Camera-based sensors check the cabin to make sure passengers didn’t leave belongings, and it automatically pings them if it detects a forgotten object. It also knows whether the shuttle needs cleaning; camera technology has gotten precise enough that it can identify a piece of gum on the seat or a spilled cup of coffee. Of course, it’s better for everyone if riders leave the shuttle in the same condition they found it in.
We’ve gotten ahead of ourselves; Bosch plans to enter the shuttle-sharing economy at the booking stage, before users have a chance to spill their caramel macchiato. It’s developing a software platform that connects users to shuttles via a smartphone application, finds the best way from point A to point B, and checks if anyone else needs a ride along the way — assuming the person requests the ride wants to carpool, of course. And since there’s no human driver, digital access technology lets the shuttle identify the passenger who requested the ride via his or her smartphone. It’s like a digital fingerprint, the company explained in a statement, and it makes sure no one can nab your shuttle by showing up on the curb before you.
Bosch-built technology also helps the shuttle move. It’s powered by the firm’s electric drive axles, and it relies on software designed in-house to tell how much range is left in the battery, how much electrical equipment like the A/C uses, and whether the shuttle has enough battery power left to take its passengers to their destination. Shuttles running low will be automatically taken out of service and directed to the nearest charging station.
Radars, ultrasonic sensors, braking control systems, and power steering components are all made by the firm, and the map-based localization software that tells the shuttle precisely where it is comes from Bosch, too. It’s a massive investment, but the company’s executives believe it will pay off in the not-too-distant future. Right now, autonomous shuttles are few and far between. Bosch predicts that, in 2020, there will be about a million of them on the road in Europe, the United States, and China. That number will grow to 2.5 million by 2025.
“In the future, every vehicle on the road will make use of Bosch digital services,” predicted Bosch board member Markus Heyn.
Author: Ronan Glon
Originally Published on December 12, 2018 at 12:39PM
Article published originally via Digital Trends https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/bosch-showing-autonomous-shuttle-concept-at-ces-2019/