Technology company Continental, with its North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, announced during its press conference at CES 2023 in January a strategic partnership with Ambarella Inc., an edge artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor company.
The two companies will jointly develop scalable, end-to-end software and hardware systems based on AI for assisted and automated driving. The partners now are combining Ambarella’s computer vision know-how, powerful system-on-chips (SoCs), and software modules with Continental’s software and hardware expertise and broad portfolio of automotive system solutions.
“At Continental, we have passionately pursued groundbreaking ideas aimed at creating a better tomorrow for everyone. We are continuously challenging the status quo and among the leaders for the world’s transformation in mobility,” says Nikolai Setzer, CEO of Continental, during the company’s CES press conference.
“Our display solutions and the partnership with Ambarella for future autonomous mobility, as presented today, will undoubtedly contribute to a safer, cleaner, and more efficient mobility experience. With about 20,000 software experts and 150 years of engineering excellence, we are well-positioned to shape the future of mobility.”
In addition to the development of camera-based perception solutions for ADAS, Continental and Ambarella are focusing on full-stack systems for Level 2+ automated vehicles. These full-stack solutions take a multi-sensor approach, including Continental’s high-resolution camera, radar and lidar, as well as the associated control unit and the required software.
The strategic collaboration follows Continental’s announcement in November to integrate Ambarella’s energy efficient SoC family into Continental’s ADAS. With this development, Continental is strengthening its leadership position in assisted and automated driving and helping car manufacturers to accelerate vehicle development in their high-growth businesses towards autonomous mobility globally. Series production is planned for 2026.
During its press conference, the technology company also showcased its Curved Ultrawide Display concept with an invisible control panel. This newly designed and immersive pillar-to-pillar display is illuminated by more than 3,000 LEDs, producing excellent high-contrast picture quality.
The operating concept based on an invisible control panel only appears, when required. It enables convenient and safer control. Volume production of the Curved Ultrawide Display is planned for 2025.
With the Driver Identification Display, Continental presented another innovation at CES 2023. The display solution adds a new feature to driver monitoring by enabling contactless, secure driver authentication by face authentication.
It enables fast and reliable driver authentication and allows for applications such as in-car payment without the need for any additional devices. The Driver Identification Display won the CES Innovation Award in the category “Vehicle Tech & Advanced Mobility.”
