Automotive Industry and Mobility

Spatial recognition of the environment for autonomous mobility

Traffic will increase significantly in the coming years. By 2020 and the years afterwards, a substantial growth in individual traffic as well as road transport is to be expected. In order to secure the flow of traffic and the high safety standards on German roads and to continue reducing the number of accidents, active driver assistance and security systems rank among the key technologies. One basic element of future elements is the three-dimensional capability to scan and analyze the surroundings as well as the interior of the vehicle.

Heavy traffic in urban areas requires a dynamic and safe scanning of the vehicle’s surroundings. Integral all-round visibility, precise 3D detection and modeling are of essential importance for an exact description of objects, roads and space for maneuvering. Especially challenging in this context is the detection and the subsequent processing of hidden or partially hidden objects. To date, this is not feasible with the standard 2D representation, but can be attained by consequently processing 3D data.

Capturing the state of the driver contactless depicts another important aspect of increasing safety on the roads. This supports people with impairments to drive safely. The goal is to aid the driver though 3D assistance which heightens their attention towards the flow of traffic.

Also managing driver assistance systems via gestures contributes to reducing the frequency of accidents. The driver is not dependent on visual signals such as touchscreens in order to adjust primary components of the vehicle (e.g. air conditioning, infotainment, telecommunications) and therefore their attention is less diverted from the task at hand - the driving. By tailoring the interface according to the user’s needs, the driver will be able to control the technical components of the vehicle only through hand gestures.