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As I wrote, I had NVA in my SQ7 and SQ8 and gave up this option in Cayenne. In my opinion, it is an expensive gadget and not very effective.
BTW, the NVA image in the Audi is much larger than in the Cayenne.
The NVA washing system is ineffective and does not fulfill its role in difficult conditions. If the NVA camera was placed behind the windshield, it would be less susceptible to damage, would have a better view of the road and could be cleaned with the windshield wipers just like the assisting systems camera placed under the rearview mirror.
This is what the NVA image from SQ8 looks like:
(1) the infrared-camera image/field is very, very narrow -- in fact, equivalent roughly to what you get with a short-telephoto lens (focal length perhaps 120 mm) on a full-frame (35-mm) camera. That's absurd. It should instead have a wide-angle lens giving an equivalent focal length of 20-35 mm on a full-frame camera, at minimum. The angle hasn't changed (from what I can see) from 2018 Porsches to 2024 Porsches. Not sure what the design team at Porsche HQ is thinking here. When I'm at a stop sign or traffic light, I can't see pedestrians or bicyclists immediately to my right and six feet ahead of me in the infrared (NVA) display in the instrument panel.
Isn't the purpose of Night Vision Assist to warn of hazards much further in the distance?
The Night Vision Assist display accompanied by an audible alarm occurred twice in the past couple of weeks in my 2022 while driving on Interstate Highways at night. I immediately slowed down but never saw what triggered the warnings. If it was a deer or some other animal it may have moved further away from the roadway before I got to it's previous location.
I've had a lot of close calls with deer but have never encountered or noticed any of them standing on or near the roadway. All the close calls involved deer dashing across the road and one even jumping over the hood of my vehicle.
When full functionality of the LED-matrix headlights is enabled, they are supposed to work in conjunction with Night Vision Assist and "flash" three quick beams of light on pedestrians and cyclists on or near the roadway although this doesn't seem to happen in well lighted city conditions. The only times I've had the 3-flash occur has been when coming up behind motorcyclists.
Driving 60mph on an interstate with large hot construction equipment close to the side of the road. I was in a right sweeping turn in the left lane, closest to the construction equipment. NVA activated, triggered by the warm equipment. I was driving straight toward the equipment, because of the sweeping turn. Technically a false alarm but working as designed.
The system works. The false alarm above is acceptable in my view.
If the NVA camera was placed behind the windshield, it would be less susceptible to damage, would have a better view of the road and could be cleaned with the windshield wipers just like the assisting systems camera placed under the rearview mirror.
Excellent idea, except un-cooled IR sensors cannot see through silica glass. The protective mirror-like lens is typically made of silicone or germanium, which is IR transparent. Specialized cooled sensors utilizing indium antimonide (InSb) are able to see through silica glass, but are designed to see through glass on a target, say a vehicle or building. Page #2, linked below:
Excellent idea, except un-cooled IR sensors cannot see through silica glass. The protective mirror-like lens is typically made of silicone or germanium, which is IR transparent. Specialized cooled sensors utilizing indium antimonide (InSb) are able to see through silica glass, but are designed to see through glass on a target, say a vehicle or building. Page #2, linked below:
To me the camera is almost superfluous, what's much important is the audible wrning that something is there, which should prompt a quick movement toward the brake pedal and a rapid assessent of the situation through the windshield. I don't have HUD but if the system could highlight the hazard in the driver's field of vision that would be great but as it is, that little image is almost useless to me. But i still like the system. An audible alert is much better than no alert.
But I like it so far. I live in an urban area with a lot of homeless people that have a proclivity to jaywalk, particularly at night when traffic is a little lighter. I'm pretty good about paying attention, but when you're in a dimly lit area and someone in dark clothes is crossing a 4 lane/45mph road, it can be hard to see them until you're close.
I've never been surprised by the system as I'm seeing the hazard at the same time the system is, but it gives me a little peace of mind that if I'm tired or simply can't see the person, that hopefully the system will give me some warning to take corrective action and avoid a tragedy.
We have a real issue in our area with pedestrian/cyclist vs car incidents and typically it's related to people crossing the street at night, outside of the designated crosswalks. Heck, I saw a guy who was clearly drunk on his E-bike, run two red lights in the same intersection to make a left, weaving between cars that had the green. Yikes!
I enjoy driving on all the winding and hilly roads around here during the day, but they're not lit at all and the area has a substantial deer population (Last night there were five does in our backyard munching on the pumpkins we threw out there - not an unusual occurrence.). If NVA lets me avoid one encounter, it'll pay for itself.
I was driving along a dark road to pick up some pizzas this evening. There was a kid running toward the road. NVA picked it up and warned me. Pretty cool.
It’s a helpful tool but there is no way I would expect it to save me from deer collisions, unless the deer isn’t moving. There are too many variables.
the car has braked to save me from hitting deer that were crossing the road. It was at the beginning of an uphill slope to an on ramp so impossible to see the deer.
We have a real issue in our area with pedestrian/cyclist vs car incidents and typically it's related to people crossing the street at night, outside of the designated crosswalks. Heck, I saw a guy who was clearly drunk on his E-bike, run two red lights in the same intersection to make a left, weaving between cars that had the green. Yikes!
the car has braked to save me from hitting deer that were crossing the road. It was at the beginning of an uphill slope to an on ramp so impossible to see the deer.
i would absolutely get it again
The car braked not thanks to the NVA, but thanks to the emergency braking assistant, which has been a mandatory feature of new cars for several years.
1. Driving 45mph on a suburban residential/light commercial area, moderate traffic, 30 minutes before sunset. Noticeable visibility reduction. 3 deer were standing off the road to the right, approx 30 feet from the white lane stripe/marking. I could plainly see the deer. I did not take notice quickly enough to see if LKA had acquired the lane markings. No NVA activation.
2. 45 minutes later, driving 45mph on a similar road and neighborhood, after sunset so nearly dark. 3-4 deer were standing on the side of the road, approx 20 feet away from the white lane stripe/marking. I noticed the LKA icon was "green" indicating lane marking acquisition. No NVA activation.
Hard to make definitive conclusions, but it seems deer need to be on the road surface, or a "close" distance away. Assuming nominal function of NVA, ACC and LKA, the car knows the obstacle distance and lateral position vs the road and car. Include vehicle speed into the equation, which it is, and emergency braking calculations and decisions are made.
1. Driving 45mph on a suburban residential/light commercial area, moderate traffic, 30 minutes before sunset. Noticeable visibility reduction. 3 deer were standing off the road to the right, approx 30 feet from the white lane stripe/marking. I could plainly see the deer. I did not take notice quickly enough to see if LKA had acquired the lane markings. No NVA activation.
2. 45 minutes later, driving 45mph on a similar road and neighborhood, after sunset so nearly dark. 3-4 deer were standing on the side of the road, approx 20 feet away from the white lane stripe/marking. I noticed the LKA icon was "green" indicating lane making acquisition. No NVA activation.
Hard to make definitive conclusions, but it seems deer need to be on the road surface, or a "close" distance away. Assuming nominal function of NVA, ACC and LKA, the car knows the obstacle distance and lateral position vs the road and car. Include vehicle speed into the equation, which it is, and emergency braking calculations and decisions are made.
Pretty good tech.
I don't know how it is in the Porsche, but I suspect it is similar to the Audi because it is the same NVA system. In Audi, both people and animals are not recognized before dusk. This is indicated by an icon with a crossed-out human silhouette. Only in complete darkness the NVA fully recognizes people and animals.
12-08-2023, 12:45 PM
