· Predictive emergency braking system can prevent three out of four rearend collisions that result in personal injury

· Bosch automatic emergency braking in series production for the first time

· Improved ACC function for more comfort

· Fully automatic light control

Ninety percent of all accidents in Germany are the result of a driving error. Predictive systems that interpret the state of the traffic ahead of the vehicle, warn the driver, and in some cases react automatically, can help to significantly reduce the number of accidents. Bosch is currently making several of these assistance and safety functions ready for series production. They will be available for the first time at the beginning of 2010, in an Audi premium-class vehicle. The technical basis of these functions is the ESP® electronic stability program and the ACC adaptive cruise control radar sensor. For the first time, these have now been complemented by a video sensor. Networking these components allows the emergency brake assistant with its integrated collision warning function to be extended for the first time to include automatic partial and full braking. Moreover, networking also forms the basis for a lane-departure warning system, an enhanced ACC, or an automatic light control.

Merging sensor data for the best possible recognition of the traffic situation
The earlier the situation in front of the vehicle can be interpreted, and the more precisely, the better the safety functions can support the driver. Bosch engineers have thus put their faith in an interplay of radar and video data for optimum recognition of traffic situations. Apart from a high-performance ESP®premium system, the Audi project for the first time features two long-range radar sensors which are housed on the left and right sides of the front bumper. These new Bosch generation 3 sensors detect objects within an opening angle of 40 degrees at a distance of up to 250 meters and can determine their position and speed with great precision. The video camera, which has a 42-degree angle of vision, is mounted behind the windshield, just in front of the rear-view mirror. The advantage of video technology is the high contrast of its images, which makes persons, vehicles, or traffic signs easy to identify, along with very precise angle detection. The radar signals, for their part, deliver precise data as to the position and speed of these objects. Merging these sets of data via high-performance software allows patterns and movements to be identified quickly and thus the traffic situation to be interpreted.

Predictive emergency braking system: preparing, warning, intervening
In Germany, nearly one in six accidents resulting in personal injury is a rear-end collision. Half the drivers involved in such collisions do not use their full braking capacity, and a full third of them do not brake at all. The Bosch predictive emergency braking system can thus assist drivers on several levels. As soon as it recognizes a potential obstacle, in a first step it prepares the brake system for a possible emergency braking operation. The brake control system imperceptibly builds up a slight pressure which places the brake pads against the discs, allowing immediate deceleration in the event of a subsequent braking operation. If the driver does not respond to the potentially dangerous traffic situation and the vehicle continues to approach the obstacle, the system warns the driver with an acoustic signal and the ESP® system then briefly jerks the brakes to draw the driver's attention to the road. If the driver of the new Audi model does not respond to initial warnings and the situation worsens, he or she will be supported by additional functions which Bosch is series-producing for the first time. In a next step, the ESP® system automatically brakes, slowing the car down by up to half the maximum deceleration. If the driver now reacts by applying the brakes, the system increases the braking pressure to a degree that ensures that a collision is avoided. If the driver fails to react or if a collision is no longer avoidable, the system brakes the vehicle with maximum deceleration half a second before the collision. According to a Bosch accident analysis, three out of four rear-end collisions involving personal injury can be avoided with the predictive emergency braking system.

The video camera provides the driver of the new Audi with further assistance functions. These functions fade into the currently valid speed limit in the instrument panel, automatically adjust the light to oncoming traffic, and vibrate the steering wheel to warn the driver against departing from the lane unintentionally. They also improve the operation of the automatic cruise control: with the help of the video data, the vehicle can wait longer in stop-and-go traffic before it starts off again automatically. The system also helps drivers react more quickly when overtaking other vehicles and when other cars veer into their lane.

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.

PI6756 - September 2009