Effects of Jamming on Laser Cruise Control Systems

[brgminiac]

Several car manufacturers currently offer adaptive cruise control systems (i.e. Infiniti's "Intelligent Cruise Control") whereby laser is used to determine distance between the vehicle ahead and to control speed based upon driver's settings.

I have personally detected such laser signals (often from Infiniti FX vehicles) on my V1. Prior to realizing that there were such laser cruise control systems being used, I had thought that it was the certain xenon headlights that caused my V1 to go off (just like certain GMC SUV high-mount brake lights would as well). In one particular instance cruising on the highway, my V1's laser alert kept going off at equal intervals for miles. I recognized the type of vehicle behind me to be the FX and verified his use of laser cruise control by changing lanes and back.

My question to all is what is the effect of laser jamming on these cruise control systems? If the type of laser used for adaptive cruise control is of the same wavelength as a laser gun's, such that the V1 or other detector will alert to it,
how will jammer signals be interpreted by these cruise control systems? Will they render the systems ineffective to the point where the vehicle may not slow down if it gets too close? Furthermore is there current technology that is able to discern the difference between laser-gun laser and cruise-control laser?

[kpatz]

Well, there's one way to find out... slap a Blinder head on the back of your car and get in front of a FX, then hit the brakes and see if he rear-ends you.

I would hope that the cruise control has enough "intelligence" to automatically disengage, or at least warn the driver, if it detects any problems "reading" traffic ahead. Perhaps it could detect that it's being jammed.

Or maybe the jammer's signal would fool the cruise control into thinking that the car in front stopped short and cause the FX to jam on its brakes.

[greateratlanta]

That is a really good question and if the cruise control system is affected there could be some very bad results with drivers using it and not paying attention while they drive. With rear laser detection being all the talk now I would expect people to start mounting jammer transponders on the rear of their cars. I guess will have to see if the GOL take up the question or if we will be left to find out through "real world" expereinces.

[brgminiac]

Further questions to consider:

What if a vehicle equipped with laser cruise control ALSO installs a laser jammer system. Will he "jam himself" by jamming his own cruise-control laser signal that is reflected off the vehicle (effectively acting like a mirror) in front of him?

How effective will laser jammers with mandatory recycle modes (i.e. Lidatek?) be if it is constantly bombarded by cruise-control or "false" laser?

Will LEO's operate "in the shadow" of these "false" laser signals, and thus will we need jammer systems that will alert us to the number of laser signals being detected?

[brick]

I have a thought on the adaptive cruise controls. As far as I know they are interested primarily in distance between your bumper and whatever is in front of you. I have noticed that when lidar guns are jammed they sometimes display a distance with no speed. Perhaps that effect also applies to the cruise control system?

[SmaartAasSaabr]

I don't believe there would be any dangerous effects of "jamming" the cruise control. Firstly these systems will never accelerate the vehicle, only maintain speed or decelerate. The driver should decelerate before the system decides to anyway.

However can someone hack the software of the cruise control so that you not only have cruise, but also a integrated laser jammer as well?

[kpatz]

I don't believe there would be any dangerous effects of "jamming" the cruise control. Firstly these systems will never accelerate the vehicle, only maintain speed or decelerate. The driver should decelerate before the system decides to anyway.

Well, a jammed cruise control could fail to decelerate the car in time to avoid a collision. But, if this happens, the driver of the vehicle with the cruise control (not the jammer) would be considered at fault for following too closely/rear ending.

However can someone hack the software of the cruise control so that you not only have cruise, but also a integrated laser jammer as well?

That would be cool. I'm sure the laser emitter is well concealed.

I wonder, if you were to get an Infiniti FX without the laser cruise control (or the Nissan equivalent), if the laser head mounting location would be a good spot for a jammer head. Has anyone ever looked up close at one of these vehicles and actually located the jammer, er, cruise control laser head?

[brgminiac]

Here's an interesting article I just found that talks about LIDAR and radar based adaptive cruise control systems, although the article was published 4 years ago. >PDF

Interesting to know that radar-based cruise control operates in the 76-77 GHz range, way beyond today's traffic speed radar and out of radar-detector range.

[antilaser]

In Europe use of 24GHz band is also alowed for in vehicle safety radar. And since 24GHz parts are much more common and cheaper than 70+GHz we will probaly see more of 24GHz radars in vehicles in years to come. There is a catch, those radars must be designed in a way that they dont interfere with exsisting equipement (police radars ) Such regulation is not possible for laser devices since light is not a licenced band and cannot be regulated in that way.