Subaru of America recently revealed a new driver assistant system that will debut at the New York International Auto Show on the OEMs 2013 Legacy and Outback Models.

The new Eyesight system covers everything from adaptive cruise control and pre-collision braking to and vehicle lane departure warnings.

“The new technology, which can also detect obstacles in front of a parked car and limit potential damage in an impact, will become available later this year,” officials noted.

So how does it work?

EyeSight uses two charge-coupled device cameras developed by Subaru, officials explained.

And the system is mounted inside the car on the upper edge of the windshield. The OEM claims this reduced the for damage that could occur in bumper-mounted systems, such as radar.

Then, the system processes stereo images to identify the vehicles traveling in front, as well as obstacles, traffic lanes and other items.

“The video information is relayed to the EyeSight computer, which is also networked with the car’s braking system and electronic throttle control,” officials noted.

And if driving below speeds of approximately 19mph, EyeSight is capable of detecting pedestrians in the vehicle’s path and can activate in order to mitigate or even avoid the collision.

“Under certain circumstances, Eyesight is able to bring the car to a complete stop, thus avoiding a collision,” the OEM stressed.

The company then went on to highlight specific aspects of the new system.

Pre-Collision Braking Control and Collision Mitigation

“At relative speeds under approximately 19 mph, EyeSight’s Pre-Collision Braking System can detect obstacles in the car’s path and, if the driver has not applied the brakes in time, the system can do so to slow the vehicle or bring it to a full stop to help avoid the potential collision,” officials explained.

And at relative speeds above approximately 19 mph, “EyeSight can apply the brakes when an object is detected, and will attempt to brake if the driver takes no evasive action, or does not brake appropriately.”

Lane Departure and Sway Warning

This tool monitors traffic lane markers and lines. This part of the system works to detect if the car begins to wander outside the intended lane without a turn signal being used, or if the car begins to sway within the travel lane.

Also, using the turn signal cancels the warning.

Adaptive Cruise Control

“Intended for freeway use, Eyesight’s Adaptive Cruise Control system can maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front, braking and/or accelerating the car as needed to maintain the driver-selected target speed and traveling distance,” the company explained.

This tool can be used from 1–87 mph and can fully brake the vehicle to a stop if the system "locks on" to a vehicle ahead.

“As an added convenience, Adaptive Cruise Control assists the driver in heavy ‘stop and go’ freeway traffic by maintaining distance from the vehicle ahead. This feature can help reduce driver fatigue, which can therefore help keep the driver alert,” officials added.

Additional EyeSight Benefits

Lastly, the company highlighted that the new system can potentially aid drivers in heavy traffic.

“In heavy traffic conditions, EyeSight will also alert the driver when the vehicle ahead has moved if he or she doesn’t react within several seconds,” the company noted.

Moreover, the system can cut the throttle if it sense an obstacle in front, but the driver continues to push the accelerator pdeal.

“The system is also effective when a driver shifts into ‘Drive’ inadvertently instead of ‘Reverse’ when backing out of a parking space,” officials stressed.

“The stereo camera design of EyeSight provides a detection angle wider than that of radar-based systems,” they concluded.