Anton van Zanten wins prestigious European Inventor Award – Kennislink

Imagine that you are driving in a car behind a truck, where a box falls off. Chances are you then quickly knocks the wheel to dodge the box, otherwise you crash against it after all. But that’s not handy maneuver as the car goes into a skid, and the chances are very high in a serious accident. With such action intervenes ESP ( Electronic Stability Program ), to Anton van Zanten conceived and developed. The system brakes individual wheels so the car remains stable on the road and a slip is prevented.

Anton van Zanten, inventor of the ESP and winner of the European Inventor Award.

Anton van Zanten (75) and ESP
1968: Mechanical Engineering TU Eindhoven
1973: Ph.D. Cornell University
1973: University of Stuttgart
1977: Employed by Robert Bosch
1987: Successful test ESP
1995: First car with ESP for sale
2016: Wins European Inventor Award

This all happens within a second, much faster else responds to a human being. ESP used, inter alia, a plurality of sensors, a microprocessor and a smart algorithm. No less than forty percent of the heavy traffic accidents are caused by skidding. ESP prevents this. The invention of Van Zanten said as many as 260,000 fewer car accidents instead calculated his employer Bosch. About 8,500 people, therefore, remained alive.

“That there is much less serious injuries and casualties by my invention, I feel very special,” said Anton van Zanten. Because of his contribution to safety on the road, he was nominated for the prestigious European Inventor Award of the European Patent Office. Kennislink the mechanical talked about tests he carried himself, his perseverance and the car of the future. The interview was in German, because Van Zanten has lived for decades in the country of our eastern neighbors, where he worked at Robert Bosch GmbH.

How you got the idea for safer cars make?

“The subject kept me busy all the early seventies. When I graduated from Cornell University in the United States. I worked on an optimal automotive control programs. I researched while braking and steering. The following years showed me the subject but not loose when I went to the University of Stuttgart and the German company Bosch started. ABS, which prevents the wheels from locking under heavy braking, existed then. I wanted to expand it, so the car was safer. My second chef at Bosch was like me very enthusiastic about this idea and I got him to develop further all the support and space “

ESP prevents this kind of heavy accidents. Wikimedia Commons

When you first started to develop ESP was not clear that you would succeed. What were then the biggest obstacles?

“There were many problems. There was for example, need a lot of computing power. I remember when we did the first tests in the eighties and there was a 15 kilo computer on the passenger seat, because otherwise we could not process all the data. In the trunk was a backup generator, because we needed additional electricity. We did the tests with a large estate, but there was only room for two people with all the equipment. A driver and a programmer “

You were there when the time already far ahead. Now we have sensors everywhere. A mobile phone is already chock there. But you tested and developed at that time even though sensors to bring ESP successful.

“A total of ESP makes use of eight sensors. We had several sensors integrated into the steering wheel in the eighties, to ascertain where the driver was going. In addition, there were sensors that followed how hard it was inhibited and which detected the rotation of the vehicle. “

You’re not a scientist who invents from an ivory tower inventions. You yourself took part in the tests on the road. How was that?

“Very educational. We did the study course with a great team and it was very valuable to also work on the test track. I did not want to think about ESP, but also feel how it works. That was while driving. I remember when we did the end of 1987 tests in Sweden. I drove there on slippery ice and how I sent, I got but not in a slip. That was a wonderful experience. I knew then that this technique worked great. “

Anton van Zanten and parts of his invention ESP, which is incorporated into all new cars since 2014 in Europe and elsewhere.

still, it took until 1995 before a car with ESP was for sale. Why did it take so long?

“There were always people who shouted that ESP was too futuristic. We’d get all that technology never used in a car, their criticism. When we show that worked pesetas in 1989 after many tests, we went to major car manufacturers such as Audi and Mercedes. There was a lot of skepticism, but there was certainly interest. We received orders to build in some cars ESP. That cost us a lot of time and effort and yield very little money. The turning point came in 1991 when Mercedes got interested. Soon came up with the plan to build in 1995 pesetas in a car. A development in 1997 also brought momentum because cars without ESP were upended in a test. That was not the case with ESP. “

your invention was finally implemented after some two decades of work. Was that a relief?

“Yes, sir. Though I had no doubt that it is going to happen to us. But at that time we were very busy to make everything smaller. Automakers would suddenly rapidly ESP in their cars. The hardest was to make a sensor which detected the rotational speed in the vertical axis. Such a sensor was not there. The closest was a sensor of the British company GEC, which was used on cruise missiles. This sensor cost fifty thousand German marks. After much work, we managed to improve the sensor and make for less than a hundred German Mark. “

“I remember when we did the end of 1987 tests in Sweden. I drove there on slippery ice and how I sent, I was just not in a slip. “ European Patent Office

Meanwhile, Bosch produced more than 150 million ESP systems. Since 2014 is ESP mandatory in new cars including the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia. Worldwide, 64 percent of new cars this system. Your invention has a very big impact.

“I am especially proud that ESP prevents forty percent of serious accidents and fatalities. Together with the safety belt and airbag ESP has a huge impact on road safety. But there is a big difference. The belt and airbag to protect you during an accident. ESP worked prevents accidents. “

What can be improved to the safety car?

” There’s been a lot of improvements and additions of ESP . As extensions to avoid swinging a trailer and preventing someone ends up outside the roadway. ESP is a basic system, where these types of extensions go together just fine with it. I expect that autonomous driving takes flight in the coming years. Sensors are becoming more accurate and smaller, making it possible that cars much data with each other. “

But is it the fun of the drive is not lost?

“I’m getting older. For the elderly, it is great if they can do on the road driving through autonomous. It will be the drive anyway make a lot safer. Even ESP said a colleague once to me: “This technique makes it more fun to drive.” Because with ESP you could no longer drift through corners. Others thought again that drivers were going to take unnecessary risks. But that’s not true. Ultimately, it has become much safer on the road. And we all want? “

English language movie about Anton van Zanten and his invention following his nomination for the European Inventor Award .