Continental to Collaborate with Chennai IIT on AI for Automotive Safety

Continental AG, which is one of the leading players in the field of automotive electronics and safety has announced that it would be collaborating with the renowned Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai on research and application of machine learning in automotive mobility solutions. The outcome of the research would be used to make cars that are better suited for Indian roads and for the international market.

The two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a project named NeuroMotive, which would deal with research into partially automated driving, pedestrian identification and application of artificial intelligence in the automotive safety space.

Commenting on the project, Alexander Klotz, Head of Technical Center India (TCI), Continental’s inhouse R&D unit said that the company supplies automotive technology to industry leaders like Mahindra, Toyota and Mercedes Sport and hence has a large commitment to India. India has recently emerged as the fourth largest automotive market in in the world and has been witnessing car and SUV sales in India which have grown fastest from 2013 and crossed the three-million mark for the first time ever.

The road conditions are however quite challenging and innovative technologies need to be adapted accordingly. One example is the adaptive cruise control system, which makes it possible for vehicles to automatically adjust their speed in order to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. This technology can be used with ease on German roads. In Indian road conditions, however, vehicles need advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) and this has been made mandatory. Continental will work with IIT, Chennai on the development of mobility technology in cars that would be based on spatial navigation in an animal’s brain for the global market.

Ravindra Gettu, Dean (Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research), IIT Chennai said that the institute has significant expertise in bioinspired neural networks and this can help expand the scope of what assisted driving functions can accomplish. Bio-inspired neural networks are becoming increasingly important for industries and businesses and can help motorists everyday driving situations. They can be highly useful in dangerous situations, when they warn the driver and can even intervene if needed.