Isuzu boosts safety features of Elf commercial truck

The Isuzu Elf now boasts an improved safety system after it adopted Hitachi Astemo’s sensing system.

In a press release issued by Hitachi, it revealed that the Isuzu Elf now uses a wide-angle stereo camera to help the sensing system use collision damage mitigation braking at intersections and on single-track roads.

With its enhanced safety equipment, the new Isuzu Elf is the first light-duty truck in Japan to be equipped with braking that not only mitigates collision damage from the front, but also for right and left turns at intersections.

“As an effective measure to prevent traffic accidents, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in Japan is promoting the mandatory installation of collision mitigation braking not only in passenger cars but also in commercial vehicles such as trucks. Although accidents caused by trucks have been decreasing year by year, 60 percent of fatal accidents involving pedestrians occur on single-track roads, while 40 percent occur at right or left turns in intersections. Therefore there is a growing need for collision mitigation braking that can cover a wide field of view,” Hitatchi wrote on a press release.

The sensing system used by the Isuzu Elf was developed by Hitatchi with the help of the Japanese truck brand. On that note, the said sensing system was made truck-specific use cases in mind.

Per Hitachi, the sensing system utilizes a 120-degree wide-angle stereo camera, enabling an expanded detection range. By combining the wide-angle stereo camera with detection information from millimeter-wave radar — a widely adopted safety feature for trucks — and implementing newly developed control software, Hitachi Astemo has achieved more precise wide-angle detection.

This enables collision-mitigation braking at intersections and single-track roads.

Photo from Hitachi

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