Connected Horizon
Our embedded software is based on years of experience in car infotainment and knowledge of market trends. We provide innovative solutions that are flexibly designed to meet the specified requirements of our customers.
High-precision technologies
We have drawn on our vast automotive experience to develop a new generation of embedded software. We are experts in high-precision positioning, embedded maps, and gathering aggregate data in the cloud. Our embedded software is based on years of experience in car infotainment and knowledge of market trends.
Driving with foresight
The Connected Horizon delivers a full range of predictive functions. It expands the driver’s field of vision with highly accurate map data and real-time information on the road ahead. Driving with this kind of foresight can reduce fuel consumption by up to 10 percent, and it is especially effective when combined with Bosch Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
When on the road, there is nothing more important than knowing what’s coming next. The Connected Horizon helps drivers to identify hazards before they appear. Because it is connected to the cloud, the Connected Horizon also makes it possible to deliver highly detailed topographical data, along with information on road and traffic conditions – in real time. As soon as something changes, this information is forwarded to the driver.
Minimizing driver workload reduces accident risk. It also cuts fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, as drivers can optimize their driving strategy to accommodate current conditions.
How does the Connected Horizon work?
The Connected Horizon continuously supplies the driver with up-to-date route information. This information is calculated on the basis of static and dynamic data. The system uses a base of topographical map data to superimpose different layers of dynamic data, whereby the bottom layer contains data that rarely changes, such as speed limits. The next layers contain dynamic data, which changes regularly, such as traffic information, and the top layer contains highly-dynamic data with information on sudden events, such as danger spots or accidents. The evaluation of this data provides a much more precise route preview than a conventional navigation system.
How does the data get into the vehicle?
Before it can be made available in the Connected Horizon, the data first needs to be recorded. The data captured by the vehicle sensors or cameras and the data received from various control units in the vehicle is sent to a server, e.g. the Bosch IoT Cloud. This is where the data is collected and evaluated before being sent to other vehicles to update their route data.
Relaxed driving
The country road assistant ensures greater safety and driving convenience. It calculates the optimum speed based on the map data, including speed limits, cornering profiles, and danger spots, as well as dynamic information. The server connection provides current information on the route ahead to ensure that the devices in the vehicle respond accordingly and adjust appropriately to the environment. This makes it possible to have the vehicle speed adjusted automatically, for example, and the risk of accidents is kept to a minimum.
No major detours
The traffic jam tailback assistant detects the upcoming tail end of a traffic jam and informs the driver in good time before it becomes visible. This prevents rear-end collisions, as the speed is adjusted automatically and the vehicle is able to stop in time, if necessary.
Because the system is able to access the latest traffic database data, the Connected Horizon enables the navigation system to calculate a precise alternative route whenever necessary.
Safe and sound from start to finish
The hazard spot assistant improves driving safety because it is able to detect danger spots along the route. Dangerous situations often arise due to changing weather, dirty lanes or obstacles – up-to-date information on the road conditions is processed and interpreted in the cloud. This highly dynamic data allows the Connected Horizon to provide danger warnings well in advance.
Save fuel with the cloud
The predictive powertrain processes three-dimensional map data and the route data made available by the Connected Horizon to reduce fuel consumption. The calculated data is used to adjust the speed predictively, to accelerate and brake the vehicle, as well as to change gears early in vehicles with an automatic transmission.
The coasting assistant identifies the route sections on which drivers can take their foot off the gas and allow the vehicle to coast. This guarantees an optimum driving speed with minimum braking and high energy efficiency. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are reduced. The Connected Horizon ensures effective energy management not only in combustion engines, but in hybrid vehicles as well. In this context, the evaluation of topographical data permits the optimum use of available energy by the hybrid management system. It calculates where and when the vehicle can utilize the battery most effectively and finds the route sections that are best suited to energy recovery (recuperation) to proactively optimize battery charging.
Virtually automatic
The Connected Horizon provides information on the route that goes far beyond the driver's field of vision and the range of any sensors. This is an important prerequisite for highly automated driving. The precise positioning of the vehicle on the road, accurate knowledge of the route, dynamic traffic density data and highly dynamic data from the cloud about current incidents and situations enable a vehicle to drive virtually automatically. The Connected Horizon processes all this information in its data layers to bring a vehicle safely to its destination.
Benefits
For consumers:
- Predictive data helps drivers plan their journeys.
- Cloud services supply the latest map data, plus information on road and traffic conditions.
- Bosch Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) slows the vehicle automatically to recommended speeds.
- The Connected Horizon also warns the driver of traffic congestion, and ACC reduces the vehicle’s speed when approaching traffic jams.
- Reduces the risk of accidents
- Enhances driving comfort and convenience
- Stays up to date thanks to cloud services
- The Connected Horizon anticipates what drivers will need next. It learns which route they are likely to take and recommends driving speeds based on previous journeys.
For vehicle manufacturers:
- Can be used by other vehicle functions, e.g. adaptive cornering lights and energy management systems
- Uses real-time data to enable assistance functions
- Real-time data is integrated via a server connection