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automated driving

German industry proposes new development standard for safe automated driving

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Four years ago, the German automotive industry joined forces with 21 partners in a project to develop the world’s first structures for the verification of safety standards for “automated vehicles” – also referred to as autonomous or self-driving vehicles – in an urban environment. The results of the joint Verification and Validation Methods (VVM) project are now available.

The findings of the pre-competitive research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and initiated by the VDA flagship initiative autonomous and connected driving, were discussed in detail at the final presentation at the Carl Benz Arena in Stuttgart.

The higher the level of automated driving and the more complex a system’s area of application, the more factors need to be taken into account during development. The first SAE Level 3 systems for freeway driving and an SAE Level 4 system for driverless parking have already been approved. [Read more…] about German industry proposes new development standard for safe automated driving

Auto industry leaders publish new automated driving safety framework

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Intel, in collaboration with 10 industry leaders in automotive and autonomous driving technology, have published ‘Safety First for Automated Driving‘, a framework for the design, development, verification and validation of safe automated passenger vehicles (AVs).

The paper builds on Intel’s model for safer AV decision-making known as Responsibility-Sensitive Safety (RSS).

Developing AVs that are verifiably safe by design is critical to enabling higher levels of autonomy on public roads, says Intel.

[Read more…] about Auto industry leaders publish new automated driving safety framework

The BMW Group Autonomous Driving Campus: The first 450 days

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Six questions to Elmar Frickenstein, Senior Vice President Automated Driving and Driver Assistance, BMW AG.

In September 2017, you and your team moved to the Autonomous Driving Campus in Unterschleissheim.
What prompted the BMW Group’s decision to create this new site?

We are currently experiencing the largest paradigm shift in the history of the automotive industry. The industry is set to witness more change in the next decade than in the past 30 years. Today, we are already on the brink of highly automated driving.

[Read more…] about The BMW Group Autonomous Driving Campus: The first 450 days

Toyota Research Institute unveils P4 automated driving test vehicle

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Toyota Research Institute (TRI) showed the TRI-P4 automated driving test vehicle at CES last week. The P4 is based on the all-new fifth-generation Lexus LS flagship sedan and will be used in TRI’s two-track Guardian and Chauffeur automated driving system development.

The P4 has Lexus’ new generation of chassis and steering control technology, which provides greater agility and allows for more responsive and smoother manoeuvres during automated driving.

It has two additional cameras to improve situational awareness on the sides and two new imaging sensors―one facing forward and one pointed to the rear―specifically designed for autonomous vehicles. The imaging sensors feature new chip technology with high dynamic range.

[Read more…] about Toyota Research Institute unveils P4 automated driving test vehicle

Infineon and TTTech Auto collaborate for level 4 and 5 automated driving

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Semiconductor firm Infineon Technologies AG and TTTech Auto, a leader in safety platforms for automated driving, have just released the second generation of their fully integrated automotive-grade safety solution for automated driving use cases.

It is based on Infineon’s AURIX™ TC397XM microcontroller and TTTech Auto’s MotionWise safety software platform.

It delivers full support and scalability for level 2+ solutions up to the advanced levels 4 and 5 of automated driving. It is said to help customers achieve faster time-to-market, improved software integration and validation thus reducing overall cost.

[Read more…] about Infineon and TTTech Auto collaborate for level 4 and 5 automated driving

Centimetres make all the difference for safe automated driving, says Bosch

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Automated driving is about more than just sensors, control units, and lots of computing power, says Bosch. It also requires a host of smart services, without which no vehicle will ever be able to drive autonomously.

“Services are at least as important for automated driving as the hardware and software,” says the Bosch board of management member Dr. Dirk Hoheisel. “We must pursue all three paths simultaneously to get self-driving cars safely and reliably onto our roads.”

Self-driving vehicles can drive safely only if they know down to the nearest centimetre exactly where they are at any given time, says Bosch. To achieve this, the company offers a  localisation package.

[Read more…] about Centimetres make all the difference for safe automated driving, says Bosch

Daimler and Bosch choose San Jose as pilot city for automated on-demand ride-hailing service

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Two giants of the global automotive industry – Daimler Mercedes-Benz and Bosch – have chosen San José as the pilot city for their automated on-demand ride-hailing service.

These companies tend to use the word “automated” to mean autonomous or driverless.

The test area will be the San Carlos-Stevens Creek corridor between downtown and west San José.

The on-demand ride-hailing service app will offer an automated driving experience to a selected user community.  [Read more…] about Daimler and Bosch choose San Jose as pilot city for automated on-demand ride-hailing service

Automated driving hype is ‘dangerously confusing drivers’

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Research by Europe’s leading road safety organisation shows that 71 percent of drivers around the world believe they can purchase a self-driving car right now.

The astonishing finding is just one of many worrying perceptions uncovered by the study, which also showed that one in 10 drivers would be tempted to have a nap while using a so-called “Highway Assist” system, such as Adaptive Cruise Control.

The TestingAutomation study, commissioned by Thatcham Research, Euro NCAP and Global NCAP, has discovered potentially dangerous false impressions around the apparent self-driving capability of new cars and the safe usage of Highway Assist technologies.  [Read more…] about Automated driving hype is ‘dangerously confusing drivers’

Denso invests in software developer eSOL for automated driving

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Denso Corporation has taken a 2% equity stake in eSOL Co., Ltd., a leading developer of real-time embedded software solutions. Denso will use eSOL’s technologies to develop software for the systems and products required for automated driving.

To improve the performance of automated driving and the utilisation of external data for safety, in-vehicle electronic products must be integrated to ensure seamless control of the entire vehicle system.

As in-vehicle systems become increasingly more complex, it will be necessary to update, rewrite or add software to coordinate with new electronic systems and electronic control units for automated driving.

[Read more…] about Denso invests in software developer eSOL for automated driving

Bosch and Daimler to turn metro area in California into ‘pilot city for automated driving’

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Bosch and Daimler are speeding up the development of fully-automated and driverless driving (SAE Level 4 / 5) in the city and are decisively setting the course.

The companies, which have become close partners to develop this technology, have chosen California as the pilot location for the first test fleet.

In the second half of 2019, Bosch and Daimler will offer customers a shuttle service with automated vehicles on selected routes in a Californian metropolis.  [Read more…] about Bosch and Daimler to turn metro area in California into ‘pilot city for automated driving’