CES 2017: Continental Showcases the Building Blocks for Future Digital Mobility

Only once the driver has confirmed his identity via a fingerprint sensor will he be able to start the engine. This two-factor authentication system offers significantly enhanced protection against theft. In addition, an interior camera enables enhanced vehicle personalization. A face recognition feature automatically personalizes a range of vehicle settings such as the seat and mirror position, music, temperature, and navigation. Biometrics can be integrated in any intelligent system, regardless of which access technology is used in the vehicle (Bluetooth^® Low Energy or Low Frequency).

The cloud terminal also acts as the driver’s digital assistant, analyzing the driver’s habits at different times of the day and week and, on this basis, automatically setting the entertainment program to play, the driver’s favorite radio station on the way to work in the morning. Other applications can be similarly optimized: Another convenient option: if the driver goes to the gym every Wednesday afternoon, the route to the gym is displayed automatically when the system is started.

Even the standard radio can be optimized in important ways through the addition of extra cloud services and artificial intelligence systems. Continental’s service unites multiple offerings in one crowdsourcing concept designed to make the radio an intelligent system. This means that drivers can view the schedule of any station at any given time and choose exactly the station they’re in the mood for. Also, stations can automatically switch to the driver´s favorite artist. The package is rounded off by the system’s ability to provide recommendations of other, specialized radio stations based on the driver’s listening habits.

Motorcyclists can already start looking forward to future seasons because, thanks to the electronic horizon (eHorizon), Continental developers are enabling not only car drivers but also motorcyclists to see around corners. The eHorizon system for two-wheelers interconnects riders, offers a shared platform to motorcyclist communities, and allows motorcyclists to share important route information. With this system, Continental is using the concept of swarm intelligence, which continuously supplies the digital map in the backend with accurate and up-to-date information. The stored data is collated in the cloud and made available to all motorcyclists. This ensures that riders are informed in advance of obstacles along their route such as road works, accidents, oil or water on the road, or traffic jams, which enhances safety not only for them but also for all other road users.

The keyless entry and start system PASE (Passive Start and Entry) is also linked to Intelligent Glass Control, which means that the window tinting can be adjusted as the driver carrying the key approaches the car. Continental’s solution is not limited to specific types of film and is compatible with different technologies such as SPD (Suspended Particle Device), EC (Electro-Chromatic) or PDLC (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal).

The growing demand for functions and digital content in the cockpit means that in-vehicle display surfaces are getting bigger all the time. Fully digital instrument clusters may be ideal for flexibly displaying digital content, but they offer less design flexibility. To enable future drivers to enjoy digital content without having to stare at an old-fashioned flat media display, Continental has developed a 3D display surface featuring optically bonded, topographical elements that restores a sense of quality and design individuality to the classic display.

The high-resolution 3D Flash LIDAR vehicle surroundings sensor enables real-time 3D vehicle surroundings monitoring and does not contain any mechanical components. The technology, which has already been tried-and-tested in the field of aeronautics, provides a significantly more comprehensive and detailed view of the entire vehicle surroundings – both during the day and at night – and works reliably even in adverse weather conditions. The High Resolution 3D Flash Lidar expands Continental’s portfolio of vehicle surroundings sensors for advanced driver assistance systems to support highly and fully automated driving in combination with other sensors. Continental was also the recipient of the CES 2017 Innovation Award in the category “Vehicle Intelligence” for its vehicle surroundings radar featuring “Trailer Merge Assist” and “Trailer Length Detection.”

For Continental, the control unit is a central element for implementing the required functional safety architecture and, at the same time, a host for the central environment descriptions and driving functions needed for automated driving.

On its stand, Continental’s latest acquisition Zonar will be showcasing its portfolio of intelligent fleet management technology for goods and passenger transportation. The new ZonarConnect™ system is a permanently networked, next-generation tablet that gives operators of commercial vehicle fleets greater control over their business processes. The tablet is certified according to the Automatic On-Board Recording Device Regulation (AOBRD) and is ready for certification by the future US standard for electronic logging devices (ELD). ZonarConnect also features the patented EVIR application, the only program in existence for verified electronic vehicle inspections.