LAS VEGAS — German supplier Continental introduced a suite of automotive products at CES, placing an emphasis on autonomous vehicle technology, software integration and security.
A few highlights from the company include its new vehicle-contact sensor, its EasyMile CuBE human-machine interface, the next generation of its 3D center-stack display and keyless vehicle-access technology.
The technologies were presented Monday by Nikolai Setzer, member of the executive board representing Continental's automotive divisions; Dirk Abendroth, Continental chief technology officer; and Werner Koestler, head of strategy and business development of Continental's vehicle networking and information business area.
"This is the largest transition or change process this industry is going through since the industry was born," Setzer said.
The Continental Contact Sensor System combines a computing system and sensors to detect airborne contact, knocks, scratches, dents or harmless contact to a vehicle's exterior. It also incorporates sound signaling to detect impact from a crash, or to aid automated parking. Continental executives said the acoustic signals can be better than camera or radar and lidar sensors for some applications.
Continental officials discussed the company's development of keyless vehicle access through ultrawide-band technology and the use of smartphones, which could play a role in self-driving vehicles parking remotely and secure passive entry.
Like several other suppliers at CES this week, Continental focused on vehicle cockpit architecture with the introduction of its next-generation 3D Lightfield center-stack display. The display uses both a 3D experience and a touch function as another in-vehicle human-machine interaction. German supplier Bosch also is developing a 3D display.
Kerrigan Advisors’ proprietary annual OEM Survey of over 100 executives reveals that the majority of respondents are worried about the financial impact of Chinese automakers’ growing global market share, and most expect that the EV transition to be slower than expected. The survey also queried executives on their outlooks for dealership valuations and profitability, as well as their expectations for the future of dealer networks and facility requirements.
Continental unveiled its EasyMile CuBE HMI — an interior and exterior interface for AV detection of objects, communication with pedestrians and other internal cabin offerings — and its transparent hood technology. The feature uses satellite cameras under the hood to make it "transparent" and give the driver a view of the ground below.
Lastly, the company announced a cybersecurity initiative with the creation of the Automotive Security Operations Center, established in partnership with T-Systems and Continental subsidiary Argus. The Automotive SOC allows vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators to monitor the security of their vehicles and supervise, analyze and diagnose the vehicle in the event of a cyberattack.
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