Tehnology! A rather small word that holds a lot of meaning.
Oxford dictionary defines technology as “machinery and equipment developed from the application of scientific knowledge”. Well that sounds like a good definition of the word but I bet you haven’t heard the best definition. This “best” definition was made by my grandmother (an old woman in the south western part of Nigeria) and obviously, the definition did not attain world recognition. She simply defined technology as ”the invention of man that made him lazy”
She said and I quote; “with the advent of technology, my sons have decided not to do anything by themselves. Instead of walking to the farm, they prefer driving; instead of writing down a document they wish to keep, they prefer taking a picture of it; instead of coming home to see me physically, they prefer making a video call!” I couldn’t but laugh at the rants but who am I to disagree? I am just a small boy born into a world that values comfort!
Talking about comfort, today I would be discussing another “sweet” addition that technology has introduced to the automobile industry the cruise control. In times past, while driving, the speed of the vehicle is always at the mercy of the driver’s right foot. And you can agree with me that driving for long hours can cause strain and fatigue to the legs.
The “cruise control” system was added to automobiles to help aid comfort of drivers who drive for a long period (those legs do a lot of work)
THE CRUISE CONTROL
The cruise control system is also known as speed control or auto-cruise. It is the system saddled with the function of automatically controlling the speed of an automobile. Its purpose is to accurately maintain a speed that is set by the driver without having to press the throttle (or gas) pedal. The system is basically a servomechanism (a mechanism that produces motion or work at a level higher than the input especially when feedback is employed to ensure automatic control).
Simply put;
The cruise control takes over the acceleration from the driver thus allow the vehicle to continue at the given speed even with the driver taking his foot off the pedal.
Cool isn’t it?
HISTORY OF THE CRUISE CONTROL
Contrary to my predictions, the cruise control technology has been around since 1900 or even earlier (we have always wanted to be lazy!). This was the beginning but definitely not the end. 1910, peerless also came up with a system that according to them “would maintain speed whether uphill or down”.
A few years later, 1948, Ralph Teetor due to frustration from his lawyer constantly speeding up and slowing down while talking invented the modern cruise control. With the first car to have this system being the 1958 Imperial (also known as the “auto-pilot”).
Other inventors also tried their hands on the technology and they came up with awesome results with the “Automotive electronic cruise control” being the foremost
HOW THE CRUISE CONTROL WORKS
When driving on a free highway for a long period of time, the feet may tend to be fatigued due to stress and the driver might want to rest his leg. That’s the main reason for introducing the cruise control.
The cruise control system is controlled by a central computer which monitors speed signals from a driveshaft, wheel speed sensor, speedometer cable or even the electronic speed pulses produced internally by the vehicle and maintains the speed required when activated.
In a vehicle with cruise control feature, the driver activates the option by pressing the button designated. As soon as this button is activated, the automobile system takes over the control of the throttle valve.
In a vehicle with cable driven throttle, the cruise control system involves a similar throttle cable side by side with the actual throttle cable from the gas pedal. When activated, the cruise control system cable connected to an actuator and vacuum (which replaces the throttle pedal and the driver’s leg!) takes over the control of the throttle valve.
In the case of a vehicle with drive-by-wire throttle (electronically controlled throttle system), the cruise control computer monitors the signals gotten from the speed sensors and throttle position sensor and adjusts the parameters according to the speed required by the driver.
In simpler terms;
the cruise control system is a system that runs parallel to the throttle-gas pedal of the vehicle. The cruise control system takes over the function of the gas pedal in controlling the throttle position and thus acceleration!
A point worthy of note is that; the cruise control system is not in control of the brake and the clutch system and thus, the cruise control system is usually deactivated when the clutch or brake pedal is pressed.
HOW TO USE THE CRUISE CONTROL
In order to use the cruise control function of a vehicle, one must first endure that the vehicle is equipped with the system (ofcourse) and locate the position of the button(s) designated to activate the function. The cruise control buttons(s) are usually on the steering column or the wheel itself.
The driver then needs to manually accelerate to the desired speed before setting the cruise control to the current speed. The cruise control is usually switched on by pressing the “set” button. The cruise control system then takes over the control of the gas (or throttle) pedal only. Usually, as a safety measure, the cruise control function cannot be activated at certain speeds (sometimes 60km/hr and below).
When there is need to stop, turn, slow down or make a change in the driving, the cruise control can be turned off or “paused”. This can be done in various ways:
- To stop the cruise control briefly, one can simply press the brake or clutch pedal. To resume cruise control, after the pedal is released, one would need to press the “RES” button after attaining the required speed.
- To stop cruise control completely, one can simply press the “OFF” or “CANCEL” button of the cruise control panel.
If there is need to increase the speed, the driver can simply accelerate manually to the desired speed and then select the “SET” button again. Some cruise control equipped vehicles have the buttons “+ and -” that can be used to adjust the speed while on cruise control.
PRECAUTIONS WHILE USING CRUISE CONTROL
As much as cruise control is meant to improve driver’s comfort, it is important to use it the right way to avoid accidents. Here are some tips to ensure safety while using the cruise control feature;
Use cruise control only in the open road.
The feature should be used in situations where there would be little or no need to slow down or stop i.e on a freeway or highway. Cruise control should not be used on city streets or busy roads as there would be need to stop periodically. Also, the fact that the driver is only partly in control of the vehicle would imply a longer than normal response time therefore increasing the risk of an accident if used on such type of roads.Do not use in hazardous conditions
As stated earlier that using cruise control can reduce response time, it is advisable not to use the feature in weather or road conditions that require careful and precise driving. Conditions such as; wet or snowy road, hilly or mountainous areas, winding roads.Do not lose focus.
Although the feature is doing the accelerating for you, you are still required to stay focused on the road as you are still controlling the steering and the brakes. As cool as the cruise control feature is, it is not “auto pilot”.Always use on regulated speed
As much as the feature is the one responsible for maintaining the speed, you would be the one responsible for over speeding if the speed limit of the particular highway is exceeded.
ADVANTAGES OF CRUISE CONTROL
Below are the advantages of cruise control feature in automobiles
- It is useful for long distance driving
- It can be used to avoid speed limit violation
- It allows the driver rest the foot to prevent fatigue
Conversely, the disadvantages are as follows. These disadvantages usually occur from incorrect use pf the feature.
- Over speeding around curves or intersections which would rather require a decrease in speed.
- Unpleasant weather can cause the vehicle to easily lose traction as the driver has only partial control.
image from wikipedia commons under cc0 license source
ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
In a bid to counter some of the disadvantages the cruise control system presents, the adaptive cruise control system was introduced.
The adaptive cruise control basically uses sensors (radar or camera) to ensure the vehicle keeps a constant following distance.
Simply put, the adaptive cruise control helps keep the car at a good distance from the vehicle in front by automatically speeding up or slowing down i.e if the vehicle in front slows down, your car would do the same (within the range pre-set by the driver).
Although the ACC can slow down automatically, it is required that the driver keeps focus as to be able to act when required.
CONCLUSION
The cruise control system is actually a cool feature in the automobile and with other technology such as the pre-collision technology and the smart cars available, driving can be a little more fun and drivers a little more “lazy!”
Although this technology helps ease stress while driving, the need for complete concentration of the driver cannot be over emphasized as the vehicle cannot do the “thinking”.
REFERENCES
cruise control | how to use cruise control on a car | adaptive cruise control | how cruise control systems work | How Does The Cruise Control System In Cars Work? | what is the cruise control and how does it work
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