Automated Driving at Continental – Seamless Mobility
- Different types of automated driving complement each other to create the seamless mobility of tomorrow.
- Cruising Chauffeur – Long drives on the highway become more relaxing.
- Automated Parking – Every parking space is mastered.
- Self-Driving Cars – Solutions for autonomous vehicles in urban areas.
Hanover, Germany, June 2017. The future of individual mobility is faced with many challenges: Nearly 1.3 million traffic fatalities worldwide per year. Rising traffic levels cause emissions and air pollution, which have a negative impact on life expectancy. More than 1.2 billion people spend more than 50 minutes per day driving in their vehicle – but most of the time in traffic jams. In addition, society is ageing and the proportion of older people is growing among the drivers.
Automated driving will provide an important contribution to making life easier for the driver, and to creating a more efficient overall traffic flow, with fewer critical situations or accidents.
The technology company Continental faces these challenges and is working on solutions. “Automated driving will provide an important contribution to making life easier for the driver, and to creating a more efficient overall traffic flow, with fewer critical situations or accidents”, said Continental Chairman of the Executive Board Dr. Elmar Degenhart. Continental sees an evolutionary and revolutionary path. With the Cruising Chauffeur, Continental offers an autopilot for highway and secondary roads that supports the driver on longer distances and allows the driver to relax during daily commute. There is also an increasing degree of automation at lower speeds when it comes to parking. From assisted -, remote -, garage -, trained - up to valet parking, new functions will take over the stressful parking from the driver. Searching for a parking place will be a thing of the past and parking space will be used more efficient. With Self-Driving Cars (robo taxis) – that are expected to represent a significant market share of worldwide individual mobility in 2030 – the technology company is also concentrating on new forms of future urban mobility.
Automation on highways – Relaxed and stress-free driving
Long drives on the highway become more relaxing with the Cruising Chauffeur. Once activated, the vehicle takes over from the driver and cruises along the highway adjusting its speed to traffic conditions and regulations. The vehicle stays safely in the lane. The driver does not have to take over again until exiting the highway – which the vehicle announces ahead of time.
The Cruising Chauffeur function gives vehicles the ability to take over the driving task on highways in accordance with the national traffic regulations.
Automation in the low speed range: The vehicle parks itself
Different automated parking functions, such as Trained Parking, let any driver easily cope with any parking space. Upon request, the function records and stores the sequence of a parking procedure. When the procedure is to be repeated, the driver drives the vehicle near where the recording began and, at the touch of a button, the vehicle independently performs the previously learned parking procedure.
The Trained Parking function records and stores the sequence of a parking procedure. When the procedure is to be repeated, at the touch of a button, the vehicle independently performs the previously learned parking procedure.
Automation in urban area: Driverless mobility with robo taxis
Continental has built a demo vehicle to enable driverless mobility, especially in cities. The vehicle, named CUbE (Continental Urban mobility Experience) will start its trials at Continental’s Frankfurt location. Solutions for driverless robo taxis are developed cross-divisional. The company has therefore access to an almost complete product portfolio of its own sensors, actuators, control units and communication and networking technology.
With the CUbE Continental develops technologies for driverless vehicles and is already testing them at the Frankfurt site.
The range and complexity of the participating technical systems for automated driving is great and can only be provided by a technological company with a very broad base and an integrated approach. Continental is driving the development of all types of automated driving forward so that, in future, it can offer solutions to everyone.
With the systems and components – like surround sensors, control units, tires, brake systems, entire powertrain systems up to Human-Machine Interfaces as well as a Joint Venture with Nexteer in motion control systems – Continental provides the complete portfolio for automated driving.
Continental develops and produces the necessary components and systems for automated driving worldwide – in the U.S. as well as in Japan, China, and Europe. All in all, the company is well positioned to serve the needs of a seamless mobility – from the doorstep to the final destination.
Sören Pinkow
Media Spokesperson and Topic Manager Safety and Motion
Continental Automotive