Abs who invented

The availability of semiconductor technology starting in the early s set the stage for what was to come. Electronics made it possible to reduce or increase braking pressure at an appropriately rapid speed. In , Bosch began in-house predevelopment on an anti-lock braking system. At the time, Heidelberg-based Teldix GmbH had already been performing research on an antilock system for vehicles for five years and had developed a promising electronically controlled antilock braking system that could control all four wheels independently of each other.

The system was met with great interest by the automotive industry, and preparations for mass production got underway. However, it turned out that the analog electronics available back then did not satisfy the safety requirements for a braking system.

Extensive winter testing proved the ability of the ABS 1 system to function, but the electronics were not sufficiently durable. After acquiring a 50 percent stake in Teldix in , the main contribution made by Bosch was its development and manufacturing experience with electronic components, which were robust enough for use in vehicles. In , Bosch took over full responsibility for ABS development and later bought up all the remaining Teldix shares.

The anti-lock braking system reliably stopped wheels from locking up under heavy braking and kept vehicles steerable, helping avoid uncontrolled skidding following emergency braking in many cases. French engineer Gabriel Voisin is often credited with developing the very first ABS for aircraft in the s. In the s, much of the rapid development of modern ABS was undertaken when Robert Bosch acquired a series of patents, and began a joint development venture with Mercedes-Benz.

Since the s, ABS and related systems have become commonplace. Many drivers became aware of the technology only once it was made available as a standard feature, or a premium option on mainstream, high-selling cars and trucks. The addition of traction control systems essentially an ABS that applied to acceleration instead of braking made the technology even more ubiquitous. The relative merits of ABS have been a subject of ongoing debate. Generally, this discussion weighs the cost of implementing an ABS system against the practical safety benefits, and the net effect on driver behavior.

They could still lock when the driver mashed the brake pedal to the metal, which made the car unsteerable, especially on wet or icy roads. The next breakthrough in ABS technology came not from Mercedes-Benz, as many have claimed, but somewhat surprisingly from Chrysler. Chrysler beamed with pride. Advancements in the field of electronics made Sure Brake considerably more advanced than Maxaret.

The system relied on data provided by a small gear linked to each wheel. The computer cut hydraulic pressure when it detected a wheel was about to lock the wheel slowed down before locking , and sent pressure again a split-second later to continue stopping the car.

This cycle had the same effect as pumping the brakes, but it occurred up to four times per second, which was faster than a human could manage. Sure Brake measured the speed of each wheel independently, so the Imperial could come to a safe stop even if two of its wheels were on ice. Chrysler embedded a blue indicator labeled Sure Brake into the instrument cluster to help drivers understand the system.

The indicator lit up when the system was active, and it remained on to indicate a problem. The firm stressed the system was fail-safe, so the enormous Imperial would brake normally if Sure Brake shut down for any reason. Four-Wheel Sure Brake was hugely innovative, and correspondingly expensive. Engineers experienced the system with near-superstitious awe, but Imperial buyers wanted old-school luxury, not cutting-edge tech, and many refused to pay extra for what they considered a useless, over-complicated gizmo.

Chrysler dropped the feature in Even then, the systems remained expensive, and it took several more years for it to trickle down into the realm of economy cars. It was common to see cars proudly wearing an ABS emblem on the trunk lid in the s, and rightfully so.