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Brembo has been working on a new braking system they're calling "Sensify" and they've been testing it with Teslas to show that it can be used in different kinds of vehicles.
The Sensify name comes from a portmanteau of the words “senses” and “simplify”. The simplify part is easy: Brembo has created a new braking system that provides for simplified packaging. It allows the system to be applied to a wide variety of electric vehicle platform designs. Everything from small city cars and passenger cars to high-performance hypercars and even larger commercial vehicles. When it comes to the senses, that’s why AutoGuide was invited to the Michelin Proving Grounds in Lauren, South Carolina. The goal – to feel the future of braking technology.
Conventional hydraulic brakes use fluid, and applies it to all four wheels evenly when the brake pedal is pressed. This type of system requires a master cylinder and a series of brake lines routed to each caliper/wheel cylinder. Brembo’s Sensify, on the other hand, is a computer-controlled system that rethinks the way that braking inputs are applied to the frictional material. While Sensify has been developed to accommodate the use of brake fluid (a “wet” system intended for use on high-performance vehicles), the system on display for this event showcased a “dry” system that relies 100 percent on computers and actuators to stop the vehicle.
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How Brembo Sensify Works
The advantage of Sensify is the ability to independently manage the brake force at each wheel based on the traction at that wheel and the momentum of the vehicle. Brembo showed data slides showing recorded computer readouts to further display Sensify’s capability. While images of the slides are confidential, they show how each brake actuator is working in concert to deliver smooth braking performance. Even though this system doesn’t use hydraulic fluid to deliver pressure to the friction material, there is still a small master cylinder of fluid and physical brake lines to the front calipers. It acts as a failsafe in the event of any computer failures. This redundancy is developed to meet the needs of Level 5 autonomous driving, which is the highest level of driverless cars.
At the proving grounds is a static display setup of the dry system. A brake computer is at each axle and electronic actuators are at each wheel to control the calipers and rotors. The brake pedal mechanism looks more like something for a video game or racing simulator. The use of this “virtual” brake pedal allows Brembo to create a customized brake pedal feel based on driver preferences, vehicle drive modes, and even safety/road conditions.
Overall, Brembo says that the development of Sensify is to create a pioneering braking system. One that will deliver next-generation braking performance while maximizing driving pleasure and precision. While representatives won’t give specifics, they do say Brembo is currently working with “numerous OEMs,”. Sensify is expected to be used on a production vehicle by the end of 2024.
