[Exclusive] "I Accidentally Pressed the Accelerator Pedal Because I'm a Beginner" ... Hyundai Unveils Advanced Safety Technology to Relieve Driver Anxiety

Hyundai to Unveil New Safety Technology Next Year

Pedal Misapplication Prevention 'PMSA 2.0' Equipped on the New Avante

Over 50 Developers, Two Years of R&D in Line with 'Safety First' Management Policy

Parking and Low-Speed Pedal Mis

Hyundai Motor Group will unveil a new technology next year that prevents unintended acceleration even if the driver mistakenly presses the accelerator pedal while driving. The company is expanding the scope of its current "Pedal Misapplication Safety Assist (PMSA) 2.0," which operates in parking and low-speed situations, by integrating road type and vehicle speed detection, enabling the feature to function in general driving scenarios. The goal is to apply this technology to mass-produced models scheduled for release next year.

Preventing Pedal Misapplication in All Scenarios...Targeting a Public Release Next Year

Kim Duhyeon, Senior Researcher of the Vehicle Drive Control Development Team 1 at Hyundai Motor Company, stated in an interview with The Asia Business Daily on August 18, "The currently developing feature is designed to limit torque if the customer unintentionally accelerates, based on class information that categorizes road conditions." He added, "For mass-produced models to be released next year, we are developing PMSA 2.0 to operate even when the vehicle is moving by combining class information on road conditions."

Hyundai Motor Company's The All-New Avante. Hyundai Motor Company

The starting point for developing PMSA, Hyundai's pedal misapplication safety assist function, was the Casper EV. The initial development was aimed at entering the Japanese market, where regulations about pedal misapplication exist. Later, following management's directive prioritizing safety above all, the feature's application was expanded to all vehicle models. The most representative example is PMSA 2.0, which was applied to the All-New Avante. When the transmission is in D (Drive) or R (Reverse) and there is an obstacle such as another vehicle or wall within 1.5 meters in the front or rear, the system restricts acceleration and applies the brakes if the driver suddenly steps on the accelerator pedal, bringing the vehicle to a stop.

Hyundai Motor Group is continuously enhancing the PMSA function. In the future, in addition to ultrasonic sensors, the company plans to use parking cameras to detect more obstacles. Beyond PMSA, which currently only operates at low speeds, Hyundai Motor Group is preparing a safety feature package that includes pedal misapplication prevention technologies that work even at high speeds. The group is planning to make these features standard equipment, not just optional extras, when purchasing vehicles.

Kim Dongha, Senior Researcher of the Vehicle Drive Control Development Team 2, explained, "When more safety features are added, costs may increase due to additional sensors and controllers, but our focus is on developing solutions that provide enhanced safety without driving up costs."

First Applied to the Avante: PMSA 2.0 and the "Popularization of Safety Features"

Hyundai Motor Company implemented PMSA 2.0 for the first time with the launch of the new Avante. While version 1.0 detected obstacles within 1 meter in the front and rear, version 2.0 extends this range to 1.5 meters. It also subdivides system intervention scenarios and ensures customers do not feel discomfort during its intervention, distinguishing it from the previous version.

On the 18th, Kim Dongha, Senior Researcher of the Vehicle Drive Control Development Team 2 at Hyundai Motor Company (left), and Kim Duhyeon, Senior Researcher of the Vehicle Drive Control Development Team 1, are being interviewed at Pangyo Techwon in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do.

Kim Dongha explained, "The main groups affected by pedal misapplication are often elderly or inexperienced drivers. Since the Avante is frequently driven by beginners or people just starting out in society, we believed equipping it with this function would be especially beneficial."

Kim Duhyeon added, "The Avante is a high-volume model. By deploying safety features on vehicles with large sales volumes, we believe we can raise awareness about safety among customers and create value for society as a whole."

PMSA 2.0 is primarily targeted at parking and low-speed situations. The development focused on the fact that a significant portion of pedal misapplication accidents occur in parking lots or at low speeds. Development began in 2024 and took about two years, with over 50 people participating from multiple areas, including drive and brake control, ultrasonic sensors, autonomous driving controllers, transmission control, testing, and quality control.

The biggest challenge during development was distinguishing between situations where a driver mistakenly pressed the pedal and cases where the driver intentionally accelerated to avoid an obstacle.

Kim Duhyeon commented, "If the customer is confused and uses the system, the desired function is provided, but the real challenge was how to differentiate when they are not confused. It was a joint effort across departments, involving countless meetings to resolve."

The team fine-tuned activation conditions by testing in a variety of environments such as slopes, obstacles, and railroad crossings. The software is designed so that even if an error occurs, it will not lead to a secondary accident. The system is physically separated from the brake mechanism, so even in the event of a malfunction, if the driver presses the brake pedal, normal braking remains possible.

Kim Dongha emphasized, "The management's commitment to expand the application of this technology regardless of the investment cost was a great help, allowing us to focus solely on research and development (R&D). Even if it helps prevent just one accident out of a hundred, I believe it has immense value."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.