Mazda CX-60, the technology of the parts company that supported "other than the engine"

Mazda's new SUV "CX-60" (Photo: Mazda)

High-end multi-purpose sports vehicle (SUV) "Large product group" that influences the growth of Mazda. As the first step, the company launched the “CX-60” in September. As we proceeded with the interview, we came to know the suppliers that supply parts for the new functions of safety and security.

“The platform and powertrain are the key parts that make the car’s “Jinba Ittai” feel. That’s why I think it’s a part that we should control ourselves. However, Mazda cannot do everything on its own. , we will focus on core parts and develop them in-house.” This is what Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Mazda executive officer who was in charge of developing the platform for the large product group, said.

As Mr. Matsumoto says, Mazda internally manufactures an in-line 6-cylinder engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission (AT) that is combined with it. This is the area of ​​"Honmaru" where the company continues to stick to in-house development. On the other hand, peripheral technologies, such as preventive safety functions, actively borrow from suppliers.
Feel the effect in a narrow parking lot

One example is the "see-through view," which is provided as a function that does not make the CX-60's 1,890 mm width feel "too large." The system was developed by Magna International of Canada.

Mazda positions this system as an "evolved version" of the Surround View System (SVS). It is the same as the conventional product in that four cameras placed on the front, back, left and right of the vehicle are displayed on the center display inside the vehicle. The difference is "creating images to be displayed" (Mazda see-through view developer). The distortion of the data captured by the fisheye camera has been corrected to create an image that is close to the driver's point of view.
An example of using see-through view. By making the image closer to the driver's point of view, it is easier to get a sense of the distance to objects that may come into contact (Photo: Nikkei Automotive)
The image shows the outline of the vehicle's body and the wheels. According to the same person in charge, by superimposing the line of the expected trajectory according to the degree of steering, "preventing accidents caused by the difference between the inner wheels and making it easier to grasp the situation in areas that were previously blind spots."

It has become easier to grasp the outermost circumference of the vehicle. I tried running in a narrow parking lot, but it seems that it is easy to judge whether it will collide with surrounding vehicles or walls when turning, and it seems that the number of turns can be reduced.

The camera used for the see-through view is made by Panasonic Automotive Systems and has approximately 1 million pixels. The center display is made by Alps Alpine.

The center display incorporates an infrared camera for the driver monitoring system (DMS). The face recognition system that estimates the driver's condition and identifies the individual will be supplied by Mitsubishi Electric.
Built-in infrared camera in the center display (Photo: Nikkei Automotive)
When the system senses that the driver is falling asleep or has a sudden change in physical condition, the system first flashes the hazard lamps and brake lamps and sounds the horn to notify the surroundings of the occurrence of an abnormality. If the driver still does not return to driving behavior, when traveling on a highway, stop while maintaining the lane or evacuate to the shoulder of the road.

Facial recognition systems using in-car cameras aren't just for emergencies.

That is the "automatic driving position guide". By identifying a pre-registered driver, the seat and steering wheel position, door mirror angle, and head-up display (HUD) display position are automatically adjusted. A maximum of 6 individuals can be registered in one vehicle.

According to an engineer in charge of ergonomics at Mazda, only "about half of all drivers can be adjusted to the correct driving position." However, the physiques of drivers vary greatly, and the correct driving posture differs from person to person. Therefore, Mazda has prepared a function that uses an in-vehicle camera to suggest recommended positions for seats, steering wheels, etc. that suit each individual.

The information necessary for automatic adjustment to the recommended position is the position of the eyes captured by the in-vehicle camera and the height data entered by the driver. The sitting height is calculated from the position of the eyes, and the length of the legs is calculated from the difference with the height data.

"Since there is a correlation between the lengths of the legs and hands, we can roughly estimate the length of the hand," said the same engineer. Based on this information, the seat and door mirrors are automatically moved to the recommended position.

From there, tweak it to your liking and save it as your driving position. After that, "If you get into the vehicle and close the door, the seat will automatically adjust before starting the engine," said the person in charge.

HUD, one of the items to be automatically adjusted, was developed by Nippon Seiki. By the way, the meter display is made by Panasonic Automotive Systems.