Bosch Readies Predictive Road Conditions Tech

Robert Bosch GmbH says it has developed a system that will provide automated vehicles with a “seat-of-the-pants” feel for changes in weather and road conditions.

The company is partnering on the technology with Finland’s Foreca Ltd., which will supply real-time local weather updates. Bosch says Foreca provides the most accurate forecasts because it uses machine learning to analyze multiple possible scenarios.

The information will be used to prep a vehicle’s speed and driving style for wet, icy and snow-covered roads. The technology, in addition to improving safety, will allow vehicles that have made the proper adjustments to safely operate longer in autonomous driving modes instead of immediately transferring control back to the driver, according to Bosch.

The initial system, which Bosch plans to launch in 2020, will rely solely on Foreca’s data. The protocol eventually will be complemented by information supplied by other, connected vehicles when sufficient number of such vehicles are introduced. Bosch estimates it will take 20 million connected cars to cover Europe’s 80,000-km freeway network in this way.

Data from a vehicle’s CAN bus will be sent to a Bosch cloud system, which will relay it to approaching cars and trucks. This will include temperature measurement and whether vehicles ahead are using their windshield wipers or engaging electronic stability controls.