Bosch Teaches Cars How to Learn and Take Appropriate Action

Bosch Teaches Cars How to Learn and Take Appropriate Action

At the international Bosch ConnectedWorld 2017 conference in Berlin, the supplier of technology and services presented an onboard computer for automated vehicles. Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), the computer can apply machine learning methods. The AI onboard computer is expected to guide self-driving cars through even complex traffic situations, or ones that are new to the car.

“We are teaching the car how to maneuver through road traffic by itself,“ said Volkmar Denner, chairman of the Bosch board of management. Cars already use Bosch sensors to monitor their surroundings. Using artificial intelligence, it will also be able to interpret those readings to make predictions about the behavior of other road users.

“Automated driving makes roads safer, and artificial intelligence is the key to making that happen. We are making the car smart,“ continued Denner. For building the core onboard computer, the company plans to collaborate with Nvidia. They will supply Bosch with a chip that stores algorithms, generated with machine learning methods. The AI onboard computer is expected to go into production by the beginning of the next decade at the latest.

Bosch’s AI onboard computer can recognize pedestrians or cyclists. Besides this ability, known as object recognition, artificial intelligence also makes it easier for automated vehicles to assess a situation. The computer stores whatever it learns while driving in artificial neural networks while experts review this knowledge in the lab for accuracy. Following further testing on the road, the artificially generated knowledge structures can be transmitted to any number of other AI onboard computers in an update.

Denner said that artificial intelligence would play a key role in all areas of business at Bosch, not just mobility. He named further innovative technologies that will open up new areas of business for Bosch. Besides artificial intelligence and the cloud, one of these is “blockchain“. Denner highlighted one practical use for a blockchain with a live demonstration in cooperation with German certification authority TÃœV Rheinland. It promises to put an end to the widespread practice of odometer fraud.

Now in its fourth year, Bosch ConnectedWorld 2017 is taking place in Berlin from March 15 to 16. The industry event, held at STATION-Berlin, is one of the world’s largest conferences on the internet of things. Different areas of industry will present examples of the benefits connectivity will deliver. Some 2,700 developers, representatives of the business community, and journalists are attending the conference this year.

At the event’s hackathon, around 500 programmers, start-up employees, and designers come together to share their experience and ideas. At the accompanying exhibition, visitors can experience innovative connectivity solutions presented by more than 80 exhibitors.