Innovative “Driving Planner” Software Enables Highly Automated Driving

Continental develops a groundbreaking technology solution for highly automated driving: an intelligent software that enables complex driving maneuvers autonomously. What’s special about the solution: It is already close to series
production and can be used as early as 2024. Continental is thus demonstrating that automated
driving in particular is not a visionary dream of the future or reserved only for drivers of premium
vehicles with special equipment. Key components – from the software to the required sensor
systems – were developed by Continental. “With our intensively tested technologies for automated
driving conforming to everyday requirements, we are significantly promoting road safety,” says
Frank Petznick, head of the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems business unit at Continental.
“Our solutions show: Automated driving can already offer a big plus in safety and comfort if we
support drivers in typical, often stressful driving situations with intelligent technology.”
Next Generation Driving Planner – automatically merges onto the highway
The Next Generation Driving Planner is an innovative software solution that enables highly
automated driving from Level 3. This means that vehicles can master certain driving tasks
independently and without driver intervention. The software developed by Continental represents a
significant leap forward in driving intelligence. The Driving Planner calculates precise decisionmaking
variants from a wide range of sensor data in order to automatically master complex driving maneuvers on the highway or expressway.
To do this, the software can calculate traffic situations several seconds in advance and derive the optimum response from the vehicle. What is special about the new solution is that it calculates the combination of longitudinal and lateral movements in a harmonious, intelligent and closely timed interaction. Individual systems available today –
adaptive cruise control, lane change assistant – plan longitudinal and lateral movements
independently of each other, for example, longitudinal movement with adaptive cruise control and
lateral movement with lane change assistant. Continental’s Driving Planner now calculates the
longitudinal and lateral movement together over a time horizon of several seconds. This enables
the technology to master complex maneuvers of highly automated driving.

A typical example where the new system will be able to relieve the driver in the future is when
entering a highway via the acceleration lane. The Driving Planner calculates this complex
maneuver from radar sensor and camera data and makes the optimal decision. Further software
modules take over the actual implementation of the calculated driving maneuver. The vehicle
accelerates forward, merges into the ongoing traffic to the side and then picks up speed according
to the traffic flow and other road users. Another example: The vehicle is traveling in the middle of a
three-lane highway, there is a traffic jam on the right, and the speed is high on the left. Suddenly, a
car swerves from the right into the middle lane. Within fractions of a second, the Driving Planner
calculates the safest driving maneuver from various possible alternatives – braking in the lane,
accelerating and merging to the left, braking and merging behind another vehicle in the left lane.
Driving Planner is capable of calculating driving maneuvers up to a speed of 130 km/h. The
development phase of the software system has been completed, and the technology is expected to
be launched in 2024.