Navistar has added the Bendix Wingman Fusion driver assistance system as an option on its medium-duty International DuraStar line. Fusion is now available for order on the DuraStar and will begin production in June.“Bendix introduced Fusion in 2015, integrating and advancing a proven, road-tested suite of its safety technologies – radar, camera, the vehicle’s brake system, and SafetyDirect by Bendix CVS – into a comprehensive active safety solution,” the company said. “Built on the foundation of Bendix ESP Electronic Stability Program full-stability system, Fusion offers full stability; collision mitigation – including stationary vehicle braking; lane departure warning; and overspeed alert and action.”International Truck, a subsidiary of Navistar, said it is a strong supporter of Fusion. Navistar was the first truck manufacturer to offer the technology, making it available on its on-highway International ProStar trucks since the active safety system’s introduction at the Mid-America Trucking Show in 2015.“The applications and needs of North American fleets and owner-operators are wide-ranging, but safety knows no weight or size limitations,” said Scott Burkhart, Bendix vice president – sales, marketing, and business development. “We’re proud to provide Bendix Wingman Fusion for International, and to help drivers of their medium-duty vehicles – such as those in emergency services and construction – do their jobs more effectively, efficiently, and safely.”According to the company, by gathering input through radar, video, and the vehicle’s brakes, Bendix Wingman Fusion helps drivers mitigate a variety of crash situations, from rear-end collisions and sideswipe crashes to rollover and loss-of-control events. Bendix added that data from the system can help fleets and drivers understand what occurred in a specific event and take steps to better address the issue in the future.Fusion’s combination of sensors and video information, analyzed through powerful next-generation computing, creates a highly detailed and accurate data picture using deep, multi-system integration. The system realizes events sooner – alerting the driver and decreasing the vehicle’s speed up to twice as much – to help the driver mitigate potential collisions or lessen their severity, typically with fewer false alerts and interventions. Fusion’s camera is powered by the Mobileye System-on-Chip EyeQ processor with vision algorithms.“Our uptime philosophy goes beyond our product quality,” said Bill Kozek, Navistar president, Trucks and Parts. “Uptime is also dependent on the safety of a driver during operation of our trucks, and our goal is to offer the most innovative solutions to prevent any disruption of an operator’s ability to fulfill their job.”
