We reproduce below her 4 main points:
1) After merger with Siemens VDO, Conti are able to offer almost every driver assistance system (Emergency brake assist, Collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping, Blind spot warning, Lane change assist, Enhanced night vision by camera controlled headlamps, Speed limit monitoring).
All these systems are already in or very close to series production.
2) In 2008 Conti are going to launch completely new radar and IR sensors as well as new camera systems, which are capable of running multiple driver assistance function (Lane departure warning, Speed limit monitoring, Enhanced night vision by camera controlled headlamps) at the same time.
3) Continental strives for predictive safety systems seen as the natural successor of the ABS/ESC and Brake Assist systems. That’s why we’ve been setting up product lines, which basically decouples the predictive safety requirements from the comfort requirements by reducing the maximum range capabilities as requested for ACC systems. For example, the new Volvo XC60 is using a dedicated “Safety” sensor from Continental for its standard low speed range emergency braking assist.
4) Driver Assistance has got much higher market scale than ESP as a solely safety system because it offers in addition:
a) Comfort feature such as ACC, Speed Limit Assist, Intelligent Lighting to enhance the night view etc…
b) it can help to further protect the driver and vehicle, e.g. it can avoid ‘bagatelle damage’ to the vehicle, which will become a business model for insurances too.
In the next decade, every car will have a video camera. . This will even get faster assuming a “star rating” system at NCAP considering ADAS as currently under discussion in the US and the EU.