Bosch, which has its North American headquarters in Farmington Hills, is paving its way to automated driving through its redundant driving solutions (technology that keeps a car functioning safely in case of human failure) and connectivity.
Advanced driver assistance systems have been a major growth-driver for the company, which expects to generate sales of $2 billion euros globally with driver assistance systems as early as 2019. While the global market for radar and video sensors is forecast to grow 20 percent this year, sales of Bosch radar and video sensors are expected to increase by 40 percent globally.
“While many feel a collision of worlds is imminent between traditional and new, the developments on the horizon are rather a convergence than a collision,” says Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch in North America. “When we take a convergent approach, we bring together the benefits of multiple worlds for the benefit of all.
“The center of development isn’t whose approach is right – the center of development is the human being. The people inside these next-generation vehicles, their safety, and their overall experience are the primary focus. Together we can foster consumer trust instead of anxiety, uncertainty and fear.”
Redundancy ensures safety in a vehicle where a human driver may no longer be able to operate as the backup function. The company will feature a redundant braking system that combines its electromechanical brake booster and electronic stability control systems, each of which is capable of independently performing braking functions for the vehicle in case of a single failure.
Other redundant solutions the company has rolled out or plans to roll out include emergency braking for cyclists; highway assist, which combines stop-and-go and lane centering functions to control vehicle speed, acceleration, and braking; and operational steering.
Bosch is also focusing on connectivity through its vehicle-to-anything technologies that sense what is beyond the line of sight by facilitating communication between vehicles and the world around them. The technology will also provide autonomous vehicles with decision-making information.
The company’s next-generation cockpit runs multiple displays and electronics from one electronic control unit and uses voice print smart voice recognition, driver identification, and haptic control panel to make the vehicle increasingly driver-centric. It also includes software that limits the use of the screen of any smart device that enters the driver’s area, preventing dangerous activities such as texting while driving. It also uses the driver’s smart phone as a digital car key.
Bosch combined its powertrain expertise, including gasoline, diesel, electric, and battery systems, into one business unit – Powertrain Solutions – at the beginning of 2018.
As interest in pure electric vehicles increases, Bosch offers e-axle, e-machine, and power electronics technologies to many manufacturers. Bosch electrified components are featured in more than 800,000 vehicles around the world and has carried out more than 30 production projects with OEM partners.
