12/20/2012

  • Test vehicle to display the special red license plate with an infinity symbol.
  • The highly automated vehicle provides a safer, more comfortable drive.

Frankfurt am Main, Germany /Auburn Hills, USA.The international automotive supplierContinental, received on Wednesday Nevada's'Autonomous Vehicle Testing License'- a stateapproval from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to test automated driving on the state's public roads. Continental's testing license is for the company's highly automated vehicle, and represents the first license granted by the Nevada DMV to an automotive supplier.

The vehicle is equipped with close-to-production technologies for monitoring immediate surroundings and actuators.

Image download

"At Continental, we continue to invest in research and development for next generation technologies - such as our highly automated vehicle - that will drive us toward a safer, more efficient and more comfortable future," said Dr. Elmar Degenhart, chairman of the executive board of Continental. "As a company, Continental's strategy is clearly focused on making this type of future technology a reality. It's clear to us that automated driving will be a key element in the mobility of the future. As a system supplier, we are perfectly positioned to develop and launch series production of solutions for partially automated systems for our customers by 2016. We will be able to develop the first applications for highly and ultimately fully automated driving, even at higher speeds and in more complex driving situations, ready for production by 2020 or 2025."

After completing driving demonstrations on December 18 in Carson City, Nevada, USA, the DMV's Autonomous Review Committee approved Continental's safety plans, employee training, system functions and accident reporting mechanisms. Following approvals, Continental will receive its testing license and red license plate featuring an infinity sign to represent the car of the future. The plate is designed to be easily recognized by law enforcement and the public at large. It will only be used for licensed test vehicles for automated driving.

The automated vehicle can accommodate multiple driving scenarios as cruising down an open freeway.

Image download

"This vehicle demonstrates what modern technology can do to provide a safer, more comfortable drive. Earning this license represents an important intermediate step towards automated driving for Continental," said Dr. Peter Rieth, Head ofSystems & Technology in Continental's Chassis & Safety Division. "Continuing our research and testing in the most challenging environment - public roads - will allow us to continue to assess and develop our highly automated vehicle."

Continental's current highly automated vehicle is designed to always have a driver monitoring the vehicle behind the wheel, unlike a completely driverless vehicle. The automated vehicle can accommodate multiple driving scenarios. Utilizing four short-range radar sensors (two at the front, two at the rear), one long-range radar and a stereo camera, the vehicle is capable of cruising down an open freeway as well as negotiating heavy rush-hour traffic. Taking advantage of Continental's sensor fusion technology as part of the ContiGuard safety concept, the vehicle is able to track all objects as they enter into the sensors' field of view. The object information is then processed and passed on to the control unit (Continental Motion Domain Controller) to control the vehicle's longitudinal and lateral motion via signals to the engine, the brakes and the steering system.

The equipment in Continental's highly automated vehicle differs from the customized sensors and tailor-made actuators in other automated vehicles. The vehicle, which has logged more than 15,000 miles (24,000 kilometers), is built primarily with equipment that is already available in series production. Continental's short term goal is to relieve the driver of tedious and monotonous activities, such as driving on highways with minimal traffic or in low-speed situations like traffic jams.

Although the concept of complete fully automated driving is valid, it is not yet fully viable. Continental's highly automated vehicle, however, is an intermediate step toward fully automated driving. Continental's vehicle brings Continental closer to achieving the company's Vision Zero - the goal of reaching zero accidents and zero fatalities on the roadways. Continental will continue real world evaluations with this vehicle.From 2016, partially automated systems may therefore be assisting drivers in "stop & go" situations on the freeway at low speeds of up to 30 km/h.



distributed by