The Bosch Automotive Press Briefing can be termed as a festival that celebrates the future of automotive tech. Think of it as a gathering where, in a few hours, one is offered a glimpse of how cars could function in the future. This year’s briefing covered the three areas that Bosch is primarily focussing on – automated, connected and electrified driving. Here’s a look at the different technologies demonstrated.
Automatic Emergency braking
Bosch’s innovative Automatic Emergency Braking system was the first bit of tech that came my way. I was handed the keys to a brand-new Land Rover Discovery Sport and asked to approach a stationary dummy vehicle at around 35kph. The instructions: I was to stay completely away from the brakes. Taking a leap of faith, I obeyed and allowed the Automatic Emergency Braking tech to do its thing. Yes, the SUV came to a halt at a pretty safe distance from the dummy.
This system comprises a stereo video sensor-equipped camera that can detect the risk of a collision with the vehicle in front and trigger automatic braking in case the driver does not react. The reaction time is based on the 3D measurement system the camera is equipped with. This camera works at a horizontal opening angle of 50 degrees and can manage a 3D measurement range of up to 50 metres ahead. It’s also the smallest stereo video camera that does duty in the field of automotive applications.
Rear Cross traffic alert
This system is meant to assist the driver when reversing out of perpendicular parking spaces, where view towards the rear is obstructed. The system recognises obstacles such as cars, cyclists and even pedestrians crossing behind the vehicle from the left or right at a distance of up to 50 metres. It works via two mid-range radar sensors placed at the rear of the vehicle which monitor the area alongside and behind the car. These sensors are linked to a control software which, in turn, reacts by braking the car.
I tried this system on the new Volkswagen Passat Estate demonstrator, and reversing the long wagon out of the tight demo parking area proved to be hassle-free. For countries like ours, with congested roads, this kind of system
could prove to be especially useful.
Remote park assist
Under its automated driving vertical, Bosch also showcased this piece of tech, and it looks straight out of a sci-fi movie. Remote Park Assist automatically moves the vehicle in and out of parking spaces via remote control. Stop the car in front of your desired parking space and step out, press the button on your car key or smartphone, and voila! The vehicle will parkand pull itself into the spot. What’s more, Bosch is also working on developing a system that will let the car find a parking spot on its own.
