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"So the technical solution is redundancy," Stepper says. "We need to have redundant
systems in the vehicle for sensing, steering and braking."
Which, of course, leads to the question of cost: doesn't all of this redundancy
mean that there is the possibility of something like 2X the cost of setting up an autono-
mous vehicle?
No. "The backup system doesn't have to have the same level of performance as the
primary," he answers.
This is one of the things that makes a company like Bosch beneficial for autonomous
systems. That is, it is possible to use the electronic stability control system functionality
to steer a vehicle by braking individual wheels. And as for braking, they have the
"iBooster," a vacuum-independent electromechanical system that can be used
for backup.
"You don't have to have two of everything."
Perhaps somewhat more understandable than lawn mowers but still not what one
might ordinarily think about when "autonomous driving" is the subject, Stepper says,
"No one I have met is excited about parking. No one says, 'I got this really hot vehicle
Although it seems as though this S Class isn't going anywhere
(as this is a static image), it is actually maneuvering through
the multi-story parking deck at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in
Stuttgart—on its own. The "Bosch" labeled pole is a sensor that
provides information on both whether the car is going to encounter
anyone or anything, as well as parking availability. This capability
is something that may make autonomy all the more appealing to
even those who like driving—who likes parking?
The Daimler/Bosch-developed
automated parking system,
going live in 2018, makes use
of both on-board and infra-
structure-based technologies.
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AD&P; ∕ OCTOBER 2017