Smart City Brake Support: Thought I'd Share

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BlueReflex

:
2015 CX-5 GT
I decided to try out my SCBS in my cul-de-sac using a large box. The owner's manual says it should work between 2 and 18 mph. I have a 2015 GT. Well, approaching at 15 mph, just before it hit, I could hear the brakes partially activated and it slowed slightly, but it hit the box. The manual also says that the laser needs to bounce back, like off a car, so maybe the box absorbed some of the laser. I don't know. I hope to never find out. I made two videos of it. Here is the newest video. Spoiler alert! It's anti-climatic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHJL9axQiz0
 
It may be hard to tell with a box. I've had it engage fully breaking to a stop from a car that slammed his brakes infront of me. It halted to a stop making a noise with warning and wouldn't let me engage the gas for a few seconds.
 
I fell about laughing at that - thank you so much. I think you should send the sound track to MGM studios.

Maybe it lost sight of the box? Remind me not to ride my soap box buggy on the highway.

What did the neighbours think???
 
Put some metallic tape or similar on the box and repeat the test. I believe the outcome will be very different as cardboard is pretty much completely non-reflective, and the system is looking for bounceback off metal objects such as a car / motorbike / bicycle etc.
 
I'd be curious if the result would be different with the 2016 GT active sense Package which adds a front radar to the mix which doesn't need to reflect off an object.

I think I read somewhere 16's with the active sense package upped the max braking speed to 22mph.

I wanted to try something similar with mine but haven't had to courage to do so yet :)
 
Speedie95 said:
Put some metallic tape or similar on the box and repeat the test. I believe the outcome will be very different as cardboard is pretty much completely non-reflective, and the system is looking for bounceback off metal objects such as a car / motorbike / bicycle etc.
Click to expand...

What Speedie said ^

I can see a slight halting a few feet away unless that's you breaking already?
I'm gonna' try it someday. Just prop up a flat piece of cardboard covered with aluminum foil propped up with styrofoam.
 
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If I recall the details correctly, there was an incident some years back at a Japanese dealer with an earlier CX-5 model where either the customer or the employee drove at a parking lot wall or barrier to demonstrate the Smart City Brake feature but ended up crashing into it, injuring both. I think the outcome was that the chosen target was the problem--the system is only meant to detect other vehicles and isn't a true fully automatic braking system, more of an "assist".

This system only kicked in for the first time on my 2016 about 6 months into owning, and I was a bit freaked out and thought at first that I was having transmission trouble. (thought) It has only happened a few times since (always when I am fully aware of the speed and distance I am from the car in front of me, oddly), but at least now I know what is going on. I can see how the jerky feel and the sound could help draw a distracted driver's attention back, and of course the automatic slowing of the car can provide a few precious milliseconds for the driver to fully intervene after that awareness.

Here's the official info from Mazda in case anyone is interested--it does state in one of the footnotes that even some cars due to shape might be problematic for the system:

http://www.mazda.com/en/innovation/technology/safety/precrash_safety/sbs/
 
License plates are great reflectors - which is the design case. They're flat and have a retroreflective material on them. Try mounting one of those and testing it.
 
RLCarrington said:
If I recall the details correctly, there was an incident some years back at a Japanese dealer with an earlier CX-5 model where either the customer or the employee drove at a parking lot wall or barrier to demonstrate the Smart City Brake feature but ended up crashing into it, injuring both. I think the outcome was that the chosen target was the problem--the system is only meant to detect other vehicles and isn't a true fully automatic braking system, more of an "assist".
Click to expand...
I guess you're referring to this video:

Volvo auto brake system fail

It's actually a Volvo in India. And they're testing Volvo's Pedestrian Detection System and failed.
 
adgjqetuo said:
I'd be curious if the result would be different with the 2016 GT active sense Package which adds a front radar to the mix which doesn't need to reflect off an object.
I think I read somewhere 16's with the active sense package upped the max braking speed to 22mph.
Click to expand...
Smart City Brake Support system uses only laser sensor mounted on the windshield. It's Smart Brake Support with Collision Warning included in i-ActivSence Package uses both laser sensor mounted on the windshield and radar sensor hided behind the front emblem.

SCBS only activates when vehicle speed is between 2~18 mph including 2016 MY. SBS activates when vehicle speed is above 10 mph.
 
BlueReflex said:
I decided to try out my SCBS in my cul-de-sac using a large box. The owner's manual says it should work between 2 and 18 mph. I have a 2015 GT. Well, approaching at 15 mph, just before it hit, I could hear the brakes partially activated and it slowed slightly, but it hit the box. The manual also says that the laser needs to bounce back, like off a car, so maybe the box absorbed some of the laser. I don't know. I hope to never find out. I made two videos of it. Here is the newest video. Spoiler alert! It's anti-climatic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHJL9axQiz0
Click to expand...
Your SCBS experiment failed because:

  • The large box doesn't look like a vehicle.
  • Your "relative" speed between your CX-5 and box exceeded 12.5 mph.
Did "Smart City Brake Support activated" message ever display in your dash information cluster?

SCBS operates in response to a vehicle ahead. The system may not be able to detect to two-wheeled vehicles or pedestrians.

SCBS is designed to reduce damage in the event of a collision by operating the brake control (SCBS brake) when the system's laser sensor detects a vehicle at ahead and determines that a collision is unavoidable.

It may also be possible to avoid a collision if the relative speed between your CX-5 and a vehicle ahead is less than 12.5 mph.

When the driver uses foot brake while SCBS is in operation between 2~18 mph, the brakes are applied firmly and quickly to assist (SCBS brake assist).

Interesting note from owner's manual page 4-127:
"The laser sensor includes a function for detecting a soiled windshield and informing the driver, however, depending on the conditions, it may not detect plastic shopping bags, ice or snow on the windshield. In such case, the system cannot accurately determine a vehicle ahead and may not be able to operate normally."

And there're many exceptions on SCBS stated in owner's manual page 4-128.
 
There were no SCBS warning lights. My daughter has a 2014 Mazda6 and she saw "BRAKE" or something like that on hers.
 
BlueReflex said:
There were no SCBS warning lights. My daughter has a 2014 Mazda6 and she saw "BRAKE" or something like that on hers.
Click to expand...
So your SCBS had never activated during your experiment. Try to reduce your speed under 12.5 mph and see.
 
sillyxone said:
There's also this old (funny) video:
Click to expand...

The reason it didn't work the SECOND time was because he came at the car with a crazy angle and turned at the last minute. It has to be straight on and not in the apex of a turn going under 5 mph.
 
sillyxone said:
Also, why did it stop completely against a human body but not a cardboard box? Of course, these are different models/years so things are different, but still ...
Click to expand...

It's not the human body that it stopped at. It was the thick brush areas BEHIND the human body that it sensed.

The cardboard box must have the proper depth, height and density so it resembles a full sized vehicle.
 
The dealer told me - the very best way they found was R-19 Foam insulation sheathing. Something in them causes good reflection. Then they take a can of spray paint - chrome or white (left over, etc.) and paint it.
 
Lbear said:
It's not the human body that it stopped at. It was the thick brush areas BEHIND the human body that it sensed.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I've pulled into parking spots quickly with my wife's CX-5 and it kicks in due to the large hedges.
 
yrwei52 said:
Smart City Brake Support system uses only laser sensor mounted on the windshield. It's Smart Brake Support with Collision Warning included in i-ActivSence Package uses both laser sensor mounted on the windshield and radar sensor hided behind the front emblem.

SCBS only activates when vehicle speed is between 2~18 mph including 2016 MY. SBS activates when vehicle speed is above 10 mph.
Click to expand...

Not sure I agree - IIHS posted the results on their website for this - see my attached screenshots.


IIHS raised the rating for the 2016s:

2016's equipped with the forward obstruction warning (IE - I-Activesense) - reduced the speed by 22mph from 25mph in the test.

2014 - 2016's with ONLY SCBS - stopped vehicle at 12mph, but failed at 25mph.
 

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