TRW Demonstrates Advanced Pedestrian Detection System With Automatic Emergency Braking

WUESCHHEIM, Germany, Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. (NYSE: TRW) is demonstrating its leadership in cognitive, or intelligent, safety systems at a 'ride and drive' event near to Wueschheim, Germany, today. The Company will be showing its latest forward-looking pedestrian detection and accident mitigation system which uses advanced signal processing algorithms to fuse data from video camera and radar sensors, in combination with electronic stability control (ESC), to automatically brake a vehicle and help reduce the severity of a potential pedestrian impact.

Martin Thoone, vice president, electronics engineering at TRW commented: "When vehicles collide with pedestrians, the risk of serious injury or death is very high. According to statistics,(1) a pedestrian has an 85 percent chance of death when involved in a motor vehicle collision at 40mph, a 45 percent chance of death at 30mph and a 5 percent chance of death at 20mph. Active pedestrian detection systems – which can automatically slow the vehicle to reduce the impact speed or even avoid the collision – can therefore help to significantly improve the pedestrian's chance of survival."

TRW's forward-looking pedestrian detection system fuses sensor information from its scalable video camera with its 24 GHz radar data. If a pedestrian is detected in front of the vehicle by the camera and confirmed by the radar, sophisticated risk assessment algorithms are employed to determine the probability of a collision. A warning is issued to the driver and a braking maneuver can be automatically initiated with the aim of slowing the vehicle and reducing the severity of the impact. This is similar to TRW's existing radar based emergency braking system in production today.

Thoone continued: "In addition to vehicle detection, lane detection and traffic sign recognition, the scalable camera provides the capability to detect and track pedestrians at distances of over 40 m, even in challenging urban scenarios – such as multiple pedestrians in crowded cross walks or pedestrians using umbrellas in the rain. By adding a radar device via sensor fusion, the enhanced performance allows full braking at higher speeds."  

This new pedestrian detection technology can be combined with TRW's production pedestrian protection safety system which uses sensors mounted at the front of the vehicle to detect an actual pedestrian impact. It can deploy active safety devices including pyrotechnic hood lifters to provide improved pedestrian protection in the event of a collision.    

TRW's forward-looking pedestrian collision mitigation system is scheduled for production in 2014 with full braking functionality.

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About TRW

With 2010 sales of $14.4 billion, TRW Automotive ranks among the world's leading automotive suppliers. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, USA, the Company, through its subsidiaries, operates in 26 countries and employs over 60,000 people worldwide.  TRW Automotive products include integrated vehicle control and driver assist systems, braking systems, steering systems, suspension systems, occupant safety systems (seat belts and airbags), electronics, engine components, fastening systems and aftermarket replacement parts and services.  All references to "TRW Automotive", "TRW" or the "Company" in this press release refer to TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated.  TRW Automotive news is available on the internet at www.trw.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains statements that are not statements of historical fact, but instead are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.  All forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements, including those set forth in our Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 (our "Form 10-K"), and our reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended April 1 and July 1, 2011, such as: any developments related to antitrust investigations adversely affecting our results, cash flows, financial condition or reputation; tighter financial markets adversely impacting the availability and cost of credit negatively affecting our business; a material contraction in automotive sales and production adversely affecting our results or the viability of our supply base; commodity inflationary pressures adversely affecting our profitability or supply base; strengthening of the U.S. dollar and other foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacting our results; pricing pressures from our customers adversely affecting our profitability; any shortage of supplies causing a production disruption; increasing costs negatively impacting our profitability; the loss of any of our largest customers materially adversely affecting us; costs of product liability, warranty and recall claims and efforts by customers to adversely alter contract terms and conditions concerning warranty and recall participation; costs or liabilities relating to environmental, health and safety regulations adversely affecting our results; risks associated with non-U.S. operations, including economic and political uncertainty in some regions, adversely affecting our business, results or financial condition; any inability to protect our intellectual property rights adversely affecting our business or our competitive position; any increase in the expense of our pension and other postretirement benefits or the funding requirements of our pension plans reducing our profitability; work stoppages or other labor issues at our facilities or at the facilities of our customers or suppliers adversely affecting our operations; volatility in our annual effective tax rate resulting from a change in our valuation allowances position or other factors;   and other risks and uncertainties set forth in our Form 10-K and in our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any update or revision to any of the forward-looking statements.

(1)  Source: http://legalcatch.wordpress.com/2008/03/18pedestrian-accident-statistics

SOURCE TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.