The ADAS system calibration

What is an ADAS system ?

ADAS is an English acronym (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) that refers to driver assistance tools increasingly used by drivers. However, many ordinary users still sometimes ignore the meaning of the term, which is mainly used by specialists. These are electronic systems coupled with advanced technologies such as radars, sensors or cameras, which provide the driver with information about the environment in which they are driving. Beyond the comfort they provide, these devices are primarily intended for safety, which is why it is extremely important to regularly ensure their proper functioning: Glassdrive carries out their systematic recalibration every time a windshield or rear window is repaired or replaced. Often, these glasses serve as supports for many ADAS devices.

What ADAS systems are on your car ?

ADAS systems are becoming more common on passenger vehicles as well as utility vehicles for professionals. Public authorities are encouraging their use to enhance driver safety and reduce the number of road accidents. Since 2022, the European Union authorities have made a number of electronic tools mandatory in new private vehicles, including an intelligent speed adaptation system, a driver drowsiness and distraction warning system, and a reverse gear detector.

However, car manufacturers' interest in these assistance tools predates 2022 by far. For a long time, brands have equipped their models with technologies associated with cameras and radars installed in strategic locations on the vehicle, including the windshield or rear window, which offer ideal positions to detect certain key signals in the environment.

These pieces of information, analyzed and then transmitted by these devices through sound or visual alerts (such as an image displayed on a dashboard screen), assist users in their decision-making related to driving on the road.

The use of an ADAS system obviously makes the most sense in situations where visibility is reduced or distorted (nighttime driving, reverse gear). It prevents a detail from escaping the driver's attention during delicate maneuvers, or a misinterpretation of road signs and traffic flow - or a brief moment of inattention - from distorting their assessment (overtaking, lane keeping, and compliance with regulatory braking distances between two vehicles).

ADAS technologies installed on the windshield are usually located on the inside of the glass, sheltered from external aggression and bad weather. For example, devices coupled with an emergency autonomous braking system (or AEB for Autonomous Emergency Braking), sign recognition systems, or a lane departure assistant can be found in this area. The rain sensor is also typically located at the level of the central rearview mirror. This small probe uses infrared radiation or ultrasound to activate the windshield wiper motor as soon as the windshield receives its first drops (the sensitivity of the device can be preset by the vehicle's driver).

The types of ADAS calibrations performed by Glassdrive

Calibrating ADAS tools is a complex operation that requires the use of appropriate equipment and high-precision techniques: the cameras and sensors installed on automobiles are very sensitive electronic tools that do not tolerate approximation. Even a small adjustment error is enough to render them inoperative. However, a driver assistance system that no longer performs its function correctly represents a danger to the driver: a faulty camera or sensor deprives them of visual and sound data essential to everyone's safety.

To ensure perfect reliability of your ADAS, Glassdrive technicians perform static or dynamic calibration. When necessary, both operations are sometimes combined (this is then called universal calibration). One or both are systematically performed after repairing your windshield or installing a new glass.

Static calibration takes place, as its name suggests, in the workshop. It involves immobilizing and aligning the vehicle in front of a target with points that serve as reference points, in order to precisely adjust the camera's orientation and viewing angle. This highly technical procedure is carried out in accordance with the technical recommendations mentioned by the manufacturer and requires the use of specific software and laser beams to obtain a millimeter-accurate result.

Dynamic calibration is organized outdoors, on an adapted track where the vehicle undergoes a series of tests carried out in real-life conditions. On this road course, equipped with markings, a measuring device connected to the automobile's OBD port analyzes the performance of its ADAS tools and adjusts them under traffic (speed, traffic) and meteorological conditions that comply with the manufacturer's recommendations.

At the end of calibration analyses, Glassdrive provides the vehicle owner with a certificate attesting to the proper functioning of the driver assistance systems. After a visit to our workshops, you can hit the road with confidence!