Mit dem eHorizon kann der Fahrer über das Sichtfeld der Fahrzeugsensoren hinaus „um die Ecke“ sehen. Foto: Continental
Starting this year, the technology company Continental will supply a major automobile manufacturer with two services from its eHorizon platform and will thus equip several million vehicles in the coming years. The first service, Maps on Demand (MoD), will be implemented as early as 2022, while the second service, Intelligent Speed Assistant (ISA), will follow in 2023. Both services will enable important security-related applications under real-life conditions in the coming years. “With this, Continental is taking another step towards offering its customers tailor-made services for the mobility of tomorrow, which are characterized by increasing sustainability, connectivity and high safety requirements,” says Volkmar Knaup, Head of the Intelligent Transport Systems business segment at Continental. eHorizon, Continental’s cloud-based end-to-end solution, enables drivers to see “around the corner” beyond the vehicle’s sensors by merging and providing Continental and third-party map content and connected services. This helps improve advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), chassis and powertrain functions.
eHorizon services enable and extend ADAS capabilities
Both MoD and ISA always provide the vehicle with up-to-date information from the cloud. Speed limits, cornering and road gradient are just some of the information that ADAS features like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) enhance and provide a more relaxed driving experience. Intelligent streaming ensures that map data is never out of date.
Also, only the currently relevant parts of the map are downloaded and stored in the vehicle, minimizing the size of the embedded map and keeping it always up-to-date. “Efficiency was an important aspect of our solutions,” explains Xavier Suchocki, who heads the eHorizon product segment at Continental. “Because the data is provided via the cloud, the eHorizon services also work in areas with weak or no mobile network, minimizing the costs of data transmission.” In addition, the EU General Safety Regulation (GSR) stipulates that new Vehicle types can be equipped with an ISA function. Based on current map data, Continental’s ISA service helps to correctly display the maximum permissible speed to the driver at all times.
Already visible on the horizon: new functions of the eHorizon
Continental is already working on enriching the eHorizon platform with new connected services for additional safety applications in line with the roadmap of the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) – and beyond. “We are closely monitoring market needs in order to expand our platform with services that offer our customers and their drivers real added value,” says Volkmar Knaup. An example of this is the Road Surface Condition (RSC) service, which provides predictive information about upcoming road conditions such as slippery conditions: “By knowing what the road conditions will be like in advance, we can improve vehicle functions and drivers can adapt their driving style early on . In this way we can reduce the number of traffic accidents and ensure that the automated driving functions work properly,” adds Xavier Suchocki. www.continental.com
You can read more articles on the subject of mobility 4.0 electrically-networked-autonomously in the current eMove360° magazine in german language – free download PDF.
