· Next steps: Assistants for semi-automatic driving out of parking spaces, parking at a right angle, as well as a blind spot warning

· Our vision: Fully automatic parallel parking

Ultrasound sensors in the automobile make the driver’s life easier. Despite the sophistication of parking aid and parking assistant technologies for parallel parking, ultrasound technologies still offer a lot of potential for many innovations. “In the coming years, we expect a wide range of new pioneering technologies,” says Dr. Rainer Kallenbach, Executive Vice-President Sales of the Bosch Automotive Electronics division. “These include expanded convenience functions such as the assistant for parking at right angles, a warning system for side collisions, as well as an assistant for driving out of parking spaces and a fully automatic parking function.”

In light of these developments, these “sensory organs” will become increasingly important when driving a car. “The technology makes parking maneuvers even more comfortable and stress-free. It helps drivers make better use of the limited space for parking in cities. What’s more, since it speeds up the process of parking and driving out of parking spaces, it helps keep traffic flowing and reduces the amount of damage caused during parking maneuvers,” Kallenbach says.

The semi-automatic parking assistant is already state of the art. The assistant acts on the electric power steering unit and carries out all steering maneuvers. All the driver has to do in the parking process is press the gas pedal and the brakes. Electric steering support is required for park steering control of any kind. Park Steering Information, which provides the driver with information on the best possible parking maneuver, is an alternative technology for vehicles with hydraulic power steering.

New assistant for driving out of parking spaces
In the next step, Bosch will supply automakers with an additional function that will assist drivers in driving out of parking spaces. It will help drivers get into the right starting position first and will then carry out the steering maneuvers required to pull out of a parking space safely. The driver’s role is to keep his eye on traffic, and step on the gas pedal and the brakes at the right moment. To turn the function off, all a driver needs to do is grab the steering wheel or hit the brakes.

Bosch engineers have developed long-range ultrasound sensors to create the conditions for new parking assistance functions. These functions are already in use for parallel parking. In the future, they will also assist parking at a right angle. A longer sensor range is required to measure the depth of parking spaces.

An additional function, which Bosch refers to as Side Distance Warning, is also being developed for series production. Ultrasound sensors will not only monitor the space in front of and behind the vehicle, but to each side. This function, which protects the sides of the car, provides collision warnings for objects that the driver may not see, and which can lead to annoying and expensive damage to the car's body.

Bosch engineers aim to make parking completely automatic in the future. The result of their efforts will lead to the fully automatic parking assistant. It will steer the car into a parking space fully automatically, quickly, and safely. The driver’s only role will be to supervise the process, which can be stopped at any time by grasping the steering wheel or hitting the brakes.

Twenty years of engineering experience with parking functions
Already in 1989, Bosch began developing ultrasound sensors aimed at monitoring parking space in front of and behind automobiles. In 1993, Ford Germany offered the first Bosch system worldwide as a special feature of its Scorpio model. By 1994, the second generation was already available, and Mercedes-Benz equipped its S-Class vehicles with the system. Three years later, General Motors was the first U.S. automaker to order Bosch ultrasound sensor technology.

While the technology was initially a simple parking pilot that provided drivers information to avoid accidents, Bosch developed the first parking assistant worldwide in 2006. The Citroen C4 Picasso was the first to be equipped with the system, which measured the length of parking spaces. Park Steering Control, the first Bosch semi-automatic parking assistant for vehicles with electric power steering, was launched in 2008 in Mercedes A and B-Class models. This year, the Parking Steering Information function debuted in the Opel Insignia. This system was developed for vehicles with hydraulic power steering.

Since they first went into production in 1993, Bosch has produced more than 100 million ultrasound sensors. “This makes us the world’s leading supplier,” says Kallenbach. Fourteen automakers now offer Bosch’s clever parking technology for some 200 vehicle models, from compact cars to luxury-class vehicles.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 275,000 associates generated sales of 38.2 billion euros in fiscal 2009. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros for research and development, and applies for some 3,800 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH. Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com.

PI6686 - August 2009