The vision of a robot car that largely takes care of itself and turns people into passengers is becoming more tangible. Assisted driving at level 2 is already part of everyday automotive life for many people. Bosch is now pushing the decisive transition to highly automated driving (SAE Level 3). At this stage, responsibility for specific use cases is transferred from humans to machines. The driver is allowed to take their hands off the steering wheel, take a nap and look away from the road – a technological advance that goes beyond comfort functions.
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At Bosch, the path to autonomy takes a new approach. Previous, rigid and rule-based programming reaches its limits in the complex reality of road traffic. The company’s answer is: artificial intelligence in every software component. It is said that by using AI, the vehicle can react much more flexibly to unforeseeable situations. Coupled with a redundant security architecture that kicks in immediately if a system fails, Bosch wants to create a basis of trust for Level 3 after many unsuccessful attempts by other car manufacturers and suppliers.
The aim is a system that operates reliably at speeds of up to 120 km/h and even under difficult conditions such as poor visibility. According to Bosch, the driver should gain valuable time back – be it on the motorway or on multi-lane expressways in metropolitan areas. According to the supplier, the technology not only keeps you in lane, but also initiates changes independently and coordinates acceleration and braking processes.
When milliseconds decide on security
An important component of this “new freedom” is the vehicle’s ability to evade quickly and precisely in emergency situations. With the “Autonomous Emergency Steering” function, Bosch, together with a Chinese vehicle manufacturer, has allegedly developed a system within just six months that closely interlinks driving assistance and vehicle control. If the braking distance is no longer sufficient in front of a suddenly appearing obstacle, “Vehicle Motion Management” takes over. Within milliseconds, the brakes, steering and drive are supposed to be coordinated so that the vehicle swerves stably – a performance that even experienced drivers could hardly achieve under stress.
With functions like these, the supplier wants to demonstrate that it can supply software and hardware from a single source. From the high-performance computers to the seventh-generation radar sensors to the algorithms, the entire chain is designed to make the complexity of autonomous driving manageable. The trial operation is to take place in China: Since March, the group has had the license to test vehicles with Level 3 functions in real operation in Wuxi, near Shanghai.
By-Wire: The digital skeleton of the car
Bosch relies on by-wire technologies to ensure that software commands are translated into mechanical movement without delay. With these systems, which are known from aircraft cockpits, there is no longer a physical connection between the pedal or steering wheel and the wheels. The transmission is purely electronic. Bosch sees this as a basic requirement for the future “software-defined vehicle”.
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The level of maturity of the technology should be particularly evident with the brake-by-wire system. Bosch wants to create the redundancy necessary for Level 3 through two independent braking devices. The steering also benefits: Steer-by-wire enables variable steering ratios that adapt to the respective driving situation – from relaxed maneuvering when parking to highly precise feedback at high speeds. These systems are scheduled to go into series production from mid-2026 and be used in private transport and on robotaxi platforms.
Global scaling as a goal
Level 3 development is currently gaining momentum, especially in the dynamic environment in the Far East. However, the Swabians’ strategy is globally oriented. Bosch wants to use markets with a high rate of innovation, primarily in China, as a testing ground in order to transfer findings worldwide. A Level 3 system that relieves the burden on the driver has enormous potential on the wide highways of the USA as well as on the highways of Europe.
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