On the Spot with… Wabco

Building on an existing portfolio of driver assistance tools, Wabco continues to steer toward the future - unveiling its OnLaneAssist Advanced Driver Assistance System at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show.

ATLANTA, GA – Building on an existing portfolio of driver assistance tools, Wabco continues to steer toward the future – unveiling its OnLaneAssist Advanced Driver Assistance System at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show.

It’s the first active steering system in the product line. And it builds on technologies available through the recent acquisition of RH Sheppard, which supplies steering technologies, in addition to a new cooperation agreement with Nexteer Automotive, known for intuitive motion controls.

OnLaneAssist uses forward-looking cameras to track where the vehicle sits in a lane. If the vehicle begins to drift out of a lane without a signal, it applies torque to the steering wheel to pull back to the center of the lane. Then it releases the torque once the truck is back on its path.

“OnLaneAssist represents another important milestone on the commercial vehicle industry’s roadmap towards autonomous driving,” said Jorge Solis, Wabco president – truck, bus and car – Original Equipment Manufacturers division. “This advancement demonstrates Wabco’s capability to address the challenges of lateral vehicle dynamics control – furthering progress on the path to self-driving commercial vehicles.”

Wabco has clearly been busy at the boardroom table. In addition to the acquisition of RH Sheppard and agreement with Nexteer Automotive, Wabco recently dissolved a 27-year joint venture with Meritor, which had been used to reach the U.S. market.

Times change. Business models evolve, said Jacques Esculier, chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Wabco.

With the joint venture recently dissolved, Wabco is taking full ownership of its destiny, Esculier said during the North American Commercial Vehicle Show. The entire portfolio is now available under the company name.

“The advantage, obviously, is to have one brand, and one team … increasing the connectivity, intimacy and efficiency in our relationship with customers in this part of the world,” he said.