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Better than a pair of eyes: Bosch camera with AI for driver assistance and automated driving

artificial intelligence Bosch screen IAA

Bosch aims to be market leader for camera technology

  • Harald Kröger: "We want to make cars better drivers than people”
  • For reliable object recognition, Bosch camera takes unique multi-path approach
  • AI designed by Bosch: camera improves legacy driver assistance systems and extends their application range.

Peter De Troch >

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Automated driving essentially means the gradual displacement of people at the wheel of a car by technology. But there is more to it than that: "We want to make cars better drivers than people, and in this way to increase road safety. In other words, technology has to work more reliably than people," says the Bosch management board member Harald Kröger. That presents a major challenge, particularly in terms of surround sensing. Only if it knows exactly, and at all times, what is going on around it can an automated vehicle choose the right, and above all safe, driving strategy. Bosch uses various technologies for surround sensing, including ultrasound, radar, and video. When it comes to structure and function, cameras come closest to the human eye, which is why they will be such invaluable assets for automated driving, and indeed why they already play a key role in driver assistance. Bosch has now succeeded in taking automotive camera technology to a new level. This new Bosch technology is set to debut in vehicles in 2019. The combination of its unique multi-path approach and artificial intelligence (AI) for object recognition will make surround sensing far more reliable, and road traffic safer. Bosch aims to be the market leader, and the measure of all things in camera technology.

Human drivers: looking but failing to see

Cars with driver assistance, automatic emergency braking systems, and automated driving capability must be able to see all objects in their surroundings. On top of that, they must be able to detect in a flash if an object is relevant for their driving strategy. And just as quickly, they have to determine what their reaction to relevant objects should be. Should they brake, swerve, or continue on their path? Unlike the human eye, the new Bosch MPC3 mono video camera has been optimized to handle such decisions. For humans, looking is one thing, but actually recognizing what our eyes see is another matter. Our eyes may be marvels of nature, but we have our weaknesses when it comes to visual perception. Just because we see something does not mean that we recognize and understand it. Many drivers who are involved in accidents say that they had been looking in the right direction but failed to spot the other party. It is estimated that up to 50 percent of road traffic collisions are attributable to this phenomenon. The new Bosch camera is superior to the human eye in this respect, not least because it never gets tired, and works just as well after hours of driving as during the first kilometer.

Bosch technology makes new and improved driver assistance systems possible

The new technology’s great strength lies in its robust object recognition, enabled by Bosch’s multi-path approach. This also makes use of artificial intelligence. For example, Bosch engineers have taught the camera to reliably detect if the edge of the road is passable, even in the absence of road markings. This camera intelligence is based on Bosch know-how and integrated into a chip, known as V3H, made by the Japanese company Renesas. It can also improve legacy driver assistance systems and extend their application range. For instance, it could enhance automatic emergency braking systems to prevent vehicles hitting various types of animals. It could also make emergency braking more reliable, since the camera can recognize pedestrians even when they are partially concealed. The Bosch innovation also improves road-sign recognition. The new Bosch camera features optical character recognition that reliably reads text and numbers on road signs, and presents this information to the driver on a dashboard display.

The camera with AI won an award in a company-internal innovation contest.

About Bosch

Bosch has been present in Belgium since 1907. The Bosch Group employs approximately 1,050 associates in Belgium. The main sites are located in Tienen, Anderlecht and Mechelen.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 428,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2023). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of 91.6 billion euros in 2023. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT provider, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, Industry 4.0, and connected mobility. Bosch is pursuing a vision of mobility that is sustainable, safe, and exciting. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to facilitate connected living with products and solutions that either contain artificial intelligence (AI) or have been developed or manufactured with its help. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 470 subsidiary and regional companies in over 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 136 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 90,000 associates in research and development, of which roughly 48,000 are software engineers.

The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861–1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant upfront investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-four percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The remaining shares are held by Robert Bosch GmbH and by a corporation owned by the Bosch family. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch-press.be, www.bosch.be, www.bosch.com, www.iot.bosch.com, www.twitter.com/BoschBelgium, www.linkedin.com/company/bosch-belgium/ and YouTube: Bosch Belgium

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