Michael Fausten

Bosch’s Vision and Roadmap Toward Fully Autonomous Driving

High-performance driver assistance systems are already helping drivers reach their destinations more safely and comfortably. In the future, these systems will be able to analyze ever more complex traffic situations and act either independently or by supporting the driver. With each innovation, we move a step closer to the goal of accident-free and fully-automated driving. Future systems will evolve from “driver assistance” to fully automated driving, completely piloting a vehicle through highways and urban environments. With an increasing level of automation, automated functions will reduce the driver’s burden more and more, thereby creating space for productivity, communication or entertainment while driving. Bosch is developing technologies for an intelligent forward thinking vehicle—making the vision of injury and accident-free driving a reality. Automated driving will synchronize traffic flow, reducing travel times and fuel consumption. It reduces the driver’s burden by taking over dedicated driving tasks—in line with each individual’s needs—allowing all age ranges to be mobile and safe. Automated driving will allow the vehicle to become a part of the driver’s interconnected home and work life, making time spent on the road more productive and eventful. Bosch is developing holistic mobility concepts and services, paving the way for personalized environmentally friendly travel.

Automated driving - Impacts on the vehicle architecture

In the years between now and 2022, the foundation for automated driving will be developed. Automated driving will not be introduced in the market at once and not with the same electrical and electronics (E/E) architecture; it will be introduced piece by piece and in different forms of E/E architectures. The main reasons for automated driving will always be the same: comfortable, efficient and safe driving.

Intelligent Networking for More Safety

In the vehicles currently on the road, most safety and comfort systems work independently of each other, and process only the signals of the sensors assigned to them. Road safety can, however, be further improved by networking the data originating from the various systems that already exist in the vehicle, and in this way accidents can be avoided or their consequences mitigated. Bosch is working to combine safety systems in its modular safety system CAPS — Combined Active and Passive Safety.

Bosch's approach toward automated driving

Abstract Advanced driver assistance systems already help drivers reach their destinations safely and more comfortably. Future systems will evolve from driver assistance over highly automated vehicles to fully automated driving. With an increasing level of automation, automated functions will reduce the drivers burden more and more, thereby creating space for productivity, communication or entertainment while driving. In this article we outline our roadmap for future automated vehicles, assess the key challenges for introduction and give an overview of the major algorithmic components.