ADAS is important for passenger cars

When technicians talk about calibrating advanced driver assistance systems, words like accuracy and thoroughness are always used. Because they know how sensitive the cameras, sensors, and all other components of these systems are, that a mismatched component can have dangerous consequences.

True ADAS calibration specialists understand that all requirements and instructions set by car manufacturers are reasonable and therefore it is necessary to do everything professionally not at any first-ever car repair shop.

Is ADAS important?

A specialist from the U.S. Highway Traffic Safety Insurance Institute (IIHS) examined the Honda Civic distance support system and found that it resulted in braking delays and subsequent collisions with obstacles at a speed of 32 km / h. The IIHS specialist found that the service technician did not follow the car manufacturer’s procedures, including parking the car on a level surface, determining the center of the vehicle, and properly measuring the distance from the target to the vehicle. No calibration rules were followed, everything was done “out of sight,” an IIHS expert said.

The IIHS specialist never said why the technician did not follow the correct procedures - lack of the right tools or equipment, poor training or that he simply decided that the measurement process was time consuming and tedious and came up with time savings. It is true that these calibrations and measurements are a long and tedious process, but it is a mandatory and road safety process.

Given the many hesitations of such service technicians, calibration system developers are working to develop new and improve existing calibration equipment. The aim is to save employees time and energy, to ensure accurate and all-standard car calibration.

Autel IA800 - ADAS sensor calibration system

The Autel IA800 is one such solution. The IA800 is described as an intelligent ADAS optical positioning system. It uses six high-resolution cameras and ADAS positioning software to make the Autel Standard Calibration Frame a fast and accurate frame centering and vehicle calibration device. This calibration method allows technicians to prepare the necessary equipment for the vehicle in just a few minutes, and the results are always accurate and compliant. Compare this to a power tool setup that takes an average of an hour to get ready for work alone.

How does the Autel IA800 work?

The grippers on the rims with the camera targets are attached to the wheels of the rear axle and a part of the stationary target is placed at the front of the vehicle. An Autel tablet is used for calibration, which is attached to a special frame and linked to the camera system.

The system recognizes positioning targets and calculates the current frame angle, distance, and offset to the vehicle. The technician simply follows the on-screen instructions to move the frame or adjust its angle until the results meet the required requirements provided by the manufacturer. The Autel ADAS software will only confirm the calibration when all vehicle parameters have been checked and adjusted as required. Knowing this, the mechanic can feel confident that the work has been done correctly, and the customer no longer has to guess or the car has been repaired properly.