CE China 2019: Autonomous driving and new mobility
HUBER+SUHNER continues to drive in-vehicle connectivity forward with showcase of advanced automotive portfolio at IAA
Jay Ward, automotive consultant and Creative Director of Pixar Animation’s “CARS” franchise, to speak at Shift Automotive
Multi-Gigabit Communications Demand New Automotive Standard
Hamburg is taking the pole position in trailblazing shared mobility
Volkswagen tests highly-automated driving on new inner-city test route in Hamburg
Ficosa and Panasonic to provide co-developed Interior rear-view mirror with electronic toll collection for new BMW X5 in Japan
RoboSense Provides Cold-Resistant LiDAR to GACHA – First Autonomous Driving Shuttle Bus for All Weather Conditions
Ficosa connects to MWC 2019 with the latest 5G and V2X technology
Optical Network Is Ready for Future Wire Harness Architectures
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Panasonic Launches Delamination-free Semiconductor Encapsulation Material CV8213
Panasonic Corporation announced the commercialization of a new delamination-free (*1) semiconductor encapsulation material designed for semiconductor packages use in automotive and industrial applications. Full-scale production begins in January 2019. This product improves the reliability and extends the life of semiconductor packages operating in elevated temperature environments. The power semiconductor devices used in automotive and industrial equipment applications are operating at increasing temperatures. This trend is a result of reduced device sizes, higher-current operation, and more modular designs. Semiconductor packages, particularly those used in high-temperature environments, are prone to failures caused by interfacial adhesion loss between the lead frame (*2) and semiconductor encapsulation material. This type of delamination is often the result of differences in linear coefficient of expansion properties between the lead frame and the encapsulation material. To address this problem, Panasonic has commercialized a new delamination-free (*3) semiconductor encapsulation material that employs a combination of unique resin design and reaction control technology. This product achieves the reliability standard AEC-Q100, Q101/Grade 0 (*4) for electronic components used in automotive equipment, improves the long-term heat resistance required for automotive ECUs (Electronic Control Units) and increases the reliability of industrial equipment. Notes: *1 Delamination: Interfacial failure between the lead frame and semiconductor encapsulation material in a semiconductor package. *2 Lead frame: A metal substrate for supporting and securing a semiconductor chip and connecting to the wiring on the circuit board. *3 Based on Panasonic's internal evaluation samples. No separation observed between the lead frame and the semiconductor encapsulation material were detected using on measurements made using SAT (Scanning Acoustic Tomography) Equipment. Panasonic does not guarantee that no delaminated parts will be detected under any evaluation conditions. *4 AEC is an abbreviation for the Automotive Electronics Council, a group consisting of auto manufacturers and US electronic component manufacturers. The group promotes worldwide reliability standardization of the electronic components used in automobiles. Q100 applies to integrated circuits, while Q101 applies to the category of discrete semiconductors, and grade 0 indicates an operating temperature range of -40˚C to +150˚C. ◆ Features of the CV8213 series delamination-free semiconductor encapsulation material The delamination-free capability for suppressing separation between the lead frame and the semiconductor encapsulation material imparts semiconductor packages with increased heat resistance and longer operational life. - Temperature cycle test (TC test): No separation observed after 1000 cycles ( -65˚C to +175˚C) Improved adhesion of the semiconductor encapsulation material to the lead frame. The reduced stress at the lead frame and encapsulation bond line enables the level of reliability required for automobile electronic components. - Achieved reliability standards of automobile electronic components AEC-Q100, Q101/Grade 0 This material also complies with automobile clip-bond packages (*5) requirements, contributing to the improved reliability of these semiconductor packages. ◆ Product features The capability to suppress separation between the lead frame and semiconductor encapsulation material provides semiconductor packages using this product increased temperature resistance and longer operational life. Previous semiconductor encapsulation materials experienced a considerable difference in linear coefficient of expansion between the lead frame and semiconductor encapsulation material. In high-temperature environments, this mismatch caused separation (delamination) between the lead frame and semiconductor encapsulation material in the temperature cycling (1000 cycles between -65˚C and +175˚C) required for automotive applications. This issue often required an additional lead frame roughening process to improve adhesion of the semiconductor encapsulation material. The product CV8213, however, has a much lower coefficient of thermal expansion than previous materials thus reducing the stress between the lead frame and the encapsulant. This product was formulated using Panasonic's unique resin design capabilities and reaction control technology, which suppresses delamination even in high-temperature environments like reflow assembly processes and temperature cycle testing, imparting semiconductor packages with increased temperature durability and a longer operating life. The improved adhesion between the semiconductor encapsulation material and lead frame and the reduced stress experienced by the resin enable the package level reliability required for automotive components. This product improves the adhesion between lead frame and semiconductor encapsulation material and reduces the elasticity of the semiconductor encapsulation material by using Panasonic's unique resin design technology to relieve thermally induced stresses, particularly in high-temperature environments. This feature enables semiconductor packages to meet the challenging AEC-Q100, Q101/Grade 0 reliability standard for electronic components in automotive equipment and insures the reliability of semiconductor packages required for automotive applications. This product also meets the specifications for automotive clip-bond type packages, (*5) thereby contributing to improved semiconductor package reliability. Because automotive semiconductor packages are used in elevated temperature environments and carry high currents, the connection process is changing over from conventional wire-bonding to clip-bond connections. A clip-bond package has a large contact area between the semiconductor encapsulation material and the lead frame metal clip. This package design requires strong adhesion between the encapsulation material and clip area of the lead frame. This semiconductor encapsulation material product exhibits both increased temperature resistance and the excellent adhesion strength required for clip-bond packages to be adopted in future automotive applications, thus contributing to enhanced semiconductor package reliability. Note: *5 Clip-bond package: A semiconductor package design comprising a copper clip connected to the semiconductor chip. Replacing the previous structure of using aluminum wire-bonding to connect the semiconductor chip and lead frame. ◆ Suitable applications Semiconductor packages for automotive applications like ECUs, and industrial equipment such as robots ◆ Area of sales Global ◆ Remarks This product will be exhibited at the "SEMICON CHINA 2019" to be held at Shanghai New International Expo Centre on March 20 - 22. ◆ Basic specifications [Product name] CV8213 series Delamination-free Semiconductor Encapsulation Material Glass transition temperature: 125˚C CTE (ɑ1/ɑ2): 10/46 ppm/˚C Bending elasticity (260˚C): 0.4 GPa Moisture absorption rate: 0.13% pH: 7.0 Temperature cycle test: Passes 1000 cycles ( -65˚C to +175˚C)
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JASPAR Gives Compliance Approval to KDPOF Automotive Optical Gigabit Ethernet
JASPAR (Japan Automotive Software Platform and Architecture) announced that KDPOF's automotive optical Gigabit Ethernet technology has successfully achieved their conformance tests. With the KD1053, KDPOF provides the first IEEE® Std 802.3bv compliant automotive 1000BASE-RHC PHY to deliver 1 Gbit/s data rates over Plastic Optical Fiber (POF). Hideki Goto, Chairman of JASPAR’s Next Generation High-Speed Network Working Group and Group Manager at Toyota stated: “KDPOF's optical network solution greatly improves the speed of automotive networks and moves beyond obsolete, lagging networking protocols. Optical Ethernet technology is ideal for future in-vehicle network infrastructure, since it provides a radiation-free harness, and thus meets prerequisites concerning electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Higher speeds are achieved by wider use of the electromagnetic spectrum, which forces OEMs to impose more and more stringent emissions limits on electronic components." Established in 2004, JASPAR's mission is to identify the common issues to be faced in the future by the car electronics sector and initiate standardization in order to resolve these issues and encourage the resulting objectives across the entire automotive industry. Among over 220 member companies are leading global carmakers and Tier1 suppliers such as Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, and Denso and so on. - Comprehensive EMC Testing Diverse Tier1 and Tier2 carmakers have carried out evaluation tests on KDPOF's KD1053-based development boards in coordination with JASPAR. The wide-ranging test scopes included EMC emissions and immunity tests, plus extreme temperature testing with standard automotive POF and optical connectors compliant with current ISO 21111-4 CD. EMC included radiated and conducted emissions (voltage and current), bulk current injection (BCI) testing, radiated RF immunity, and portable handy transmitters immunity. In addition, electrostatic discharge (ESD) and transient pulses were performed. The KD1053 solution achieved all test standards by a remarkable margin. - Automotive Innovation Roadmap "Our core objective at JASPAR is to generate an environment that enables those serving the Japanese automotive sector to cooperate and push automotive innovation further," added Hideki Goto. "We are very pleased with the results achieved with this joint test project."
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Ficosa inaugurates its new e-Mobility Hub, a pioneering centre at a national and international level for electric mobility technology
Ficosa, top-tier global provider devoted to the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of high-technology vision, safety, connectivity and efficiency systems for the automotive and mobility sectors, has inaugurated its e-Mobility Hub today. This centre specialises in electromobility systems for hybrid and electric vehicles and is a pioneer at a national and international level. Located in Viladecavalls (Barcelona), the company has invested more than €10 million in this new 1,200-m2 facility, employing more than 120 engineers, 60 of which are new hires. The e-Mobility Hub will become a global benchmark laboratory in the development of electric mobility technology, driving Ficosa's leadership in an area that is key for the mobility of the future. In this regard, it plays a strategic role, as it will become a driving force in electromobility solutions for the whole group on an international level. Yesterday afternoon, the new e-Mobility Hub welcomed Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism Reyes Maroto; General Secretary of Industry and Small and Medium Business of the Spanish Government, Raül Blanco Díaz; General Secretary for Business and Knowledge Marta Felip; CEO of ACCIÓ, Joan Romero; and Mayor of Viladecavalls, Cesca Berenguer, that were accompanied by Ficosa Chairman, José María Pujol, and Javier Pujol, CEO of the company, among other Ficosa’s executives. After the visit, Minister Reyes Maroto, speaking with the Ficosa President and CEO, highlighted: "We're working with the sector, with the whole value chain, on defining a strategic framework that will allow us to develop important leveraging opportunities and you are the ones with the middle- to long-term vision. We have to accompany this transformation in the industry, which is already here and we have just seen at Ficosa. There is no doubt anymore that there will be a disruptive shift in the industry that we must be part of". In the words of Ficosa CEO, Javier Pujol: "The e-Mobility Hub is a huge milestone for Ficosa, as it puts us on the leading edge of the revolution that electric mobility is bringing about in the sector with a cutting-edge centre at a global level. Likewise, this facility joins the hubs in Connectivity and Safety that Ficosa has in Viladecavalls, consolidating its leadership in key technologies for the transformation of the automobile underway and culminating the technological transformation process in Viladecavalls." The e-Mobility Hub has latest generation premises with four new laboratories certified by ASPICE, the ISO-Automotive SPICE regulations to develop mechatronic systems. At this centre, Ficosa develops and manufactures software and hardware solutions for hybrid and electric vehicles, specifically battery-management systems (BMS) and on-board chargers (OBC). The battery-management system is a device that gives users the required safety and allows them to monitor the battery charge level at all times, as well as its health. On the other hand, the on-board charger is assembled inside the vehicle and charges the battery using an electric cable, directly from a standard alternating current (AC) power socket. Javier Pujol highlights that in 2019 the company "expects to reinforce the team at the e-Mobility Hub with 100 more engineers, as well as adding 750 m2 and another laboratory" in order to satisfy the multinational corporation's needs as a result of its growth in the field of electromobility. - Consolidation of the commitment to technology The new e-Mobility Hub joins the other hubs in Connectivity and Safety that Ficosa has in Viladecavalls, which work for the company globally. This way, Ficosa is reinforcing its leadership in strategic products for more aided driving, driverless vehicles, connected cars and e-mobility, which have become pillars of the group's growth. Pujol stresses: "The Viladecavalls centre has positioned itself as one of the most cutting-edge in the world in vision, e-mobility, connectivity and safety technology, and is, without a doubt, the driving force for the whole technological transformation Ficosa has undergone in recent years thanks to the significant efforts we have put into the industrial reconversion of the Viladecavalls Technology Centre, as well as innovation, technology and strengthening the engineering team." In this regard, Ficosa has significantly expanded the engineering team working on these new technology products, with a record-breaking 1,170 engineers worldwide. Of these, more than 700 work at the Viladecavalls Technology Centre, the group's most important engineering centre, which last year alone hired 160 new engineers. The strong commitment to capitalising on innovations and the latest advances in the sector has led the company to boost the resources it puts into R&D, which was roughly 8% of sales in 2017. In terms of the important investment plan the company is rolling out, in 2017 it invested more than €90 million, 50% of which went to new technology. The company expects to put more than €500 million towards new products business between 2019 and 2023.
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Autonomous Driving: Optical Data Network Enhances Safety
KDPOF will demonstrate the seamless and EMC-compliant network integration with POF at the AESIN (Automotive Electronics Innovation) Conference on October 2, 2018 in Solihull, UK, and at the IEEE-SA Ethernet & IP @ Automotive Technology Day on October 9-10, 2018 in London, UK. You are invited to visit KDPOF and learn more about their gigabit connectivity over POF. The team of KDPOF looks forward to meeting you in October. I am happy to provide further information and a technical article or arrange an interview. Please feel free to contact me at ma@ahlendorf-communication.com or +49 8151 9739098. I kindly ask you to publish the news in the upcoming issue of your medium. Thanks for publishing KDPOF's highlight. Autonomous Driving: Optical Data Network Enhances Safety KDPOF Demos Seamless and EMC-compliant Network Integration at AESIN Conference and at IEEE SA Ethernet & IP @ Auto Tech Day Madrid, Spain, August 21, 2018 – KDPOF – leading supplier for gigabit transceivers over POF (Plastic Optical Fiber) – provides their optical network technology in order to enhance safety for autonomous driving. "For safety-related functions such as the data network backbone, autonomous driving requires redundant systems in order to increase safety and avoid the autonomous car locking up if one of the systems is disabled in some way," explained Rubén Pérez de Aranda, CTO and Co-founder of KDPOF. Reliability analysis shows that a technology redundancy like optical and copper cabling provides the highest reliability. Consequently, more and more OEMs are now considering Plastic Optical Fiber. KDPOF will demonstrate the seamless and EMC-compliant network integration with POF at the AESIN (Automotive Electronics Innovation) Conference on October 2, 2018 in Solihull, UK, and at the IEEE-SA Ethernet & IP @ Automotive Technology Day on October 9-10, 2018 in London, UK. EMC Lessons Learned on Gigabit Ethernet Implementation for ADAS & AV In his presentation "EMC Lessons Learned on Gigabit Ethernet Implementation for ADAS & AV" at the AESIN Conference on October 2, 2018 at 16:30, Rubén Pérez de Aranda will describe the lessons learned in the iterative design process with the final goal of bringing into the market a mass-produced automotive Gigabit Ethernet PHY integrated in an ECU and meeting the most stringent EMC specifications. "This grows more important as in-car network speeds increase to accommodate the demands of driverless systems," he added. "Higher speeds are achieved by wider use of the electromagnetic spectrum." This situation makes the underlying communication system implementation less immune to radiated and conducted noise. It also forces OEMs to impose more and more stringent emissions limits on the electronic components, limits that are often already tighter than the demands imposed by international standards. POF is ideal for the new architectures since it provides natural galvanic isolation between communicating modules and a radiation-free harness. With the first automotive Gigabit Ethernet POF (GEPOF) transceiver KD1053, KDPOF provides high connectivity with a flexible digital host interface, low latency, low jitter, and low linking time. The transceiver complies with the standard amendment IEEE Std 802.3bv™ and thus fully meets the requirements of carmakers.
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Free Auto Auto Session Aug 8 at FMS
Self-driving cars are only a small part of the solution for tomorrow’s autonomous transportation ecosystem that will be explored at this year’s Flash Memory Summit (FMS), August 7-8 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. A special Wednesday afternoon no-cost session will discuss the complete self-driving vehicle data capture, storage and utilization environment required to safely, reliably move people and goods on streets and roads around the globe. While every auto and truck manufacturer is testing self-driving vehicles they represent only a minor portion of the system that support the data that will be captured, stored and used in real time in the coming transportation environment. Storage and planning/development officials will detail the development and use of the three types of data that must stored and used in tomorrow’s vehicles – its own (automated driving), shared with other vehicles such as CACC (coordinated adaptive cruise control – I’m braking) and data to/from the infrastructure. Autonomous transportation isn’t just confined to the vehicle but a complete and comprehensive ecosystem of data capture, storage, distribution with different levels of speed, capacity, protection required at each point. This session is a global end-to-end view of the data and storage challenge facing automotive, storage, government and ancillary service providers. Providing end-to-end security, privacy, data and storage support for Autonomous and AI. Moderated by Andy Marken, Marken Communications; the Wednesday 3:20 session will include participants - Kun Zhou, California PATH, UC Berkeley; Clod Barrera, IBM; and Alan Messer, InnovationShift. Zhou and his fellow panelists will discuss the time when most or all vehicles will be able to optimize traffic flow providing signal, phase and timing (SPaT), MAP and RTCM messages for applications that will aid the entire system and the individual vehicles. Messer and Barrera will explore how responsible third-parties in the future will be able to tap into the vital data, process it and provide it to manufacturers, service providers and other parties. The data sharing between the vehicles and infrastructure will be explored as part of a national data warehouse for accessing real-time and historical data to improve the overall transportation system. Messer emphasized that because autonomous road vehicles are implicitly connected vehicles there are a multitude data challenges end-to-end. Large amounts of high-speed, low latency data must be trafficked around the vehicle, processed and stored. Data for remote takeover, mapping, traffic, and more must be shared with low latency with the secure cloud. Finally, the cloud has to provide both real-time and long-term high-speed data processing and storage. Data security at rest must be maintained as well as providing reliable logged data for vehicle safety, accident and statistical reporting. Never before has such a complex, safety critical end-to-end system be put out in the consumer space. The event’s exhibits and automotive sessions are free to anyone who registers at this year’s FMS at no cost by registering at https://www.expotracshows.com/flash-memory/2018/ Key FMS 2018 sessions cover 3D flash, RRAM, MRAM, life beyond flash, system and utility software, controllers, and persistent memory. Many sessions, including ones sponsored by NVMe, the standards-setting group, offer the latest information on NVMe and NVMe-oF. FMS features the most exciting products and offers the broadest coverage of a rapidly expanding market. The 2017 event drew over 6,000 registrants and 120 exhibitors. The conference also includes annual updates, market research sessions, performance testing results, an expert table session, and a VC Forum. FMS is the industry's premier showcase for storage technology.
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NGMN Alliance backs C-V2X technology for the Connected Car Eco-System
The Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance - which drives and guides the development of all future mobile broadband technology with a focus on 5G - today published its V2X (cellular vehicle to everything) White Paper containing the findings of two years of work by a task force of best in class industry specialists from across the world. Key conclusions from the NGMN include: C-V2X technology is superior to IEEE 802.11p standards from a technical, economical and eco-system perspective and can easily satisfy basic yet critical safety applications Its technical advantages include communication range, latency and scalability It has a natural evolution path to future advanced applications by updating current networks to 5G It not only covers safety features for vehicles but also supports use cases for other traffic participants, such as pedestrians and cyclists Tests are already ongoing, and the technology can be deployed by 2020 “This White Paper can provide the framework for a smooth transition into the world of the truly Connected Car – especially as we start to see the introduction of 5G – and I strongly encourage all stakeholders involved in the Eco-System to read the document and shape their future planning around it,” said Huang Yuhong, Deputy General Manager, China Mobile Research Institute. The White Paper follows the creation of a V2X task force in June 2016 to study and evaluate V2X technologies and requirements, while looking to harmonise Mobile Network Operators’ views on LTE-based V2X and DSRC/IEEE-802.11p. Its objectives include a reduced time to market of C-V2X and triggering co-operation with the automotive industry in order to create a common understanding amongst key players. Additionally, its work is covering various deployment aspects of the Connected Car, including multi-operators and roaming, business models of operating an Intelligent Transport System (ITS), examining available spectrum and regulatory aspects and reviewing security and privacy issues. Mme Huang stressed that NGMN supports the go-to-market statements from major industry stakeholders such as car manufacturers and chip-set suppliers. It also collaborates with other industry associations including 3GPP, ETSI and 5GAA. The White Paper comes just a month after NGMN confirmed the launch of four new key projects to support the development and deployment of 5G networks. The projects – “Spectrum and Deployment Efficiencies”, “Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (uRLLC) Requirements for Vertical Industries”, “RAN Convergence” and “Extreme Long-range Communications for Deep Rural Coverage” – have been highlighted as crucial development areas to further optimise and guide the telecoms industry towards the successful deployment of 5G beyond 2018.
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Continental Strengthens AI Research with UC Berkeley DeepDrive Collaboration
Continental today announced that it is expanding its international network for artificial intelligence (AI) in Silicon Valley. "We are joining forces with the world's leading AI researchers," said Demetrio Aiello, Head of Continental’s Corporate Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Lab. "Building on the momentum of our strategic partnerships with the University of Oxford, DFKI (German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence) and other AI thought leaders, we have signed a five-year agreement to be members of the UC Berkeley DeepDrive (BDD) center.” The research partnership focuses on optimizing the speed of neural networks, as well as protecting AI systems in safety-critical applications. Both Continental and BDD are driven by the goal of implementing the AI research results into series production as quickly as possible. - Cars that see and learn better BDD works with state-of-the-art technologies for machine seeing and learning in automotive applications. The multidisciplinary center is managed by the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Industry sponsors support the program to help bring new technologies to automotive applications. Professor Trevor Darrell, also Director of the "Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology" (PATH) program, leads the group. "Having Continental as a BDD member is something we are very proud of. We are excited to be working closely together to develop innovative solutions," said Darrell. "Continental is a leader in the automotive industry and BDD is opening up opportunities for artificial intelligence and autonomous driving in automotive applications, which makes for a great team." - Strategic research focused on the future In the first year of the program membership, Continental and BDD are focused on two fields of research. First is the testability of AI algorithms in safety-relevant systems. Drivers need to be sure that the complex technology in their vehicles will work properly, so BDD is developing methods that will allow the reliability of AI systems to be tested more efficiently. The researchers at the center are also looking at how to operate AI applications in a memory-efficient way to accelerate and optimize neural networks. This will allow easier implementation of AI methods in vehicles. "As is the case for BDD, Continental is also at the international peak of the AI revolution in the industry," explained Dr. Stefan Voget, who heads up the relationship with UC Berkeley on behalf of the technology company. "Together, we can drive mobility forward faster than doing it alone." - Faster implementation of AI knowledge "What inspired us most to team up with the experts in Silicon Valley and UC Berkeley was the highly interesting research in the field of Explainable AI as well as the optimization of deep neural networks that were taking place there," Aiello said. Explainable AI focuses on understanding precisely how an AI system makes decisions. To test artificial intelligence in detail, experts must know exactly how it works. In addition to the benefits of the research itself, Aiello shared another important advantage of the membership. "The opportunity to have colleagues from Silicon Valley and other Continental locations working as part of BDD research teams enables more efficient collaboration and transfer of expertise. It also allows us to identify the talent we need for our AI strategy at an early stage." - AI research at Continental In 2015, Continental set up a corporate AI and Robotics Lab to coordinate the company’s various research activities. So far, this has led to strategic collaborations with NVIDIA and Baidu, as well as many leading research institutes in this field, including the University of Oxford, the Technische Universität Darmstadt, the DFKI (German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence) and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (India). Earlier this year, the Continental Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business unit opened a center of excellence for deep machine learning in Budapest, Hungary. By the end of 2018, the technology company will employ around 400 engineers worldwide with specific AI expertise, and is looking to add AI experts in product and process development.
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Closing the gap: On the road to terahertz electronics
A team headed by Alexander Holleitner and Reinhard Kienberger, Physics professors at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), has succeeded for the first time in generating ultrashort electric pulses on a chip using metal antennas only a few nanometers in size, then running the signals a few millimeters above the surface and reading them in again a controlled manner. The technology enables the development of new, powerful terahertz components. Classical electronics allows frequencies up to around 100 gigahertz. Optoelectronics uses electromagnetic phenomena starting at 10 terahertz. This range in between is referred to as the terahertz gap, since components for signal generation, conversion and detection have been extremely difficult to implement. The TUM physicists Alexander Holleitner and Reinhard Kienberger succeeded in generating electric pulses in the frequency range up to 10 terahertz using tiny, so-called plasmonic antennas and run them over a chip. Researchers call antennas plasmonic if, because of their shape, they amplify the light intensity at the metal surfaces. Asymmetric antennas The shape of the antennas is important. They are asymmetrical: One side of the nanometer-sized metal structures is more pointed than the other. When a lens-focused laser pulse excites the antennas, they emit more electrons on their pointed side than on the opposite flat ones. An electric current flows between the contacts – but only as long as the antennas are excited with the laser light. "In photoemission, the light pulse causes electrons to be emitted from the metal into the vacuum," explains Christoph Karnetzky, lead author of the Nature work. "All the lighting effects are stronger on the sharp side, including the photoemission that we use to generate a small amount of current." Ultrashort terahertz signals The light pulses lasted only a few femtoseconds. Correspondingly short were the electrical pulses in the antennas. Technically, the structure is particularly interesting because the nano-antennas can be integrated into terahertz circuits a mere several millimeters across. In this way, a femtosecond laser pulse with a frequency of 200 terahertz could generate an ultra-short terahertz signal with a frequency of up to 10 terahertz in the circuits on the chip, according to Karnetzky. The researchers used sapphire as the chip material because it cannot be stimulated optically and, thus, causes no interference. With an eye on future applications, they used 1.5-micron wavelength lasers deployed in traditional internet fiber-optic cables. An amazing discovery Holleitner and his colleagues made yet another amazing discovery: Both the electrical and the terahertz pulses were non-linearly dependent on the excitation power of the laser used. This indicates that the photoemission in the antennas is triggered by the absorption of multiple photons per light pulse. "Such fast, nonlinear on-chip pulses did not exist hitherto," says Alexander Holleitner. Utilizing this effect he hopes to discover even faster tunnel emission effects in the antennas and to use them for chip applications.
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Artificial Intelligence: Continental and DFKI Enter into Close Collaboration
The technology company Continental and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) have agreed to enter into a partnership. DFKI, which is spread over several locations, is the world’s largest non-profit organization for researching artificial intelligence (AI). The collaboration will focus on the mobility of the future and on improving internal processes. “The collaboration with DFKI is part of our strategy to strengthen Continental as a technology company by using artificial intelligence at all levels. Continental will become an ‘AI-empowered company’,” says Kurt Lehmann, corporate technology officer at Continental, to mark the signing of the contract. “AI should support our employees in their work and provide them with new tools.” Furthermore, AI is the central pillar of mobility in the future. “We are now working on the assumption that autonomous driving will not be possible without artificial-intelligence technologies,” underlines Lehmann. - Joint research in DFKI ecosystem As part of the collaboration, the Forschungslabor Intelligente Technologien, FIT for short (research lab for intelligent technologies), will be established at the DFKI location in Kaiserslautern. Here, in the ecosystem of DFKI labs, Continental employees will research the fundamentals of AI technology and address specific problems. This will include researching AI-supported methods of data analysis and software development. Continental is also working on developing AI-based tools that will help the more than 16,000 software and IT employees worldwide with quality assurance and upgrading functions. - Self-learning systems for better processes and quicker results Continental engineers have already identified a number of applications for AI. For example, in material flow, machine learning can be used to create more precise forecasts of raw-materials requirements. DFKI has well-honed skills in this area of technology. Professor Andreas Dengel is the head of the DFKI research sector “Smart Data & Knowledge Services.” For him, sustainable corporate management currently requires active and extensive knowledge management: “The main task is putting lean, decentralized and continuously learning organizations in a position to respond both flexibly and coherently.” For this purpose, DFKI experts are developing automated personal knowledge assistants, which are systems that identify documents and automatically detect people, projects, events or locations, for example. Knowledge assistants help configure workflows to specific requirements and provide relevant information in each field. - Faster object recognition thanks to artificial neural networks Continental also employs AI in its product development. In 2020, the company plans to produce, for the first time ever, neural networks on a larger scale with its fifth generation cameras for faster object recognition. Artificial neural networks consist of adaptive mathematical units that can process and execute complex functions. - AI research at Continental In 2015, Continental set up a central AI predevelopment department to coordinate the various AI research activities. The technology company is collaborating with NVIDIA, Baidu and many other research institutes in this field, including the University of Oxford, the Technische Universität Darmstadt and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (India). In Budapest, Hungary, the Continental Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business unit opened a center of excellence for deep machine learning in May 2018. By the end of 2018, the technology company will employ around 400 engineers worldwide with specific AI expertise and is looking for further talented people for product and process development in artificial intelligence. Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2017, Continental generated sales of €44 billion and currently employs more than 240,000 people in 61 countries. The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, with sites in Kaiserslautern, Saarbrücken, Bremen (with an associated branch in Osnabrück) and a project office in Berlin, is the leading German research institute in the field of innovative software technology. In the international scientific community, DFKI ranks among the most recognized "Centers of Excellence" and currently is the biggest research center worldwide in the area of Artificial Intelligence and its application in terms of number of employees and the volume of external funds. The financial budget in 2016 was 44.1 million Euro. DFKI projects cover the whole spectrum from application-oriented basic research to market- and client-oriented design of product functions. 519 employees from 60 countries are currently conducting research focusing on Smart Data & Knowledge Services, Cyber-Physical Systems, Multilingual Technologies, Plan-Based Robot Control, Educational Technology Lab, Interactive Textiles, Robotics, Innovative Retail, Information Systems, Embedded Intelligence, Smart Service Engineering, Intelligent Analytics for Massive Data, Intelligent Networks, Agents and Simulated Reality, Augmented Vision, Language Technology, Intelligent User interfaces, and Innovative Factory Systems. Impact: more than 100 professorships of former DFKI employees, and more than 80 spin-off companies with approximately 2,500 highly qualified jobs.
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When the autopilot hands over to the human driver
Autonomous next generation cars will enable the drivers to focus on other things during their ride. There are situations, however, when the driver will have to take control of the wheel again. In a project funded by the FWF, a research team from the University of Salzburg is investigating the problems arising from these next generation vehicles. Accidents involving semi-autonomous cars are currently making the headlines. Tesla and Uber have developed such powerful driver assistance systems – lane-keeping assist in combination with distance-keeping systems – that drivers have the impression their car is driving autonomously, even though their hands are actually supposed to remain on the steering wheel. Recent accidents have provided a foretaste of the problems we will face with the next generation of assistance systems. A group of researchers from the Centre for Human-Computer Interaction in Salzburg is currently investigating these obstacles in the context of a project financed by the Austrian Science Fund FWF. "Every traffic situation is different. We humans can very easily adapt to different situations, but it is very difficult to devise a system that covers all eventualities," explains project team member Alexander Meschtscherjakov. Autonomous cars are divided into classes depending on their state of development. “Manual driving is level zero. Level one is when a car can either keep to the correct lane or its distance from the car in front. If a car can do both, we call it level two – the recent accidents involved cars from this group. What we’re talking about now is level three cars. These vehicles don’t require the driver’s hands to be on the wheel, leaving them free to do other things.” This involves the danger of people losing their driving skills to a certain extent, explains Meschtscherjakov: “In special situations, when sensors fail or the system is overwhelmed by bad weather, the driver will need to take over, but may not have the necessary training to do so.” - Self-assessment of people with little driving experience Meschtscherjakov’s team approached the problem from various angles. They started by conducting surveys to find out how people with little driving experience assess their own skills. “We concentrated on two levels of losing control”, notes Meschtscherjakov. “On the one hand, we asked people how confident they were about complying with traffic regulations. According to our results, people feel relatively secure in this respect. The second question was about how confident they felt about their ability to react in dangerous situations. People who have not driven for a while believe that the requisite sensorimotor abilities tend to decrease. They feel uncomfortable, for example, when they need to overtake a lorry.” A second approach consisted of using actual driving simulations on a computer that focused on the hand-over procedure when the software returns control to the human driver. “Two groups of people practiced this situation. One group then stopped practicing and the other continued”, explains the scientist. After six weeks both groups were given a comparative test in the laboratory. The results of these tests are currently being processed for publication. - Comparisons with aviation The researchers also investigated a professional group that is familiar with a very similar process, namely pilots. When the autopilot hands over the controls, pilots are required to follow a precise protocol. “People who fly planes need to pass tests regularly and fly a certain number of hours manually. Adopting this procedure for autonomous driving would mean making sure people drive manually for a certain amount of time.” This is to be achieved through low-threshold incentives – the keyword here being “gamification”. Meschtscherjakov speaks of a point-scoring model where points can be collected during night rides or driving in heavy rain. “Another aspect is situational awareness”, adds Meschtscherjakov. “When pilots get an error message they have to follow an exact procedure. We are trying, in a similar way, to heighten situational awareness of handover situations, for instance by means of something like a checklist.” This has already been partially implemented, and the team is now working on a simulator version. In any case, it is necessary for users to focus on practicing these handovers. “It’s easier in aviation, because it’s a professional activity”, comments Meschtscherjakov. He has doubts about whether car drivers will accept these requirements as readily as pilots. - Social acceptance uncertain One important issue is social acceptance: “An autonomous car has to be defensively programmed. As a result, such cars behave differently and sometimes wait a great deal longer in uncertain situations.” Nevertheless, Meschtscherjakov can imagine that in some years from now, level-three cars will be operating in designated lanes or limited inner-city areas. The researcher thinks the latter is feasible because of the low driving speeds. In principle, however, it should be noted that autonomous driving, at least at the level three described, does not allow for weaker driving abilities. “Driving skills have to be even higher”, emphasises the researcher. - Personal details Alexander Meschtscherjakov is an Assistant Professor and the Deputy Director of the Centre for Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Salzburg. The computer scientist’s research interests include persuasive technologies for interaction, user interfaces for cars and the user experience in a technological context.
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Microchip Technology Automotive Market Strategy and Solution Announcement Press Conference
Microchip Technology Inc. held a press conference at Park Hyatt Seoul Hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on November 7, 2017, and introduced strategies and solutions for the automotive market. Microchip is presenting a variety of solutions that can improve the key trends in the automotive market - efficiency, connectivity, safety, security and user experience. Microchip is currently supporting customers who design massive embedded control applications from consumer, automotive, industrial, telecommunications, defense and aerospace to computing industries around the world. In addition, the automotive part accounts for 25% of the total sales of Microchip. It occupies the third place in the MCU market in 2016 and the eighth place in the automotive semiconductor market with the market share of 2.9%. And in recent years, Microchip has been involved in a number of other acquisitions to strengthen its capabilities in automotive sector. Recent trends in the automotive market include electrification of in-vehicle networks and pumps, increasing fuel efficiency through increased use of brushless motors, security between ECUs in the vehicle as well as the connected cars, and improvement of user experience to enjoy it not only at consumer electronics but also at the car. Microchip offers a wide range of technologies and products ranging from a variety of network interfaces for automotive to meet these needs, touch and gesture recognition solutions for user experience, sensors and LED lightings to ADAS configuration technology. ▲ Willie Fitzgerald, Director of Product Marketing at Microchip Automotive Products Group Willie Fitzgerald, director of product marketing at Microchip Automotive Products Group, announced that Microchip is aiming to become the best embedded control solution company with advanced intelligence, connectivity and security technologies through ‘vision 2.0’. In addition to microcontrollers, which are traditional business areas, Microchip covers a wide range of applications ranging from mixed signal, analog, interface, security solutions, clock, timing, and non-volatile EEPROM to flash memory. Microchip recorded $35 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2017 for 108 consecutive quarters of growth. Microchip's current MCU market share is estimated to be the third highest in 2016, and it is reported that it continues to grow with its solid position. In terms of sales by market, automotive parts accounted for 25%. Meanwhile, a variety of mergers and acquisitions to expand technology capabilities have been identified as one of the key strategies. In the automotive sector, meaningful significant acquisitions in recent years include SMSC and EqcoLogic for transceiver technology, Micrel for analog or mixed signal, and Atmel for MCU, touch, and security. Currently, Microchip is in the eighth place in the automotive semiconductor market, and its acquisition of Atmel in 2016 is expected to strengthen its position and continue to grow. Moreover, products are being used in the networking and touch display of vehicles, LED lighting for inside and outside of vehicles, and ADAS. The company is looking forward to expanding into more fields in the future and expects business growth accordingly. ▲ Expected to expand in the future, high-level capabilities in Ethernet-based technology is introduced. Recent trends in the automotive market include ECU networking through applying a variety of electronic equipment in vehicle, increasing fuel efficiency through expanding electrification of pumps and motors, connectivity due to rises such as increase of communication among ECUs or connected cars and security such as encryption accordingly, and enhancement of user experience that can be enjoyed not only in consumer electronics such as smartphones but also in automobiles by utilizing capacitive touch and haptic technology. Microchip offers a wide range of interfaces for automotive networking from Ethernet to LIN, MOST, CAN, USB and so on. It is trying to lead the automotive networking and connectivity solutions market and become a company that can add bigger value to its customers' solutions. Among them, Ethernet-based devices have already shipped more than 60 million ports, have a broad product portfolio with AEC-Q100 certification, and provide a robust, secure and secure solution for the automotive industry. With the current driver-assisted systems moving from automation to automated driving, the number of ECUs in the vehicle as well as complexity will increase, and applications to support are expected to become more complex. In addition, the inter-ECU communication will continue to increase and the bandwidth demand will be even greater. Therefore, Ethernet-based connection technology is pointed out as one of the technologies that can effectively address these needs. Microchip added that it is in a position to move ahead with Ethernet technology as a connectivity technology for the automated driving era. ▲ Microchip provides capacitive touch and gesture recognition solutions for a variety of applications. The capacitive touch solution is considered one of the key elements of the advanced HMI to enhance the user experience. And in this section, Microchip has secured powerful capabilities about capacitive touch for a wide range of applications ranging from screens, touch pads, gesture recognition, and buttons to sliders. Currently, Microchip offers mTouch for proximity sensors, buttons, and sliders, maXTouch for touch pads and screens, and GestIC solutions for gesture control. About Microchip's strengths in maXTouch solutions, while providing products in the automotive market for more than 30 years, Microchip has understood its users, responded to new use cases, and demonstrated product quality in more than 50 million vehicles. It also has a wide range of applications ranging from a small pad to a 20-inch screen. It also has capabilities such as glove-wearing, high-humidity handling, force sensing, and gesture response. Moreover, teams have been deployed around the world to support customers and have been certified in product and firmware development. LED lighting is used extensively in exterior lighting as well as in interior ambient lighting and instrument panel backlighting, and it affects not only vehicle styling but also reduction of CO2 emissions. In addition, Microchip is supporting all aspects of LED lighting: standard analog-based approach, hybrid approach with analog-based and digital technology, and full-digital system approach to various topologies. ▲ ADAS implementation also helps to implement various technologies. In ADAS, the fastest growing segment, cameras and sensor-based applications have been shown to accelerate the electrification. And for the various functions that make up the ADAS system, Microchip is helping customers implement the ADAS system by providing a variety of products and solution combinations ranging from MCUs to networks, analogs and memories. In addition, MEMS oscillators that replace traditional crystal oscillators will have significant market opportunities in ADAS, smart actuators and user interfaces, with the benefits of reliability, accuracy and small packaging. Microchip's camera modules can be used in front, rear, surround-view camera systems and high-end dash cameras, and its access control system is developing its capabilities through passive entry, low-power UWB radar and home link for automatic door opening of garage door. In addition, there are application examples in the body control such as kick sensing for opening trunk door, steering wheel control, door handle sensing and TPMS. Motor control provides various competencies such as digital control for motor control in fuel pump, water pump, cooling fan, or turbo wastegate.
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Continual launched as new brand identity for CellMining
CellMining Ltd, a leading provider of behavior-based network analytics and optimization, today announced that it has changed its name to Continual, to reflect an expanded strategic focus towards the Connected Car market, and to better serve customers in the emerging Intelligent Mobility ecosystem. “We have been seeing a rapidly-growing demand for our technology expertise from the Connected Car market,” said Greg (Giora) Snipper, CEO of Continual. “The decision to change our name marks a new commitment to fully embrace the benefits our innovative network experience analytics solution can bring to this exciting new market sector. At the same time, Continual will offer mobile operators its advanced subscriber experience solutions.” Continual’s competences—network experience analytics on travel routes like highways and railways, analysis of communication patterns, and correlation between network quality indicators and customer perception—are being enthusiastically sought by car manufacturers, automotive electronics vendors, and forward-thinking mobile operators. These are essential capabilities to be able to market vehicles with the promise of excellence in communication experience, in addition to the more conventional automotive performance benchmarks. “Excellence in experience is already a feature that car manufacturers highlight to differentiate their brands, and this must now also include connectivity,” said Assaf Aloni, CMO of Continual. “An ‘always-on’, high-quality connection has become a prerequisite for connected cars, in order to provide optimal journey experience along with the ability to respond rapidly in safety-critical situations. Continual’s mission is to make that a reality, and we are committed to helping create the best-in-class Connected Journey Experience.” The Continual re-branding will launch formally at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, at Stand 5E61 in Hall 5.
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KDPOF Enables Seamless Optical Networks Integration
leading supplier for automotive gigabit transceivers over POF (Plastic Optical Fiber) – is delighted to present a complete POF solution to be seamlessly integrated into the wire harness of the vehicle. At the International Congress Automotive Wire Harness on March 13 and 14, 2018 in Ludwigsburg, Germany, KDPOF will display innovative gigabit POF solutions in partnership with leading wire harness suppliers such as TE and others. "POF cables are very reliable: they can withstand harsh environments and tolerate conditions such as routing across the engine compartment with temperatures as high as 105°C and down to –40°C," stated Carlos Pardo, CEO and Co-founder of KDPOF. "As an optical fiber with a large core, POF is able to withstand vibrations and misalignments much better than other optical or copper alternatives such as glass optical fiber (GOF), coax, and STP." Well-established engineering collaboration between key leading optoelectronic, connector, and wire harness vendors worldwide ensures a well-supplied and competitive market for all the components needed in the system: Physical Layer (PHY), Fiber Optic Transceiver (FOT), fiber cable, and connectors. All these companies, such as Broadcom (formerly Avago), Hamamatsu, KDPOF, TE, and others, as well as the IEEE and ISO, are ready for the market opportunities that the new gigabit POF technology has opened. Easy Handling and High Robustness As a plastic, wide diameter fiber, POF is cheap to manufacture and install. It does not require any sophisticated equipment or professional qualification, and harness manufacturing processes do not need to be changed. Installation is just easy plug and play. Winding and clamping is similar to copper cables. Their good bending performance starts at a radius of 10 mm. Gigabit transmission distances of up to 40 meters are possible without in-line connectors, or 15 meters with up to 4 in-liners. Further, POF allows fast dynamic bending, tight bending, and dark liquid immersion in addition to delivering low noise and robustness regarding incoupling of electromagnetic fields.
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Continental ‘2017 Tech-Ride’ Media Technology Experience Event
On November 6th, 2017, Continental held '2017 Tech-Ride' event to showcase the latest technologies for future mobility at BMW Driving Center in Jung-gu, Incheon, Korea. At this event, Continental introduced a variety of the latest technologies for improved stability and automated driving that will contribute to the realization of Vision Zero. Future mobility is aimed at full automated driving. Continental develops and produces integrated active and passive driving technology and vehicle dynamics supporting products under the slogan of 'SensePlanAct', providing more secure and comfortable mobility. The 'Sense' area of the slogan includes a long-range radar sensor for forward looking applications, a short-range radar sensor to detect danger in the adjacent surroundings of the vehicle, a 5th generation high performance camera MFC with excellent night vision, and a high-resolution 3D flash lidar that implements vision. In the "Plan" area, 'Assisted & Automated Driving Control Unit (ADCU)', a central control unit that analyzes and evaluates collected data and comprehensively generates the surrounding environment model was introduced. The "Act" area features advanced brake technology MK C1 for a high level of automated driving and electric drum brake with parking brake (EPB-Si). At the same time, the event also prepared an opportunity to experience how these technologies would be applied to actual experimental vehicles and how they would work in the actual vehicles. ▲ Lee Hyuk-jae, CEO of Continental Korea Lee Hyuk-jae, CEO of Continental Korea, introduced about Continental that it is now a global tier-1 company in the automotive industry, with sales of 40.5 billion euros in 2016. It expects to grow by 3% this year. It has 427 workplaces in 56 countries and 220,000 employees. It consists of five business divisions: Chassis & Safety, Powertrain, Interior, Tire and ContiTech. In Korea, there are 2,470 employees in eight business sites in 2016 with 1,889 of them belonging to the Automotive Group. Continental's entry into Korea began in 1986 with the launch of the Rubber Group in 1986 and the Automotive Group in 1987. It has been selected as the best place to work for 15 consecutive years since 2002, while Icheon and Sejong factories are reported to have achieved the highest performance in productivity within Continental. So far, Continental's domestic organization has been acknowledged for its superiority in production, but its future strategy is to concentrate on R&D. It suggested the direction to become the most efficient center in the R&D center. Continental has identified three major directions for future technology development. Among these, "Automated Driving" aspect is an important technology for suggesting ways to increase safety through sensors before automated driving, providing stress-free mobility by reducing traffic congestion, providing spare time on the move, and creating new freedom of movement in the disabled and the aging society. The others include "Cruising Chauffeur" such as adaptive cruise control, and "Self Driving Car" for automatic parking and unattended operation. It is added that Continental has a lot of various individual technologies to implement them. ▲ In terms of electrification of vehicles, Continental has a wide range of capabilities in hybrid and electric vehicles. In aspect of movement for electrification, so far, an internal combustion engine is the main, but in the future, drivetrain with electrification and battery, energy and heat management, drive systems such as brakes, steering, and pumps suitable for electrification, system for energy collection from tires and solar light, and system for communication with other vehicles will be combined. And in response to this journey of electrification, Continental stated that it launched a massive supply of mild hybrid solutions, 48V, in 2016, and it will be able to have a battery-based electric vehicles in 2020 and technology for automated driving-based 'people mover' in 2025. In addition, Continental aims to maximize the efficiency of the engine in its electrification solutions and transmissions. In the future, Continental will provide solutions that range from current hybrid efficiency improvements to electric vehicles as well as high-voltage drive systems composed of motor and inverter systems for electric vehicles, DC/DC converters and power electronics. In aspect of connectivity, more than 50 percent of the cars produced in 2017 will have connectivity, and by 2020, more than 250 million vehicles on the roads will be connected. Moreover, a new application through the Internet connection is expected to provide a safer and more efficient environment by transferring accident information and traffic situation recognized by individual vehicles to other vehicles. However, it is expected that there will be applications that cannot be imagined yet. At the moment, 5G will be able to provide a role for increasing reliability of communication. Continental has also introduced that it provides connectivity parts including telematics and user interfaces such as dashboard and infotainment, and it has the capability to secure connectivity through recent acquisitions of security companies. In addition, the company continues to strengthen its capabilities in the software segment and it is partnering with a variety of vendors such as IBM and China Unicom in terms of back-end servers for acquiring and analyzing data from vehicles. ▲ Lee Sang-gil, Representative of Chassis & Safety Division in Continental Korea Lee Sang-gil, Representative of Chassis & Safety Division in Continental Korea, introduced about Continental's Chassis & Safety Division that it covers Vehicle Dynamics (VED), Hydraulic Brake Systems (HBS), and Passive Safety Sensorics (PSS) and Advanced-Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for airbags and vehicle speed sensing. In 2016, the division's sales are 9 billion euros, and the sale in the Asian market is becoming more significant since its proportion is 31%. Meanwhile, the Chassis & Safety Division has 43,000 employees, of which Asia accounts for 25%. Continental's "Vision Zero" is a vision that aims to eliminate injuries and death caused by accidents, and the implementation is following the process of "Sense-Plan-Act", which is similar to human's recognition and behavior process. Among them, "Sense" area includes a long-range radar sensor for forward looking applications, a short-range radar sensor to detect danger in the nearby environment of the vehicle, a 5th generation high-performance camera MFC with excellent night vision and high resolution, and high-resolution 3D flash lidar that implements real-time 3D machine vision without any mechanical movement. The "Plan" area includes 'Assisted & Automated Driving Control Unit (ADCU)', a central control unit that analyzes and evaluates various collected data and comprehensively generates the surrounding environment model. In the "Act" area, advanced brake technology MK C1 for a high level of automated driving and MK C1 HAD system architecture with two connected braking systems will provide elements needed for automated driving. In addition, electronic drum brake with parking brake (EPB-Si) provides more flexibility and options for vehicle manufacturers. Automated driving is now attracting attention as a technology that can solve problems such as environmental pollution, boredom due to long driving and traffic congestion, waste of time, stress and accident, which are pointed out as a disadvantage in individual's mobility. By utilizing automated driving technology, it is possible to increase safety by decreasing serious danger situation, improve efficiency by reducing energy consumption and improving traffic flow, increase time utilization and convenience by using HMI solution. In addition, in future aging society, it is expected that mobility improvement for the population will ensure individual mobility for all. ▲ A wide range of solutions is provided for the vehicle 'sensing'. ▲ These are the major new products in the sensing section presented at this event. In the sensing section, various cameras, radar sensors capable of accurately measuring relative speed and distance, and high-resolution flash lidar capable of 3D scanning based on the infra-red and constructing a model of surroundings are used. At this time, 5th generation Advanced Radar Sensor (ARS) is installed behind the radome on the front of the vehicle to perform forward looking functions such as adaptive cruise control and can provide EuroNCAP 2018, 2020 and later standards. Moreover, the 5th generation high-performance camera platform, MFC500, is a front-view multi-function mono camera that can observe various angles closely and can support driver assistance functions and highly automated driving through lane departure prevention, frontal collision prevention, and signs and traffic lights detection. The standard specification was developed in response to EuroNCAP 2020, and the premium specification provides highly automated running and early recognition of the surroundings with a wide horizontal viewing angle of 100 degrees. High Resolution 3D Flash Lidar consists of a laser and a highly integrated receiver chip that illuminate the surroundings of the vehicle with a distance of up to 200 meters. It also implements a comprehensive 3D model around the vehicle for automation operation, and provides reliable data even in bad conditions. Besides, V2X with M2XPro, which can identify the surrounding situation and communicate with the surroundings for automated driving, will create the basis for an automated driving environment by recognizing vehicle's position and movement at the same time. ▲ ADCU, at the center of automated driving implementation ▲ MK C1 HAD system combines MK C1 with MK100 HBE to create a redundant brake system. ▲ MK100 ESC High Plus Hybrid and Drum-Based Electric Parking Brake EPB-Si The "Plan" area introduced 'Assisted & Automated Driving Control Unit (ADCU)', a central control unit that analyzes and evaluates various collected data and comprehensively generates the surrounding environment model. This enables a safe, versatile processing platform for applications in highly autonomous driving and plays an important role in interconnecting electric chassis and safety systems. Continental stated about the advantages of ADCU: scalability of its processing power and software modules, meeting safety requirements at maximum ASIL-D levels, possibility of integrating OEM black box software, and implementing the HAD environment model. In 'Act' area, brake related systems were introduced. Among them, MK C1, introduced as the next-generation brake system, is an electric braking system that provides fast and accurate pressure rise by-wire, making it ideal for autonomous driving. MK C1 integrates the existing system's tandem master cylinder (TMC), brake booster and control system (ABS&ESC) into a single compact box package to lighten approximately 30% and increase the braking pressure within 150ms, which is twice as fast as the conventional one. Moreover, the design of electric brake can regenerate braking energy over a wider range than standard regenerative braking systems. MK C1 HAD system architecture combines MK C1 system with an auxiliary brake system in the form of MK 100 HBE, enabling to stop vehicles even in the situation of a complete failure of the electronic main brake system. This can also provide an alternative for the user to stop a car when the main braking system fails in the implementation of the autonomous vehicle. Also, it is easily integrates into the existing MK C1 vehicle platforms, enabling the next step towards automated driving. MK 100 ESC High Plus Hybrid is designed to combine the dynamic high pressure requirements of the automatic emergency braking function with the convenience requirements of the driver assistance function. This system, which makes use of both hydraulic brake and regenerative braking systems, can provide braking sense with reduced sense of difference in the hybrid system by appropriately applying the wheel braking and the deceleration by generator's regeneration of the power transfer unit according to the operation of the brake pedal. In addition, electric drum brake (EPB-Si) replaces the existing mechanical operations in drum brakes and provides key features of electric parking brakes to provide user convenience and interior design flexibility.
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Avnet and Xilinx Participate in Tech Talk Series Organized by A*STAR Scientists to Drive the Future of Automation
Avnet Asia partnered with Xilinx® in the "Lab to Market" Tech Talk Series, organized by the A*STAR Postdoc and Early Career Scientists Society (A*PECSS) at the JTC Launchpad in Singapore. Presenters from Avnet Asia, Xilinx and A*STAR discussed the future of driverless cars and other embedded vision applications. "Avnet has been playing an active role in supporting and nurturing start-ups in Singapore and across Asia, to guide their ideas to production. This initiative with A*PECSS allows us to interact directly with the makers to better understand and address their needs," said Andy Wong, senior vice president of global design solutions, Avnet Asia. "The adoption of embedded vision will transform IoT applications and unlock innovations across key industries such as automotive. Avnet's hardware and software solutions for Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) equips automotive engineers with essential information to further innovate and realize the potential of IoT technologies." With an emphasis on embedded vision as the next engineering frontier, key market opportunities in the region span automotive & transportation, security, industrial, healthcare, retail and consumer technology. Embedded vision enables machines to respond through algorithms, digital processing and visual intelligence, including facial and object recognition, and is being increasingly adopted for a variety of applications from smartphone cameras to driverless vehicles. Octavius Lim, senior director of Xilinx APAC channel sales, commented, "Embedded Vision is one of the most exciting fields in technology today. Xilinx sees embedded vision as a key and pervasive megatrend that is shaping the future of the electronics industry. For years, Xilinx and Avnet have helped customers and start-ups accelerate the development of embedded vision applications in markets where systems must be highly differentiated, extremely responsive, and able to immediately adapt to the latest algorithms and image sensors. With Singapore's Smart Nation initiatives, we see strong potential in Singapore to apply embedded vision innovations for advanced driver assistance drive and surveillance security." The convergence of advanced technologies including embedded vision, sensors, connectivity and deep learning is essential to make driverless vehicles safe and efficient. Supporting Singapore's agenda to introduce driverless vehicles from 2022, Avnet showcased its latest autonomous guided vehicle (AGV) model utilizing the MicroZed™ Embedded Vision Kit. From enhancing security by providing real-time and more accurate analytics, to automating tray return at food centers, the AGV is ideal for helping makers accelerate product development. The A*PECSS 'Lab to Market' Tech Talk Series, which is regularly held in A*StartCentral, serves as a platform for researchers and industry comprising start-ups and entrepreneurs to exchange insights on technological advances and product development under various themes, with the aim of bridging research and development (R&D) and the marketplace, and accelerating product innovation and development.
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KDPOF Equips Electric Cars with Optical Connectivity
leading supplier for automotive gigabit connectivity over POF (Plastic Optical Fiber) – provide their innovative Automotive Gigabit Ethernet POF (GEPOF) for electric and autonomous driving to perfectly solve the electrical challenges and interferences of new powertrain architectures. "We are happy to announce that several car makers and Tier-1 suppliers have adopted our optical technology for electrical powertrains and autonomous vehicles," stated Carlos Pardo, CEO and Co-Founder of KDPOF. "Electromagnetic noise is a major issue in any electrical power train, both in full electrical or hybrid architectures. It affects the operation of the electronic circuits within the car and countermeasures have to be taken at early stages of the design." Consequently, due to the presence of hazardous high voltage (above 25 Vac or 60 Vdc), galvanic isolation is necessary between the domains of a battery management system and also between the primary and secondary systems of both ac-dc and dc-dc. Optical connections with POF provide the optimal means to achieve galvanic isolation while realizing data communications between the domains at the same time. KDPOF will present their GEPOF technology at Automotive Ethernet Congress on January 30 and 31, 2018 in Munich, Germany. Optical Connectivity for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles The control of all the subsystems involved in the electrical powertrain requires a communication bus that transports the control, actuation and sensor signals among the different components in all domains. The communication bus has to be immune to the electromagnetic noise and, at the same time, comply with the mechanical, temperature, and weight constraints of the overall vehicle. 1000BASE-RH, the Ethernet specification for a Gigabit capable, POF-based communication protocol, is ideal for the new architectures, as it provides a natural galvanic isolation between communicating modules and a radiation free harness. Moreover, it can operate at 100 Mbps for most current needs while also supporting future needs at 1 Gbps. KDPOF recently announced the sampling of the KD1053, the first automotive grade Gigabit Ethernet POF transceiver. The KD1053 complies with the new IEEE standard amendment Std 802.3bv™ for Gigabit Ethernet over POF. It fully meets the requirements of carmakers by providing high connectivity with a flexible digital host interface, low latency, low jitter, and low linking time.
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E-CAVE project to see Ordnance Survey shaping the UK’s driverless vehicle infrastructure
Ordnance Survey (OS) has been appointed by Business Secretary Greg Clark to help shape a national infrastructure capable of supporting a nationwide network of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs). The four-year project lies at the heart of the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy, and further establishes the UK as one of the world’s leading locations in this sector. E-CAVE will focus on the challenges of creating effective connected environments using OS digital data expertise. OS will also be engaged in supporting and collaborating with CAV testing across the four recently announced CAV test bed projects overseen by Meridian. OS has experience at the centre of major national infrastructure research projects. Projects such as the ground breaking ‘Atlas’ initiative, which studied and identified data critical to the efficient operation of autonomous vehicles, and the development of a Digital Twin planning tool for the roll out of 5G. Nigel Clifford, OS CEO, said: “This project will provide the UK government with evidence-based insights to speed up the deployment of connected environments in the UK. In addition to this, the learning we gain will show the UK to be an exemplar, and the infrastructure design which comes from this activity can be scaled up and used internationally. We believe there is an opportunity to attract inward investment. Our primary aim though, is to ensure driverless vehicles will be connected and collaborating to ensure the safety of the public at all times.” Business Secretary, Greg Clark, said: “Low carbon and self-driving vehicles are the future and the UK is determined to be one of the world-leaders in this technological revolution. Through our Industrial Strategy and the Automotive Sector Deal, the Government is paving the way to ensure the UK is best placed to seize the opportunities presented by the development of our next generation of vehicles. “With its centuries of experience in mapping and its status as a big data powerhouse, Ordnance Survey’s new project will make a valuable contribution to us achieving our bold ambitions accelerating the development and deployment of driverless technology in the UK.”
