According to Michael Bolle, Bosch board of management member, “AIoT offers enormous potential. We are already unlocking this potential and plan to expand our efforts in the future.” Under the tagline “Sustainable #LikeABosch,” the company presented intelligent, sustainable solutions for health, living, and mobility at the virtual tech trade fair CES 2021.

Among the innovations Bosch introduced at the tech show is the world’s first self-learning AI sensor for wearables and hearables in fitness tracking. Since the AI runs on the sensor itself (edge AI), there’s no longer any need for an internet connection during an exercise session – this improves energy efficiency and data privacy. The company also presented a sensor that measures factors such as air quality and relative humidity. This delivers information about aerosols’ concentration in the air – data that has become especially important in the fight against the coronavirus. Bosch security cameras help in the battle against the virus. AI makes it possible for them to execute a wide array of customer-specific applications. For example, a new camera solution with integrated intelligent video analysis measures body temperature contactless, anonymously, and with high precision – with a maximum deviation of half a degree. Moreover, using a software solution for the open camera platform of the Bosch startup Security and Safety Things, these cameras can detect whether the number of people in a shop complies with the prevailing coronavirus restrictions. This platform was designated a 2021 CES Innovation Award Honoree, making it one of four Bosch solutions singled out this year. Another premiere was a portable haemoglobin monitor that can detect anaemia by means of a finger scan. The device is particularly well suited for regions that have insufficient access to medical care. Equipped with AI, the haemoglobin monitor delivers a result within 30 seconds – no lab test or blood draw necessary.

Sustainable #LikeABosch: Bosch as a pioneer in climate action

A study recently published in Germany indicated that AIoT could go beyond health applications to support climate action as well. The study found that comprehensive digitalisation in mobility, manufacturing, and building technology could help get the country nearly halfway to achieving the Paris Agreement emissions targets (source: Accenture).

Here is where Bosch takes a hand: its tagline for this year’s CES – “Sustainable #LikeABosch” – expresses one aspect of the company’s entrepreneurial responsibility. The #LikeABosch image campaign’s sequel highlights how everyone can do their part to protect the environment with sustainable products. Bosch itself is leading by example: according to in-house calculations, all the company’s 400 locations worldwide have been carbon neutral since 2020. Bosch is the first globally operating industrial enterprise to achieve net-zero carbon emissions regarding its energy and energy sources externally. “The next step for Bosch is to address emissions along the entire value chain, from procurement to product use,” Bolle says. In that vein, Bosch is the first automotive supplier to join the Science Based Targets initiative with a specific and ambitious goal: by 2030, to cut upstream and downstream CO2 emissions by 15 percent. The Group’s achievements in climate action have won recognition outside the company as well: the non-profit Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) has added Bosch to its A List.

Through its advisory company Bosch Climate Solutions, founded last year, Bosch shares its experience as a climate action pioneer with other companies. The Bosch startup markets several solutions, including the cloud-based energy platform, which applies intelligent algorithms to reduce machines’ energy consumption and thus increase production processes’ efficiency. The company has already deployed the platform at more than 100 locations, making a major contribution to improving energy efficiency – the main lever in the company’s efforts to go carbon neutral.

Digital, Sustainable

As this example shows, digitalisation is paving the way for sustainability. “We want to be the leading AIoT company in every area that we operate in,” Bolle explains. Trust in AI is the most important prerequisite for it to become established to improve people’s lives and help limit climate change. To this end, Bosch relies on industrial AI, which explains the physical world to machines – instead of teaching them how to behave like people. Nonetheless, this requires ethical guidelines. To set them, Bosch has drawn up an AI code of ethics that centres on the idea that humans always retain control.

In addition to improving energy efficiency in manufacturing, the company is systematically adding connectivity to its products for buildings and mobility to help consumers save energy. One of these products is an energy manager that the company offers for use in private homes. When combined with a heat pump and photovoltaic system, the manager can cut energy consumption by up to 60 percent. In the mobility sphere, drivers of electric vehicles can benefit from services such as Battery in the Cloud, which uses smart software analysis to reduce battery wear by up to 20 percent.

In general, the combination of electrified and automated driving with personalised and connected services will open up a broad field for software applications. Vehicle computers are central to Bosch’s efforts to extend its leading role in software-intensive electronic systems.

To meet this demand, the new Cross- Domain Computing Systems division and its 17,000 associates started operations at the beginning of the year. In this unit, Bosch combines its capabilities in hardware and software engineering for vehicle computers, sensors, and control units for all vehicle domains. This reduces complexity in vehicle development and will get new functions on the road significantly faster.

On The Moon

From earthbound roads to activities in space: whereas last year’s CES saw the premiere of the SoundSee AI sensor system for the International Space Station, this time Bosch set its sights on the moon. As part of NASA’s Tipping Point programme, it is joining forces with the companies Astrobotic and WiBotic as well as the University of Washington to develop smart, autonomous navigation and wireless charging technologies for robots that explore the lunar surface. Starting in 2023, these shoebox-sized lunar robots, called CubeRovers, should be able to move autonomously across the moon and also find their way back to their docking stations. Bosch researchers working on Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley projects are contributing their expertise in AI-based intelligent data analysis and wireless connectivity solutions. The resulting findings will flow into the further development of Bosch AIoT solutions back on earth.

All this clearly shows how much potential AIoT offers, as well as the key role sustainability, plays in it. “Only companies that pursue sustainability today and unlock the enormous potential of AIoT, will be successful tomorrow,” Bolle added. (MT)

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Wayve, NVIDIA and Stellantis have announced a joint collaboration alongside the French government at the Assises du Véhicule Autonome to support the deployment of autonomous vehicles in France and across the European Union.

The initiative combines Stellantis’ L4-Ready Platforms with the Wayve AI Driver system, integrating NVIDIA Halos OS on the NVIDIA Hyperion compute and sensor architecture. The collaboration aims to establish an autonomous vehicle value chain in France, spanning silicon development, software integration and vehicle manufacturing.

Local transport partners will engage with trade unions, municipal authorities, and mobility stakeholders to address regulatory alignment, safety requirements, and operational deployment.

Philippe Tabarot, French Minister of Transports, said, "I am pleased to see this collaboration between Wayve, NVIDIA and Stellantis launched at the Autonomous Vehicle Forum in France. France is committed to adapting its regulatory framework to accelerate the development of autonomous vehicles while maintaining strict safety and data sovereignty requirements. By bringing together trade unions, city authorities, and mobility stakeholders, this collaboration embodies the collaborative spirit of the Assises du Véhicule Autonome, as well as the approach required to transition from trials to real-world deployment."

Kaity Fischer, VP Autonomous Mobility & Operations, Wayve, said, "France is leading the way in preparing for autonomous vehicles, and we’re proud to enter this collaboration at such an important moment. By working directly with the French Government and our partners, we can help shape how this technology is deployed safely and responsibly and accelerate its development across the country and entire EU."

Anne Laliron, SVP of Technology Research, Stellantis, said, "This collaboration will help accelerate the delivery of autonomous driving technologies that make mobility safer and more convenient for customers. While its impact is global, France is one of Stellantis’ key centres for engineering and technology development, making it a natural home for advancing the future of AI-powered mobility."

Ali Kani, VP of Automotive, NVIDIA, said, "Bringing safe autonomous mobility to Europe requires deep collaboration across AI, computing and vehicle engineering. NVIDIA Hyperion platform, combined with Wayve’s embodied AI and Stellantis’ automotive expertise, provides a foundation for that ambition. Together with the French Government and local partners, we can help build an ecosystem that brings the benefits of autonomous driving to communities across France and Europe."

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German luxury carmaker Audi has introduced third-generation digital OLED rear lighting technology on the Q91, marking the production debut of three-dimensionally curved digital OLED panels in the automotive industry.

The lighting system incorporates carrier glass measuring 0.1 millimetres in thickness, allowing a bend radius of up to 200 millimetres to match the vehicle's body contours. The Q91 uses six digital OLED panels housing 512 individual segments, including an outer curved panel with 99 segments.

The curved positioning extends light visibility to wider lateral angles and incorporates warning symbols within the communication light system to alert surrounding traffic to breakdowns, emergency braking or accidents. Up to eight digital light signatures are available across static, active and semi-active display settings.

The vehicle also features digital Matrix LED headlights utilising a 13-millimetre micro-LED module containing 25,600 individual micro-LEDs. The headlight system projects high-resolution lane lighting, orientation paths and dynamic turn signal graphics directly onto the road surface to assist lane centring and indicate directional changes to pedestrians and other vehicles.

Audi first introduced OLED technology on the TT RS in 2016, followed by segmented digital OLEDs on the Q5 in 2020 and second-generation panels on the Q6 e-tron in 2024.

Stefan Berlitz, Head of Lighting Development at AUDI AG, said, "At Audi, light means safety first and foremost – seeing and being seen. Digitalisation opens up entirely new possibilities for further enhancing road safety. The curved digital OLED technology in the Audi Q91 impressively demonstrates this technology’s potential. It combines design freedom, personalization, and communication with the vehicle’s surroundings at a new level. Our vision is to gradually transform light into an intelligent means of communication that makes interaction between the vehicle and its surroundings even safer and more intuitive."

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European ride-hailing platform Bolt has selected the NVIDIA Alpamayo Stack autonomous driving software to operate its vehicle fleet in Europe, starting with Lucid automobiles.

The deployment commences in Madrid in 2027, with subsequent deployment planned in Germany and France. The initiative supports the integration of at least 25,000 Level 4-ready Lucid vehicles equipped with NVIDIA Hyperion compute and sensor architecture. The program contributes to Bolt's objective of deploying 100,000 autonomous vehicles across Europe and the UNECE region by 2035. The system integrates reasoning artificial intelligence with perception and planning modules alongside NVIDIA Halos safety controls.

Jevgeni Kabanov, President and Head of Autonomous Driving, Bolt, said, “Autonomous driving will change how people move around cities, and Europe should play a major role in how that future is built. Our ambition isn't to bring autonomous driving to just a handful of cities. We want to make autonomous ride-hailing available at scale across Europe, with 100,000 vehicles on our platform by 2035. We're bringing together some of the best technologies in the world to make that possible. Following our first autonomous mobility launch in Luxembourg, our next step with NVIDIA and Lucid is to begin a programme in Madrid in 2027. The Region of Madrid is pioneering a structured framework for commercial autonomous mobility in coordination with national authorities. Germany will also be a priority for what comes next, with cities already setting out clear ambitions for autonomous mobility.”

Rishi Dhall, Vice-President of Automotive, NVIDIA, said, “Robotaxis will scale when every vehicle is built on a common, safety-engineered foundation. NVIDIA Hyperion standardises the compute and sensor architecture across vehicle platforms, while NVIDIA Alpamayo Stack and Halos provide the driving intelligence and safety foundation. Bolt’s European platform, operational experience and work with cities and regulators make it a strong partner to bring autonomous ride-hailing to market at scale in Europe.”

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French tier 1 supplier Valeo has announced plans to develop and industrialise high-performance compute platforms utilising the NVIDIA Hyperion reference architecture and NVIDIA Halos safety system.

The initiative combines Valeo's vehicle integration capabilities with centralised computing architectures to support software-defined mobility systems. The platform utilises the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Thor architecture to deliver processing performance and redundancy for Level 4 autonomous driving, commercial trucking and robotaxi applications. The development framework enables automakers to integrate features and deploy autonomous technologies across vehicle models.

Marc Vrecko, Chief Executive Officer, Valeo Brain Division, said, "Our work with NVIDIA marks a significant milestone in our mission to make autonomous driving a safe, scalable reality. By seamlessly integrating NVIDIA’s advanced compute power into our next-generation platforms, we are delivering the flexible, centralised intelligence vehicle manufacturers require to redefine the driving experience and meet the evolving demands of tomorrow’s intelligent vehicles."

Rishi Dhall, Vice-President of Automotive, NVIDIA, said, "Valeo’s expertise in high-performance computing, vehicle integration and automotive-scale industrialisation will help automakers adopt NVIDIA Hyperion and NVIDIA Halos at production scale. Together, NVIDIA and Valeo are providing the AI performance, functional safety and scalability needed to accelerate the development of Level 4 autonomous vehicles and robotaxis."

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