Polish engineers work in Czestochowa on automated driving systems. They developed 1 of the fastest computers in the world

870 engineers in Czestochowa develop, build and test advanced components for automotive, especially in the area of electronics and ADAS driver support systems. 1 of them is simply a super fast computer for automated driving. The Electronics Engineering Center is part of the ZF Group, which is 1 of the largest automotive suppliers in the world. This means that the solutions developed by Polish engineers are utilized by car manufacturers around the world. The manufacture faces a number of challenges related, among others, to the geopolitical situation and trends that specify the direction of its development.

– In addition to technological challenges, economical and marketplace factors have an impact on the automotive market: rising costs, falling production volumes, and uncertainty caused by geopolitical situation and protectionist practices – says Newseria Rafał Zatorski, manager of the Engineering Centre of ZF in Poland, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the start of the operation. – The uncommon earth metals required in the production of any automotive components are becoming little and little available. All of this has a crucial impact on markets.

Among the challenges facing the automotive and engineering manufacture in connection with the marketplace developments, the expert besides mentions decarbonisation. Many decisions have been taken in the European Union on the transformation of the automotive sector, the key being the ban on the sale of diesel cars after 2035. car manufacturers had already set themselves up a fewer years ago to control to electrical drives.

– This transformation does not take place as rapidly as we have assumed, although there are grants that have returned both in Germany and in Poland. These are cars inactive comparatively expensive. As we are well aware, electricity has besides increased, that is, the usage of electrical cars is not so profitable today. Moreover, infrastructure is surely a major challenge, so that this transformation will take longer – evaluates Rafał Zatorski. – ZF besides invested in electromobility a fewer years ago. Apart from batteries, due to the fact that it does not specialize in electrical batteries, it provides a comprehensive strategy of electrical drives, i.e. electrical motors, inverters, electronic systems for control and software.

Another strong trend in the automotive marketplace is automation, on which individual markets and manufacture manufacturers work at different levels of progress. This work is based on innovation and modern systems, without which it is hard to imagine always more automated vehicles. erstwhile asked about the most forward-looking technologies for the marketplace and for ZF the expert points to ADAS systems.

– This is from the English Advanced Driver Assistance System, which translates into Polish, systems that support the driver. In our engineering center, we make these technologies very strongly, utilizing first perception through radars, cameras, lidars, ultrasound sensors, superfast computers. Then in our unit we make hardware for these systems, program, make very advanced algorithms. Then we test them in laboratories and on test tracks – says manager of the Engineering Centre of Electronics ZF in Poland

The centre in Czestochowa presently employs about 870 employees. Since 2005, erstwhile the squad had 45 engineers, employment has increased almost 20 times. 20 years ago, the centre was part of the TRW company, and in 2015 it became part of the ZF Group. The R & D department of ZF in Czestochowa in 2005 started with passive safety systems – airbags, which proved to be 1 of the key elements for the safety of drivers and passengers. Today, a squad of engineers is active in designing, investigating and validating electronic safety systems for the automotive industry. He cooperates closely with engineering teams in Germany, the United States, England, France, China and India.

– We act as 1 of the units of the global R&D area of the ZF Group. We plan systems and then they are besides produced here in Czestochowa. These include ADAS systems, airbags, fast computers. Then it goes to the final customer, which is car manufacturers worldwide – explains the manager of the Electronics Engineering Centre in Częstochowa, ZF in Poland.

The R & D activity of the centre contributed to the creation of the Electronics Department in Czestochowa, in which ZF produces modern electronic components for advanced driver support systems. The cooperation of the engineering centre with the global R&D network ZF and local production facility enables the full development, investigating and production of the latest technologies for automotive. 1 of them is supercomputers for automated driving.

– ZF ProAI is simply a super fast car class computer, 1 of the fastest computers that are utilized in the world. We are fundamentally at the phase of completing this task for 2 large premium customers. ProAI works on an advanced NVIDIA Orin processor. Its computing capabilities are 256 trillion operations per second – explains Rafał Zatorski. – Moreover, these modules can be scaled together. For example, 1 module with these parameters allows us to implement projects at L2 level, but we can, for example, connect these modules together, which doubles the calculation capabilities. Then we can accomplish autonomy at L3 level. We have already delivered this solution to 1 of our clients.

Work on a supercomputer for automated driving functions The ZF Engineering Center has been moving since 2021. ZF ProAI is simply a central computer suitable for all automotive platforms, applications and architecture types for electrical and electronic purposes. It can support all levels of autonomous driving (L0 to L5). According to Rafał Zatorski, supercomputers will play an increasingly crucial function in the automotive industry.

– As we look at conventional cars today, from the point of view of electronics, each strategy has individual control, i.e. brakes, steering strategy or drive strategy have individual controller. improvement is moving towards integrating these functions into 1 common large computer. This, of course, reduces costs and integrates these systems, making them more efficient – points out the expert. – In ADAS systems we usage sensors that collect multiple data from radars, cameras. This is simply a immense set of data that, on the 1 hand, allows us to control the car and manage it better by utilizing ADAS functions, but on the another hand, you gotta process it in real time, in comparatively fast time, and the car must respond accordingly. It is through the usage of fast computers that we are able to do this.

Another component of ADAS systems, which Polish engineers are working on, are the S-Cam 4.8 cameras, based on the EyeQ4 processor from Mobileye. They combine 1 of the most advanced equipment designation technologies with solutions in the field of longitudinal and transverse control of the vehicle. A peculiar lens and image sensor enable different functions, specified as automatic emergency braking, adaptive tempo or lane maintenance assistant. In turn, advanced resolution Imaging Radar was designed for improved strategy solutions for L2+, L4 and newer driving levels.

ZF Engineering Center in Czestochowa is besides working on the Steer-by-wire technology, which does not require the usage of steering wheel or driver participation.

– Steer-by-wire technology is an component of transformation from a mechanical vehicle to an electromechanical vehicle with a large usage of electronics. We designed it in Częstochowa from scratch and went to 2 customers – 1 Chinese and 1 European. What could have been a fewer or decades ago seems unimaginable, that the steering wheel is connected to the magician with the wheels only by means of wires, is this steer-by-wire – explains Rafał Zatorski.

In his opinion, the steer-by-wire is simply a large step towards autonomous driving and a script in which the steering wheel no longer serves to drive. The steering wheel can possibly service e.g. as a joystick for games, while the car will drive autonomously or partially autonomously.

– I wouldn't dare say erstwhile full autonomy will come in the automotive industry. As far as the method issue is concerned, there are inactive many challenges. Today, it is not a problem to make a single autonomous car, current sensors, algorithms let it, but the autonomous planet is 1 where autonomous cars drive, talk to each other, communicate through appropriate systems. Here we inactive have a very, very long way to go – is assessed by the manager of the Engineering Centre of Electronics ZF in Czestochowa.

For: newseria.pl