Bosch presents tomorrow’s mobility today

Debut of new concept shuttle at CES 2019 in Las Vegas

• Bosch management board member Dr. Markus Heyn: “In the future, every
  vehicle on the road will make use of Bosch digital services.”
• The Bosch ecosystem of mobility services makes shuttle mobility
  flexible and suitable for everyday use.
• Bosch is developing systems and components for automating, connecting,
  and electrifying shuttles.

STUTTGART, Germany–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A light, airy, minimalistic design, a futuristic outer shell made of
display screens and glass, and a spacious interior – that is how
architects might describe a novel structure, but in actuality the
description also fits a completely new class of vehicle and a new kind
of mobility: driverless electric shuttles that glide almost silently
through city centers and are seamlessly connected with their
environment. These will soon be a common sight on our city streets –
whether they are transporting goods or people. Bosch provides components
and systems for automating, connecting, and electrifying the shuttles,
but shuttle mobility won’t be possible without mobility services. In the
future, the company will offer these services too, bundling them into a
smart, seamlessly connected ecosystem. That will include booking,
sharing, and networking platforms, parking and charging services, and
software solutions for managing and maintaining the vehicles, as well as
infotainment during the journey. “Bosch is developing a unique package
of hardware, software, and mobility services for shuttle mobility of the
future,” says Dr. Markus Heyn, member of the board of management of
Robert Bosch GmbH. At CES 2019 in Las Vegas, the world’s biggest
electronics show, Bosch will be presenting its solutions for this area
of transportation with a concept shuttle, and visitors will be able to
experience its full range of services.

Bosch services for users and shuttle operators

The emergence of the shuttle segment is a result of rising demand for
ridesharing services: in Europe, the U.S., and China alone, about one
million such on-demand shuttle buses will be on the roads as early as
the year 2020, growing to 2.5 million by 2025 (source: Roland
Berger). Many of these vehicles, available 24/7, will be fully
electric, and they will also be completely autonomous by the middle of
the next decade at the latest. That’s why Bosch has packed every square
centimeter of its concept shuttle with the appropriate technology – from
electric powertrains and 360-degree surround sensors to connectivity
management and vehicle computers. Yet these components and systems go
only part of the way towards shuttle mobility. To make on-demand
vehicles suitable for flexible everyday use, they must be connected to
mobility services. “In the future, every vehicle on the road will make
use of Bosch digital services,” Heyn says. These services allow users to
book the vehicles, share rides with other passengers, and pay for the
journey. Charging, repairing, and maintaining the vehicles, plus route
planning and administrative activities, also call for services that
Bosch will offer shuttle fleet operators in a seamlessly connected
ecosystem.

Booking and sharing

Users can easily book a shuttle via smartphone, regardless of whether
they’re relaxing on the sofa or sitting at their desk at work. Working
behind the scenes, an algorithm identifies the vehicle closest to the
requested location and finds other users who wish to travel a similar
route. The more passengers a single shuttle can transport, the cheaper
the journey for everyone. This approach also reduces the amount of
traffic in cities and mitigates the impact on the environment. Bosch is
developing the necessary software platforms to make this a reality. When
the shuttle pulls up to the requested pick-up point, users again use
their smartphones to identify themselves – thanks to Bosch’s Perfectly
Keyless digital access service. It recognizes the owner’s smartphone
as unmistakably as a digital fingerprint and opens the vehicle only for
them. Every passenger always gets the seat that they reserved.

Moving forward: electrified and automated

Bosch’s electric axle drive makes the shuttles especially efficient yet
affordable as they wend their way through the city. And the company’s Convenience
Charging service knows just how long the battery charge will last
and where to recharge the vehicle. This service means that even today,
drivers no longer need to worry about being stranded with a dead
battery. It also links vehicle information, such as the current state of
battery charge or how much energy the heating and air-conditioning
systems are consuming, with environmental data such as congestion and
weather forecasts, so as to predict vehicle range with particular
accuracy. Furthermore, Convenience Charging finds the ideal charging
station and can reserve it in advance. And thanks to a standardized
access and payment system, charging is easier than ever.

Driverless e-shuttles provide users with transportation that is not only
nearly emissions-free, but also very safe. For automation, Bosch
develops and makes its own radar, video, and ultrasonic sensors, braking
control systems, and power steering, to name a few examples. Smart
digital services are indispensable here, too: Bosch predictive
road-condition services let automated vehicles know in advance what
environmental conditions to expect. They can thus adapt their driving
style as needed so as to ensure maximum safety throughout the journey.
The Bosch
road signature is a map-based localization service with which
automated vehicles can accurately determine their position in the lane
down to a few centimeters – another crucial prerequisite for the safety
of automated shuttles.

Comfortable interior

Bosch has designed the interior of its concept vehicle to provide space
for four passengers, seating them across from one another to maximize
legroom and comfort. Infotainment is provided on screens that can be
used either by each passenger individually or in groups; for example, a
family can watch a movie together as they travel somewhere for the
weekend, or colleagues can work on a presentation on their way to the
office. Smartphones use the on-board Wi-Fi and can integrate seamlessly
with the infotainment system, thanks to Bosch connectivity technology.
Its concierge
service turns the shuttle into a personal assistant. With all kinds
of information at its disposal, the shuttle can provide passengers with
recommendations, advance bookings, weather reports, and travel tips at
any time. Once the shuttle has arrived at its destination, the
passengers can pay for their journey with Bosch’s e-payment service.

Maintenance and administrative activities

But Bosch services do not end when a rideshare journey is over: the
company’s camera-based system for the vehicle interior checks whether
anyone has forgotten their phone or handbag. If a passenger does forget
something, the shuttle informs them directly via smartphone. The cameras
can also detect gum on the seat or an overturned coffee cup – in other
words, whether the shuttle needs cleaning – and can make the necessary
arrangements immediately. This is so every passenger can start their
journey in a clean shuttle. Bosch’s service
for over-the-air updates can determine whether the driverless
shuttles have the latest software version. The service detects software
updates as soon as they are available and executes them in the vehicle
securely and reliably. Thanks to sensors installed in the vehicle, predictive
diagnostics can monitor the condition of key components and notify
the shuttle before a fault actually occurs, so it has enough time to
drive itself to a repair shop. This prevents the car from suddenly
breaking down, which is a boon to operators. In the future, Bosch will
pool updates from the data cloud and predictive diagnostics into a
comprehensive connectivity
platform. This will give vehicle manufacturers and shuttle service
operators a constant overview of the condition of their fleets, so they
can ensure that their shuttles are always ready for action. And finally,
the Bosch subsidiary ESCRYPT’s security solutions handle vehicle
security – whether for keyless access systems, data connectivity with
the outside world, or software updates.

Bosch at CES 2019

• PRESS CONFERENCE: In Ballrooms B, C, and D, Mandalay Bay Hotel,
  Las Vegas South Convention Center, Level 2, from 9:00 to
  9:45 a.m. local time on Monday, January 7, 2019
• BOOTH: Tuesday to Friday, January 8–11, 2019, in the Central
  Hall, booth #14020
• FOLLOW the Bosch CES 2019 highlights on Twitter: #BoschCES

Mobility Solutions is the largest Bosch Group business sector.
According to preliminary figures, in 2017, its sales came to 47.4
billion euros, or 61 percent of total group sales. This makes the Bosch
Group one of the leading automotive suppliers. The Mobility Solutions
business sector pursues a vision of mobility that is accident-free,
emissions-free, and stress-free, and combines the group’s expertise in
the domains of automation, electrification, and connectivity. For its
customers, the outcome is integrated mobility solutions. Its main areas
of activity are Injection technology and powertrain peripherals for
internal-combustion engines, diverse solutions for powertrain
electrification, vehicle safety systems, driver-assistance and automated
functions, technology for user-friendly infotainment as well as
vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication,
repair-shop concepts, and technology and services for the automotive
aftermarket. Bosch has been responsible for important automotive
innovations, such as electronic engine management, the ESP® anti-skid
system, and common-rail diesel technology.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and
services. It employs roughly 402,000 associates worldwide (as of
December 31, 2017). The company generated sales of 78.1 billion euros in
2017. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility
Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and
Building Technology. As a leading IoT company, Bosch offers innovative
solutions for smart homes, smart cities, connected mobility, and
connected manufacturing. It uses its expertise in sensor technology,
software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its
customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The
Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to deliver innovations for a
connected life. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products
and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch
creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group
comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional
companies in 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s
global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every
country in the world. The basis for the company’s future growth is its
innovative strength. At 125 locations across the globe, Bosch employs
some 64,500 associates in research and development.

To learn more, please visit www.bosch.com,
iot.bosch.com,
www.bosch-press.com,
twitter.com/BoschPresse.

Contacts

Tim Wieland, Bosch in North America
phone: +1 248 876 7708
e-mail:
tim.wieland@us.bosch.com
Twitter:
@timwieland