Continental, the well-known technology company, is investing in the Leipzig-based startup Kopernikus Automotive and taking a minority stake. Both companies have agreed not to disclose the investment amount. As a specialist in autonomous driving technologies, Kopernikus develops, among other things, solutions for infrastructure-based maneuvering and maneuvering of vehicles. The technology is based on sensors permanently installed in the infrastructure and artificial intelligence-based algorithms that centrally control the vehicles. The first two use cases for this technology are automated parking in parking garages, also known as Automated Valet Parking (AVP), and autonomous maneuvering of, for example, newly produced vehicles at vehicle manufacturers or in logistics areas.
Already today, the first vehicles are being driven through vehicle factories without a driver and based on infrastructure — this technology will also significantly change parking in the near future. For Automated Valet Parking, the driver gets out — for example at an airport terminal — hands over the vehicle to the infrastructure via an app and the car is parked autonomously. The vehicle is guided through the infrastructure installed in the parking garage. Cameras serve as sensors here. At the heart of the system are AI-based algorithms that ensure safe and optimal orchestration and guidance of all vehicles. Kopernikus Automotive provides such a solution, which can be used to equip any parking garage, hotel or airport in a cost-effective way — making it ready for autonomous parking.
The prerequisite for the use of the solution is an additional vehicle function (Central Motion Control), which converts the path curve (trajectory) specified by the intelligent infrastructure into the control of the corresponding actuator technology. The vehicle components required for this are an automatic transmission, an electric parking brake, electric steering assistance and an intelligent communication unit. These are already installed as standard in many vehicles.
“In the future, cars will be moved autonomously in factories and also in parking garages. A safe, comfortable and affordable solution is being developed by Kopernikus and Continental together. At Continental, we are working on both solutions, autonomous parking, which is based on vehicle sensor data, and a solution based on intelligent infrastructure — similar to smart intersections. The participation in Kopernikus is the logical next step for us to further advance both topics and offer a marketable solution in a timely manner.”
- Ralph Lauxmann, Head of Strategy and Future Solutions
At the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich from September 6 to 12, visitors will be able to experience the collaboration between Continental and Kopernikus in action for the first time: Together with Ford, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar-Land Rover, as well as Volkswagen’s automotive software subsidiary CARIAD, Continental and Kopernikus will be showing a joint driving demonstration in the IAA exhibition parking garage in Munich.
As part of the VDA’s Automated Valet Parking (AVP) project, the main focus will be on demonstrating the interoperability of the infrastructure-based solution with several vehicle manufacturers and other infrastructure providers. “Here you can see live how we interact with different vehicle manufacturers and brands to make autonomous parking a reality for everyone,” says Stefan Jenzowsky, Managing Director of Kopernikus Automotive.