about 64 km/h or faster. The system must detect clear lane markings (either white or yellow lane markers) on the road for accurate functionality.
Utilising a forward-sensing advanced camera system, LDWS identifies the lane markings on the road and determines if the vehicle might be deviating from its lane. If such a deviation is detected, the system notifies the driver through a visual display and an auditory warning sound.
Lane-Keep Assist System
The Lane-Keep Assist System (LAS) works in conjunction with LDWS to ensure the vehicle remains within its lane by providing steering assistance. When an unintentional lane departure is detected, the system provides gentle steering assistance to guide the vehicle back to the centre of the lane, making long drives safer and less tiring.
Rear Vehicle Monitoring System
Rear Vehicle Monitoring System (RVM) continuously monitors rearward traffic to identify potentially critical situations when changing lanes. It employs an indicator light in the door mirror and a warning buzzer depending on the circumstance to warn the driver if a vehicle might be in the blind spot.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) assists drivers when reversing out of parking spaces by detecting vehicles approaching from the rear left and right sides. The system uses radar sensors to alert the driver of potential hazards through warning indicator lights and a warning buzzer. When a vehicle is detected approaching from either side while reversing, RCTA notifies the drivers, allowing them to half the reversing manoeuvre and avoid a collision.
Blind Spot Monitoring
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) is designed to alert drivers about vehicles in their blind spots to prevent potential collisions during lane changes. The system becomes operational at speeds of around 10 km/h or faster. Using radar sensors, BSM detects vehicles approaching from behind in adjacent lanes. When a vehicle is detected in the blind spot, BSM notifies the driver through warning lights and a screen display.
Smart City Brake Support
Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) assists in avoiding or mitigating frontal collisions at low speeds common in urban areas. Between speeds of approximately 4-30 km/h, a laser sensor mounted on the windscreen detects a car in front and takes control of the brakes when a high risk of collision is detected. If the driver applies the brakes, the system assists by instantly increasing the braking force. If the brakes are not applied, the system will brake automatically to avoid or at least reduce the severity of a collision.
Similarly, Smart City Brake Support Reverse (SCBS-R) aims to reduce damage during low-speed collisions while reversing, operating between speeds of approximately 2-8 km/h. Utilising two ultrasonic sensors on the bumper, it monitors obstacles and applies the brake automatically if there is a risk of collision.
Acceleration Control for AT
Integrated with SCBS and SCBS-R, Acceleration Control for AT activates under specific conditions to prevent unintended acceleration. When the car is either stopped or moving at speeds of less than 10 km/h, and the accelerator pedal is pressed suddenly (as if the driver intends to brake), the system sounds an alarm and cuts off engine power to stop the car from lurching forward or backwards, depending on the gear the car is in.
Forward Obstruction Warning
The Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW) system works to reduce the likelihood of frontal collisions by utilising a radar sensor at the front of the car to monitor the distance between vehicles when the speed is about 15 km/h or faster. When a high risk of impact is detected, FOW alerts the driver with an indicator and continuous warning sound.
Intelligent Speed Assistance
Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) is a safety feature that helps to maintain the vehicle speed below a certain limit. It recognises speed limit signs either based on the Traffic Recognition System (TSR) or the navigation system information and assists in keeping the vehicle speed within the recognised limit. The setting status of the ISA can be displayed on the active driving display or the instrument cluster in the vehicle.
Driver Attention Alert
Driver Attention Alert (DAA) is an innovative feature engineered to enhance road safety by monitoring the driver's alertness levels to reduce the risks associated with inattention and fatigue. DAA becomes operational when the vehicle is driven at speeds ranging from about 65-140 km/h for approximately 20 minutes.
The system keeps an eye on the driver's inputs and the vehicle's movements, particularly during the early stages of the journey before fatigue typically sets in. It 'learns' the driver's habits to establish a baseline for normal driving behaviour. Should the system detect signs of fatigue or decreased attentiveness based on the driving data, it triggers a visual warning to alert the driver. This mechanism is particularly beneficial during long drives or when driving at higher speeds for extended periods.
Hill Launch Assist
Hill Launch Assists (HLA) is a driver-assist feature designed to make starting on a hill easier and safer. It's particularly helpful when you're on a steep incline and need to move from the brake pedal to the accelerator without rolling backwards.
HLA assists drivers in accelerating from a stop while on a slope. When the driver releases the brake pedal and depresses the accelerator pedal, the system prevents the vehicle from rolling by maintaining the braking force automatically for a brief moment, giving the driver time to accelerate smoothly.
The system operates for about two seconds to prevent the vehicle from rolling unexpectedly, which can be dangerous. This short operational duration ensures that the vehicle doesn't roll back while the driver transitions from the brake to the accelerator pedal.
Elevate Your Driving Experience with i-ACTIVSENSE
Experience the beauty of automotive safety with Mazda's i-ACTIVSENSE technology, a suite designed to elevate your driving to a realm of assurance. Book a test drive with Mazda Perth to feel the sophistication of i-ACTIVSENSE technology firsthand with all of our new Mazda models. Don't just read about enhanced safety—experience it in action.