“The Cruising Chauffeur brings a twofold benefit when it comes to safety,” said Ralph Lauxmann, head of systems and technology in Continental’s chassis and safety division. “Firstly, automation avoids human error in regular operation while also offering a comfortable ride. Secondly, the Cruising Chauffeur includes an additional fall back mode that conventional vehicles do not have. If the driver is no longer able to take control of the wheel again, for whatever reason, then the Cruising Chauffeur nonetheless brings the car to a stop safely.”
The system uses an interior camera and driver analyser to detect the driver’s ‘gaze pattern’ and make conclusions regarding the state of attentiveness. When the Cruising Chauffeur is activated, the data from surroundings sensors such as cameras, radar and LiDAR are analysed in a central control unit known as the Assisted and Automated Driving Control Unit (ADCU).
The Cruising Chauffeur’s algorithms use this to develop a 360° model of the vehicle’s surroundings. This is combined with a high-resolution map that includes all moving and static objects as well as the course of the road and the lanes. The algorithms can also change lanes and overtake automatically.
In addition to optical and acoustic channels, the Cruising Chauffeur can also prompt the driver to take over more insistently using seat vibrations.
The Cruising Chauffeur is designed redundantly so that it can still perform the task of driving even if individual sensors do not work.
The biggest risk of road accidents remains human behaviour, estimated to be responsible for around 90% of all accidents. Automated driving is seen as an important step on the path toward ‘Vision Zero’ – the goal of road traffic without fatalities, injuries or accidents.
The company hope that its Cruising Chauffeur will be ready for production by 2020.
