Page 33 - On The Move - Volume 16, Issue 4

Bosch AI-Camera Sharper Than Human Eye

In the race to an automated future under- In short, not only does the camera with nition feature to reliably read text and numbers
pinned by surround sensing, German supplier AI detect an object, such as a roadside cyclist or and present them to the driver on a dashboard
Robert Bosch says it has developed a new camera pedestrian, it also recognizes the object’s rele- display.
with artificial intelligence to enhance driver-as- vance to the person’s driving strategy and quickly The camera’s intelligence was developed in-
sistance systems and help pave the way for determines the appropriate action: brake, swerve house by Bosch and integrated into a chip, known
self-driving cars. or continue on the intended path. as V3H and produced by Japanese semiconductor
The new camera, exhibited at the Frankfurt Bosch considers the system particularly manufacturer Renesas. The technology won an
auto show and appearing on unspecified vehicles helpful in avoiding crashes where the driver may internal Bosch innovation contest.
this year, detects objects and their relevance have been looking in the correct direction but Source: Ward’s Auto
better than the human eye, Bosch says. failed to pick up the other motorist. According to
“We want to make cars better drivers than Bosch, 50% of crashes can be attributed to the
people, and in this way to increase road safety,” phenomenon. The Bosch camera does not tire,
says Bosch management board member Harald unlike the human eye, and it works just as well
Kröger. after hours of driving as it does in the first few
“In other words, technology has to work blocks.
more reliably than people,” he says in a state- The camera works in concert with other
ment announcing the breakthrough. sensing technologies, but the AI helps determine,
Cameras, radar and ultrasound provide the for example, if the edge of the road is passable
surround sensing necessary for enhanced ADAS despite the potential absence of lane markings.
and, in the future, self-driving cars. Of those It also can improve legacy ADAS systems and
sensing technologies, cameras come closest to extend their applicable range, as well as improve
the marvel of the human eye, Bosch observes, emergency braking maneuvers by detecting
but adding AI for object detection surpasses the objects partially concealed. Road-sign recognition
vision of even the sharpest driver. also is improved with an optical character recog-

Price Pressure Isn’t Curbing Sales, Experian Says

Affordability pressures, driven by rising mated 0.3 percent for the year, according to the
new-vehicle transaction prices, forced buyers to Automotive News data center.
get creative with financing options in the second
quarter, though consumers shouldering high- The report also said:
er-than-usual costs aren’t expected to abandon
their financial obligations. • Prime and superprime consumers — those
Experian’s latest industry report on auto with credit scores at and above 661— made
lending indicates that loan delinquencies remain up more than 57 percent of used-vehicle fi-
relatively flat, even while customers set records nance customers during the second quarter,
when it comes to stretching loan terms and an all-time record-high.
opting for used vehicles. • The average new-vehicle loan term in-
Melinda Zabritski, Experian’s senior director creased to 69.17 months, and used-vehicle
of automotive financial solutions, said consumers loan terms reached 64.82 months, both
are chasing smaller monthly payments, but the records.
real test of affordability will be whether they start • Delinquency rates moved — barely. Thir-
downgrading to smaller, less expensive vehicles. ty-day delinquencies dipped 1 basis point
“We fundamentally haven’t seen a differ- to 2.11 percent year over year, while 60-day
ence in the types of cars these consumers are delinquencies rose 1 basis point to 0.65
purchasing,” Zabritski told Automotive News. “If percent in the same time frame.
we do begin to see pressure around payments • Total automotive loan balances reached
and delinquency, that’s where we may be seeing $1.197 billion in the second quarter.
a shift in the types of cars people buy.”
U.S. new-vehicle sales rose for the second Source: Automotive News
straight month in August but are down an esti-

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