Aptiv remembers the early days. More than two decades ago, the global supplier — then known as Delphi — launched the first radar-based adaptive cruise control system in a passenger vehicle.
Since then, the variety of driver-assist features has mushroomed, and the software that governs these features has become far more complex.
Aptiv is aiming to remain at the forefront of driver-assist technology. On Monday, the company said it has developed a next-generation platform that can manage the ever-growing software entanglements that run these driver-assist systems and provide over-the-air updates when needed.
The platform builds upon the company's latest electronic architecture advances, which centralize computing power in a domain controller. That approach, Aptiv says, allows for better flexibility and performance.
"Our next-gen ADAS solution cost-effectively delivers safety features over the lifetime of the vehicle that exceed expectations on a platform upon which OEMs can continue to innovate," Aptiv CEO Kevin Clark said in a statement.
Currently, the platform supports features defined as 1 to 3 on SAE International's Levels of Automation. It offers automakers a gamut of driver-monitoring capability, using cameras to not only ensure that the driver's eyes are on the road but also keeping tabs on body positioning and gestures.
Aptiv says the platform has the ability to later support autonomous driving, and it has been developed in coordination with Motional, the company's AV joint venture with Hyundai.
Aptiv was slated to showcase the new platform at CES on Monday. The company also said it can speed the platform's performance with new zone controllers that distribute data and power between sensors and the central system.
"Thanks to our unique position with both the brain and the nervous system of the vehicle, Aptiv is perfectly positioned to help our customers optimize the performance and cost of their vehicles," Clark said. "Aptiv's powerful zone controllers sit at the intersection of these capabilities."
