In collaboration with TomTom, the UvA is embarking on research on the use of AI for creating HD maps suitable for all levels of autonomous driving.

For the next five years, five PhD students will work in the Atlas lab on projects contributing to automated recognition of items like traffic signs, 3D-localization of vehicles and combining LIDAR (light detection and ranging) laser and camera images. For retrieving data, mobile mapping vans equipped with sensors, like LIDAR-systems and cameras, are being used.

Synopsys shared details of its collaboration with Samsung Foundry to deliver comprehensive automotive chip design solutions to meet target automotive safety integrity levels (ASILs) for autonomous driving and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). As part of this collaboration, Samsung Foundry and Synopsys have enabled Samsung’s automotive reference flow to meet target ASILs for safety-critical designs. Developed based on its 8LPP process, Samsung Foundry’s automotive reference flow has been finely tuned to deliver benefits on a variety of process technologies.

Synopsys’ comprehensive automotive design solutions deliver complex functional safety (FuSa) analysis, implementation, and verification capabilities. Differentiated offerings for automotive design, such as unified functional safety verification and native automotive solutions, enable designers to prove at the planning and implementation phases that their chip safety architecture can achieve target ASILs. Designers can perform failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and failure mode effects and diagnostic analysis (FMEDA) through Synopsys’ VC Functional Safety Manager that brings together best-in-class technologies for fault campaign management. Early functional safety analysis at RTL or gate level can quickly identify candidates for triple-mode redundancy (TMR) and dual-core lock-step (DCLS) redundancy and estimate ISO 26262 metrics for target ASIL. Synopsys’ native automotive solutions based on FuSa intent provide the industry’s most comprehensive feature set to implement FuSa mechanisms, such as TMR, DCLS, and failsafe finite state machine (FSM), perform formal verification, and check and report that safety mechanisms are properly implemented. Comprehensive digital/analog fault injection and simulation can be performed to produce reliable metrics for FMEDA and roll-up. Synopsys also provides complete solutions to address reliability challenges in automotive design, including electromigration (EM), voltage (IR) drop, device aging, and robust redundant via insertion (RVI) capabilities. Synopsys provides designers with a broad portfolio of automotive IP that is designed and tested for AEC-Q100 reliability, offers ASIL Ready ISO 26262 certification, and supports automotive quality management.

Mitsubishi Electric’s autonomous driving system is realized with sensor-fusion technologies implemented with peripheral sensors, millimeter-wave radar and cameras, etc. as well as infrastructure-assisted technologies incorporating Centimeter Level Augmentation Service (CLAS) signals from the Quasi Zenith Satellite System and high-definition three-dimensional maps. The system, which is now capable of driving on surface roads without high-definition maps and autonomous parking both indoors and outdoors, has been tested on actual surface roads near Tokyo’s waterfront and in the city of Tsukuba, located north of Tokyo. Going forward, Mitsubishi Electric expects to realize fully autonomous driving in designated areas (Autonomous Driving Level 4) by implementing proprietary traffic-control technologies, which are currently deployed for both railways and aircrafts, and artificial-intelligence (AI) technology, namely Maisart.

Today, automotive engineering teams are forced to use multiple, often unaligned, tools to handle the complete validation and verification process. As automotive systems become increasingly more complex and data intensive, the process has become correspondingly more challenging and convoluted.  Scaling these complex systems is especially problematic. Those involved with the process—which can range from test drivers and engineers to data scientists, IT pros and project managers, among others—are typically located in different parts of the world, which makes data orchestration even more difficult.

EB Assist Test Lab offers a unique, end-to-end approach to validation and verification, providing a “one-stop shop” solution integrating tools that are already on the market and in use with additional functionality to cover critical gaps. It covers the entire testing cycle, from data collection to data analysis, including optimized processes for collaboration, integration with third-party tools and services, data processing and management, and more. The combined goals of improved workflow, increased efficiencies and ultimately accelerated schedules are all realized in the new EB product.

In collaboration with cloud partners such as Microsoft and data center providers like Equinix, EB Assist Test Lab is infinitely scalable, able to handle the vast and growing amounts of data generated by today’s increasingly complex systems equipped with radar, Lidar and high-resolution cameras. Data collections per vehicle per day currently average hundreds of megabytes per second, and are expected to increase to multiple gigabytes per second in the next generation.

Trends such as the proliferation of camera, display, radar, lidar and other sensors are creating growing demand for high-performance wired interfaces in vehicles. While drawing on its existing specifications for mobile devices, MIPI is developing and enhancing automotive specifications to meet the stringent requirements of automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, SoC designers and other industry providers in areas such as reliability, functional safety and low electromagnetic interference (EMI).

New automotive white paper

In a white paper published today, “MIPI Alliance: Driving the Wires of Automotive,” MIPI lays out how it is leveraging its current specifications for automotive applications and developing enhancements and new specifications for this sector. Download it here.

The white paper includes an in-depth look at the upcoming MIPI A-PHY specification and its key technical advantages. Development work is well underway on the MIPI A-PHY v1.0 physical layer specification, which will provide the automotive industry with a unified in-vehicle connectivity standard that meets the industry’s need for high speed, low latency, functional safety, lightweight wiring, low power consumption and the desired economies of scale.

A-PHY support for broadest spectrum of speed needs

A-PHY is being developed as an asymmetric data link in a point-to-point topology with high-speed unidirectional data, embedded bidirectional control data and optional power delivery over a single cable. It will support both coaxial cables up to 15 meters and shielded differential pair (SDP) cables, each with up to four inline connectors. A key application of A-PHY is to directly and efficiently carry the near-ubiquitous MIPI Camera Serial Interface-2 (MIPI CSI-2) and MIPI Display Serial Interface-2 (MIPI DSI-2) protocols between components anywhere in a vehicle, as well as other interface types. These protocols currently use the short-reach MIPI D-PHY and MIPI C-PHY physical layers and require a “bridge” to a proprietary long-reach PHY to connect widely dispersed systems. A-PHY will offer a single long-reach physical layer so designers can use the same long-reach bridge transport technology in all cases. Later, cameras, displays and SoCs will natively support A-PHY, eliminating the need for bridge chips altogether.

MIPI A-PHY is being developed on two profiles to support speeds of 2-16 Gbps, with a roadmap to 24-48 Gbps and beyond, to suit a broad spectrum of use cases and design needs. Profile 1, for lower-speed applications, is expected to deliver up to about 8 Gbps over 15 meters and offer a lowest-cost, low-complexity solution for simple implementation and shorter time to market. Profile 2 will support all A-PHY speeds and provide a pathway to higher speeds for applications that require them. The two profiles will interoperate to ensure compatibility, as well as gradual system scale-up. When complete, A-PHY will serve a broad spectrum of longer-reach, high-speed connectivity needs, including IoT and industrial applications.

Next generation of automotive electronics specifications

MIPI A-PHY v1.0 specification work is expected to be completed by the end of 2019, with the specification available in early 2020. Meanwhile, MIPI is now identifying requirements for A-PHY v2.0, and OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and others in the automotive ecosystem are invited to join MIPI to contribute to this important work. It’s anticipated that the first vehicles using A-PHY components will be in production in 2024.

MIPI is also updating other specifications to meet the requirements of increasingly advanced vehicles and to help system designers, developers and manufacturers bring new technologies and features to market more quickly and at lower costs. For example, MIPI CSI-2 v3.0 was released recently—a significant update of the primary interface used to connect camera sensors to application processors. Enhancements include RAW-24, for representing individual image pixels with greater precision, which could help autonomous vehicles to more accurately identify obstacles and hazards.

Sasken opened its first office in Japan in November 1997 when the company was known as Silicon Automation Systems (SAS). Since then, Sasken has been providing Product Engineering services to several leading Japanese customers in areas such as Automotive, Enterprise and Consumer Devices, and Satellite Communication. Sasken is extensively engaged with one of Japan’s largest automotive manufacturer and is enabling them with Computer Vision and Machine Learning solutions for their Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Sasken is also engaged in delivering satellite communication technology to Japan’s leading telecommunication operator.

The move marks the first time Zenuity software has been used in a global premium high volume vehicle, after a similar system was included in March this year in the Polestar 2, the all electric performance car.

Safety is at the core of Zenuity’s products. Volvo Cars is renowned globally for its commitment to automotive safety, while Polestar is jointly owned by Volvo alongside the Geely Group. Zenuity is a 50-50 joint venture between Volvo Cars and Veoneer, two of the Nordic region’s most famous names in automotive safety.

The use of Zenuity software in the Volvo’s XC40 and the Polestar 2 underlines its advanced product development capability and the commercial attraction of its offering as a result of its safety credentials and assisted driving capabilities.

Zenuity, which was formed 2.5 years ago, is now working globally alongside Veoneer to supply auto manufacturers in the US, China and Europe. It enjoys an especially close relationship with Volvo and is also a preferred supplier to the ZGH group.

ZGH is China’s fastest growing privately owned automotive group with brands that include Volvo, Polestar, Proton, LYNK CO, Lotus, LEVC and Geely Auto. It sold 2.15m cars in 2018.

With the introduction of the forthcoming fully electric Volvo XC40 SUV next month, Volvo Cars is not just launching its first fully electric car – it is also introducing one of the safest cars on the road. 

In terms of active safety systems, the battery­powered XC40 is the first Volvo model equipped with a new Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensor platform with software developed by Zenuity and Veoneer.

The new ADAS platform is a modern, scalable active safety system that consists of an array of radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors. Because of its scalable nature it can easily be developed further and lays the foundation for the future introduction of autonomous drive technology.

With over 30 years’ experience in the photonics and imaging industry, Acal BFi’s engineers have the in-depth knowledge and capabilities to support customers as an extension to their in-house teams. This enables Acal BFi to act as a bespoke provider of LeddarTech’s innovative LiDAR solutions in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Safety is a prerequisite for creating trust in mobility, and Veoneer supports Thatcham Research in launching the first guidelines for safe introduction of Automated Driving Systems. “There are significant hurdles to ensuring that automated driving successfully elevates road safety from where it is today,” says Ola Boström, VP Research, Veoneer.

The transition from assisted to Automated Driving, where sensors and systems play a primary role in what we think of today as the act of driving, is an area of potential risk. It is in this transition period, during which functionality is limited and the driver is required to take back control in certain situations, the risk of accidents may increase.

The 12 principles in Thatcham Research’s guidelines include; training to ensure that drivers understand the vehicle’s automated functions; geofencing to restrict the automated system to motorway driving only; and in-vehicle displays to clearly indicate whether the car or user is responsible for driving at all times. In addition, the guideline dictates that if the driver does not take back control when required, the vehicle must be able to assess the safest minimum-risk maneuver and undertake it according to the prevailing road conditions. “This should never mean simply deactivating automation,” Veoneer and Thatcham Research agrees.

It is predicted that in 2030, the vast majority of all cars sold will include advanced technologies that provide collaborative interaction with the driver, while a fraction of the market will be fully autonomous cars.

OSR Enterprises AG and Jaguar Land Rover are collaborating to enhance Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Automated Driving and securely connected technologies for the era of new mobility. The collaboration is revealed at the IAA show, where the OSR EVOLVER is integrated in the Jaguar I-PACE.

A part of the collaboration with the British luxury brand Jaguar Land Rover is visible in the integration of the 4th generation EVOLVER in Jaguar’s I-PACE. The following functions provide just a glimpse into the wider scope of advanced capabilities that the collaboration will unfold:

• Remote driving and vehicle control over 4G & 5G networks as a built-in functionality integrated into the vehicle
• Open and learning advanced surrounding detection, recognition and prediction as the basis for enhanced safety and automated driving capabilities
• In-cabin driver and passenger monitoring – extracting human characteristics to enhance safety, comfort, wellbeing and personalization
• Cyber-secured car network and connectivity – integrated secure validation of communication, including OTA updates

The I-PACE, awarded 2019 World Car of the Year, enhanced with the EVOLVER’s pioneering features, will be displayed at OSR’s booth in the New Mobility World in Hall 5.

Advanced surrounding detection, situational adaptive recognition, logical prediction of events and intelligent in-cabin monitoring are essential for improved safety and automated driving capabilities. Plus, an integrated secure validation of communication must safeguard the integrity of the vehicle’s and passenger’s data.

Only the EVOLVER’s consolidated architecture, AI capabilities and the hardware and software combination that has been holistically developed for this purpose can provide maximum cyber security and minimum “attack diameter” for hackers.

he Department for International Trade (DIT) will support some of the UK’s most innovative automotive businesses to exhibit for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show, taking place from the 10 to 15 September. Andrew Mitchell, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Europe, will open the UK pavilion and meet with the co-exhibiting companies as well as representatives from the German automotive industry.

In the ‘New Mobility World’ hall, UK companies will showcase new emission-free and sustainable technologies, ranging from Oxbotica’s parking software and the electric Swifty Scooter, to the London EV Company Limited’s iconic, electric black cabs.

Level-4 and higher autonomous driving vehicles are required to adapt to the environment, to control the vehicle, and to conduct synchronized communications with the cloud. A wide range of technologies is necessary to develop these functions while maintaining high reliability and safety.

To address these challenges, Synopsys provides comprehensive automotive solutions:

• Synopsys virtual prototyping solutions provide early access to silicon chips and virtual ECUs, allowing software development and testing to start up to 12 months before hardware is available.
• Synopsys Fusion Design Platform provides the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of foundry certified tools and flows. It enables full-flow optimization for concurrent clock and data (CCD), wire synthesis, and logic restructuring, delivering high performance while supporting low power consumption, small area and a high level of functional safety.
• Synopsys test solutions enable early validation of complex design-for-test (DFT) logic supported through full RTL integration while maintaining physical-, timing-, and power-awareness.
• The Synopsys Verification Continuum Platform natively integrates verification technologies, including virtual prototyping, static and formal verification, simulation, emulation, FPGA-based prototyping, debug and verification IP (VIP), to accelerate verification closure.
• Synopsys’ broad portfolio of silicon-proven DesignWare IP for automotive applications includes Interface IP, Logic Libraries, Embedded Memories, Data Converters, ARC Processors, Security IP and the Sensor and Control IP Subsystem. The ASIL Ready ISO 26262 certified IP portfolio with automotive safety packages accelerates SoC-level functional safety assessments to help designers reach target ASIL levels.