Conti Aims to Make Sense of Changing Road Conditions

Continental AG is developing a system that can quickly assess road precipitation and alter a vehicle’s driving dynamics accordingly.

Dubbed Road Condition Observer, the technology combines real-time information from forward-facing cameras, electronic stability control, tire traction, windshield wiper status and other vehicle sensors with data from third-party sources. The latter could include weather reports, navigation systems and vehicle-to-vehicle/infrastructure communications.

Using a specially developed algorithm, the system calculates the tire-to-road friction coefficient and classifies road conditions into one of four categories: dry, wet, snowy or icy. The technology promises to be more precise than previous systems, which Conti says were limited by inadequate sensors and the lack of necessary computing capacity.

The technology can be used to benefit current vehicles and future models with advanced driver-assist systems, the supplier notes. Emerging automated emergency braking systems need to be initiated sooner to be affective in wet conditions, for example, and autonomous vehicles need to know to reduce speeds when turning during slippery conditions.