Fully automatic self parking next goal from Bosch
Ultrasound sensors are helping to transform many functions within today’s motor car not least of which is in the area of parallel parking and Bosch is at the forefront of these developments. To date some 200 vehicle models are fitted with Bosch parking technology and according to Dr Rainer Kallenbach, Executive Vice President Sales of the Bosch Automotive Electronics division “We expect a wide range of new parking technologies. These include expanded convenience functions such as parking at right angles, a warning system for side collisions, as well as assistance for driving out of parking spaces and a fully automatic parking function”.
The semi-automatic Bosch park assist technology is already at the state of the art level. It interfaces with the electric power steering unit and carries out all the steering manoeuvres. All the driver has to do in the parking process is to accelerate and brake. The benefits of this technology include making better use of limited space for parking in cities; taking the stress out of the process for many drivers; a reduction in the damage caused during parking and speeding up the process of parking which helps reduce congestion.
The next step from Bosch will be to provide car companies with an additional function that will assist the driver when pulling out of a parking space. The function ensures the steering in the right starting position and it will then carry out the steering manoeuvres to pull out of a parking spot. Once again, all the driver has to do is use the accelerator and brake and be aware of other vehicles.
The next technology, available through the development by Bosch engineers of long-range ultrasound sensors will be parking into a right angle bay, for example in a multi story car park. The long range sensor is required to measure the length of the parking space.
A further development, which Bosch refers to as Side Distance Warning for series production, not only monitors the space in front and behind the vehicle but each side. This function provides collision warning for objects that the driver cannot see on either side of the vehicle thus preventing annoying and potentially expensive bodywork damage.
The Bosch long term objective is to make parking completely automatic. The result of the company’s development efforts will be to steer the car into a parking space fully automatically, quickly and safely. The driver’s only role will be to supervise the process. A failsafe mechanism will be provided whereby the system will stop if the driver touches the steering wheel or the brake.
Since they first went into production in 1993, Bosch has produced more than 100 million ultrasound sensors making the company the world’s leading supplier. Currently fourteen car companies now offer Bosch’s clever parking technology for some 200 vehicle models.
