Wednesday, 21 September 2016

Is platooning just around the corner?

 Bosch claims platooning, which allows multiple commercial vehicles to connect and run in an autonomous road train, will increase truck safety and reliability. Platooning is part of Bosch's drive to improve vehicle fuel efficiency.

Bosch says it expect that the slipstreaming effect of platooning could cut fuel consumption by up to 10 per cent. It is also extending its expertise in highly automated driving for passenger cars, to develop technology to assist the truck driver and their companies.
Vehicles in the platoon will receive all the data they need in real time from the Bosch IoT Cloud. This can make the vehicle aware of traffic jams and adverse road conditions in real time, allowing it to adjust its speed accordingly and improve efficiency.
Connected technology also allows drivers to reserve and pay for secure truck parking spaces through a single app, according to Bosch.
To make life easier for commercial vehicle drivers and operators, Bosch has developed also in-cab displays and interfaces to reduce distraction and improve usability.
Using neoSense touchscreen, Bosch claims this technology will give drivers haptic feedback, meaning they can feel their way around the screen, without having to take their eyes off the road.
Bosch is also integrating large, highly-customised displays which are compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
The company’s engineers have also developed a digital exterior mirror to replace a commercial vehicles large side view mirrors with video sensors and screens located inside the cab. This reduces wind resistance and cuts fuel consumption by one to two percent and eliminates blind spots.
As a further aid to fuel efficiency, Bosch engineers have come up with a 120 kW parallel hybrid system for trucks. Engineers claim this can improve fuel efficiency by six percent. It also has a 48V hybrid system for light commercial vehicles, a fully-electric powertrain for off-highway construction vehicles, as well as a range of common rail diesel technologies on display.


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