Almost everything about a traditional car as we know has been reinvented, from the buttonless interiors to steer-by-wire systems. The last bastion was how the car stopped but alas, Brembo has now reinvented that wheel with a braking system that eliminates any fluids or physical connection between the pedal and brakes. Regenerative braking took much
Regenerative braking took much of the slowing down away from the actual friction between pad and discs but the Brembo Sensify system has taken away the brake fluid and even physical connection.
Brembo states that production for “a leading global vehicle manufacturer” is already underway, without disclosing the carmaker. Our guess is one of the premium continental marques.
A conventional braking setup sees the driver pressing on the brake pedal, which in turn pressurises the brake fluid to actuate the pistons in the caliper that press the pads onto the discs. Friction happens and you avoid a collision.
Brembo’s witchcraft uses electrical signals to activate actuators at the caliper that press the pads onto the discs. The brake pedal is not a mechanical pump now and is instead an electrical pressure lever or switch.
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According to the Italian company, the idea “was born as a fluid-free architecture that distributes intelligence at wheel level, removing hydraulic circuits and centralising actuation. It enables accurate and continuous modulation of braking forces, supporting stable and controlled vehicle behaviour in complex and highly variable conditions.”
Essentially, the system should allow individual brake pressure application at each wheel for more precise braking. Think something along the lines of brake vectoring. The electronic brain behind the system will be able to better modulate the braking force.
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You might think the system could get it wrong and apply too much or too little pressure but Brembo insists the system is simply making the inputs more precise and distributing it better.
“Sensify is engineered to support a wide range of advanced vehicle architectures, from next-generation driver assistance systems to fully autonomous applications,” explains Brembo.
Like it or not, Sensify will be hitting the roads soon, or should we say hitting the brakes? Either way, if it works as well in practice as theory suggests, it could make braking smoother and safer. It could also extend the lifespan of braking components, especially the pads, with more efficient use of braking.