For many motorists, the discomfort lies in the fact that the driver is no longer able to easily accelerate at times when this is necessary, for example when entering a motorway. In collaboration with Renault, Delft robotics engineers have developed the Proactive Eco mode: a new system that allows the driver to drive faster based on future expectations, while still driving energy-efficiently.
According to researchers Timo Melman and Niek Beckers, it turns out that the system was able to make successful predictions fairly quickly. The researchers entered data on the driving behavior of motorists and then went to the Renault Technocenter in France. After mastering the system, it was shown on French roads. Groupe Renault was excited and expressed its ambition to use the patented system in future cars, TU Delft reports.
“With our system, your car actually looks a little forward as you’re driving it,” says Timo Melman, Human-Robot Interaction Researcher at TU. This is because we predict the moments when a driver needs a lot of power and when they don’t, and the car’s engine settings can be changed if necessary. This does not require complex algorithms, we do this simply by collecting data on how the driver and other road users drive. Using this data the car “knows” when it wants this makes it nicer for the driver to continue driving in eco mode and still save energy. “
