The self-driving car revolution may start with your feet.

Automotive supplier Bosch announced Monday that it has developed a gas pedal that can provide haptic feedback when the driver is burning fuel at high rates, heading into a curve at high speed or breaking the speed limit.

The supplier said the innovation could help drivers reduce fuel usage by up to 7% by helping drivers know when to ease off the accelerator.

The pedal delivers a “gentle vibration” to the driver’s foot when the car is speeding along too quickly.

The development underscores one of the worst-kept secrets in the automotive world: Many of the advancements in the self-driving car revolution will come from suppliers, not automakers.


“The Bosch active gas pedal helps drivers save fuel — and alerts them to potentially dangerous situations as well,” said Stefan Seiberth, president of Bosch’s gasoline systems division, in a statement.

The gas pedal can only alert drivers that they are speeding around a curve too fast if the vehicle is equipped with a navigation system and cameras that read road signs.

In vehicles with that technology, the pedal can also give drivers a nudge when they exceed the speed limit, go the wrong way on a one-way street, encounter congestion or experience other hazards.

Other suppliers have offered pedals with gas-consumption feedback, but not pedals that warn drivers about speed or other road hazards, Bosch spokesman Tim Wieland said in an e-mail.


Source: http://carworldng..com.ng/2016/01/car-news-auto-supplier-bosch-introduces.html

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