The Nardò Technical Center (NTC) currently has more than 20 test tracks and facilities on more than 700 hectares (7,000 acres) of land in Puglia, Italy, with about 185 people helping to offer state-of-the-art engineering services at the NTC, including vehicle testing for more than 90 automotive OEMs worldwide.

Antonio Gratis, managing director at NTC, says the new division will focus specifically on developing highly automated driving functions, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, and connectivity solutions.

The new office will open in the city of Leece, where a 5G network was recently established. Porsche expects the area to provide a rich talent pool of IT engineers, software architects, developers, and computer science graduates to pull from.

The recall, which is part of a larger investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into Tesla’s self-driving systems, is the most serious action taken against the electric carmaker so far.

It affects a total of 362 758 vehicles. According to the announcement, these include “certain Model S, Model X, Model 3, 2017-2023 and Model Y, 2020-2023 vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or in the process of being installed,” Engadget reports.

Such decisions raise questions about CEO Elon Musk’s claims that he can prove to regulators that cars equipped with “full self-driving” are safer than humans and that humans almost never have to touch the controls.

“FSD beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash,” the agency said in documents.

The documents, posted on the safety agency’s website Thursday, say Tesla will fix the problems with an online software update in the coming weeks. The documents say Tesla is performing the recall but disagrees with the agency’s analysis of the problem.

The system, which is being tested on public roads by up to 400,000 Tesla owners, can perform unsafe actions such as driving straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, failing to come to a complete stop at stop signs, or driving through an intersection during a yellow traffic signal without proper attention, the NHTSA says. The problems happen in “certain rare circumstances,” the agency says.

In a statement, NHTSA said it discovered the problems during tests conducted as part of an investigation into Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” and “Autopilot” software, which takes over some driving tasks. The investigation remains open and the recall does not cover the full scope of what NHTSA is examining, the agency said.

Despite the “Full Self-Driving” and “Autopilot” designations, Tesla says on its website that the cars can’t drive themselves and owners should be ready to intervene at any time.

“Cameras can miss a lot of things,” Rajkumar said. “These are not straightforward issues to fix. If they could have fixed it, they would have fixed it a long time back.”,

said Raj Rajkumar, a professor of computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

The recall is another in a list of problems that Tesla has with the U.S. government. In January, the company disclosed that the U.S. Justice Department had requested documents from Tesla about Full Self-Driving and Autopilot.

It means that if you want to start a career in software engineering, this is the right time to do it. 

It’s true that software developers are in such high demand. The main reason for that is the push for innovation in the technology sector. Here are some of the future trends which are expected to change the current landscape.

• Moving to Cloud Services 

Among the positive benefits of cloud-based service are significant cost savings, increased security, ease of use, increased flexibility, and the ability to seamlessly collaborate. Many companies today are transitioning to cloud-based services and that makes demand higher for cloud engineers.

• Use of Artificial Intelligence

We see AI in the form of voice assistants, chatbots, and other devices designed to make our daily lives more convenient. However, the technology hasn’t yet reached the full potential of AI.

• The Blockchain Technology

This kind of technology establishes trust between parties using transparency and security, hence its appeal to the banking industry, and that is its strength. Its applications go far beyond the financial sector.

• Cybersecurity 

When it comes to the companies’ top priority – it is necessary to protect valuable data from hackers and cybercriminals, which is why the cybersecurity industry remains a popular field for developers.

• Advanced Algorithms Driving Automation

According to Grand View Research, the global marketing automation market was valued at $4.06 billion in 2019 and was expected to grow by 9.8% annually to 2027. This demand opens up opportunities for aspiring software engineers.

“We are systematically digitalizing our core business to increase the benefits for our customers. Going forward, we aim turn the sale of every digital product into services-based revenue as well.”

To achieve this goal, Bosch is focusing on the connection of IoT with AI – in other words, it is linking the internet of things (IoT) with artificial intelligence (AI). This creates a virtuous circle in which connected products deliver information that, in turn, is processed by means of AI and incorporated into software updates for these products.

At the core of this approach is the benefit for customers, since it allows users to be an integral part of the development process and enables solutions to be tailored precisely to their needs. Furthermore, neither development nor value creation ends with the sale of the products. Rückert added:

“We see the combination of AI and IoT as holding the key to leveraging the most user benefit from both of these technologies. Besides enabling us to develop new business models, this approach helps us offer better products and solutions that deliver real added value for individuals and society as a whole.”

Bosch laid the foundation for this long ago. As of the new year, all electronics product classes will be connectable. Sales of connected power tools, household appliances, and heating systems alone have grown by 50 percent within one year – from four million units in 2020 to more than six million in 2021. With the Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence (BCAI), the company has established a strong unit in the field of AI that has already contributed some 300 million euros to the result.

In addition, the company invests a total of more than four billion euros every year in its software expertise, around three billion of which goes to the mobility business. To shape the software-defined future of mobility, Bosch will also be pooling development activities for application-independent software in one unit as of mid-2022.

In the future, under the umbrella of its subsidiary ETAS GmbH, the company will develop and sell basic vehicle software, middleware, cloud services, and development tools for universal application. Bosch is also rapidly advancing connected and automated driving.

Over the past five years, Bosch has generated some nine billion euros in sales just with driver assistance systems and the associated sensors. Bosch Tech Compass: a survey conducted in five countries around the world

The Bosch Tech Compass – a representative survey conducted in five countries and presented for the first time at CES – shows what people across the globe expect from new technologies. According to the survey, the majority of respondents (72 percent) are convinced that technological progress is making the world a better place, for instance as a key to fighting climate change (76 percent). At the same time, four out of five people think technology should be more focused on tackling the great challenges of our time rather than serving individual needs. Tanja Rückert says:

“We at Bosch also believe that technology offers a broad range of benefits. When we talk about high-tech, we’re not talking only about pushing the envelope on what’s possible. We use technology as a means to improve people’s lives wherever they are.”

One example of the benefit of AI and connectivity is the SoundSee sensor system. Since late 2019, it has been traveling through space to identify unusual sounds on the ISS, using AI algorithms to analyze and indicate when maintenance is required.

Now, in collaboration with the non-profit healthcare company Highmark in Pittsburgh (USA), Bosch is pursuing a completely down-to-earth application of this technology: investigating how audio AI can be used as a diagnostic tool in pediatric medicine. Specifically, Bosch and Highmark are working to adapt the sensors in a way that will enable them to detect pulmonary conditions such as asthma at an early stage just by listening to children’s breathing patterns. Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch in North America says:

“Using innovative technology to improve children’s health – that’s exactly what we mean with high tech.”

SoundSee’s use in medicine also illustrates Bosch’s understanding of its “Invented for life” strategic imperative.”

Bosch’s new gas sensor – the first on the market to contain AI – serves to protect both humans and nature. Part of Dryad’s Silvanet Wildfire Sensor, it is essentially a digital nose that helps detect forest fires early on. Dryad’s sensors are attached to trees, where they continuously monitor the local microclimate to detect incipient fires – and to wirelessly notify the local authorities, long before camera- or satellite-based systems can. Not only can this protect against devastation by fire, it can also reduce global carbon emissions from forest fires.

A new, lighthearted Bosch campaign shows the solutions the company has developed to improve the little things in people’s everyday lives. Called “High tech #LikeABosch – with many connected, intelligent, and sustainable solutions,” its protagonist takes viewers on a tour through her daily routine and uses several Bosch solutions, from smart glasses to a connected e-bike to a digital access pass for work.

 e.GO Connect is now available to iOS as well as Android users and can be downloaded from App Store and Google Play. The program has been commenced and vehicles will be connected to the e.GO platform gradually.

The first available features include real-time vehicle and battery status, trip planner, car finder, service contact as well as key metrics and statistics on driving behavior amongst others. The connectivity is the foundation to enable a range of future services such as predictive maintenance. Ali Vezvaei, Chairman of the Board, said:

“We aspire to enable our customers to buy their e.GO vehicle as convenient as they buy their smartphone, charge it as effortlessly and use it as seamlessly as they use their smartphone. This unique and connected digital user experience defines our innovation and digital strategy.”

The company is committed to contributing to zero-emission urban mobility as it further ramps up production in 2022 and beyond.

Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar

Back in the late 1990s, Polestar was behind some of the most key motorsport competitors. It has applied some of this learning to its new EV. The upgrade is available for Long-range and Dual Motor models in the UK. It is undoubtedly quite popular, especially with having 400 upgrades downloaded in its first few weeks of availability.

The Polestar’s CEO, Thomas Ingenlath, says:

“The upgrade highlights how connected technologies can transform the relationship a car company has with its customers. The driving experience in Polestar 2 is something we are really proud of. It is such a fun car to drive already, but with this upgrade, we can offer even more to our customers who might be after a little extra excitement.”

With the upgrade, the Polestar 2’s dual-motor powertrain is increased in power by 50kW to a total of 350kW, while torque rises by 20Nm to 680Nm. As a result, accelerating from 50 to 74mph takes just 2.2 seconds – half a second quicker than the standard car. The 0-60mph sprint takes just 4.2 seconds, too.

It is priced ‘on average’ around €1,000, with ‘local variances in certain markets’. The update will be available in the Polestar Extras webshop as a software download. It will be remotely delivered to the owner’s vehicle via an over-the-air update.

Apollo Go, Baidu’s robotaxi service, aims to be in 65 cities by 2025 and 100 cities by 2030.

Baidu has so far racked up over 16 million kilometers (10 million miles) of L4, self-driven distance, in terms of improving its driving tech.  That’s up from 6.2 million miles reported in its first-quarter results.

These enormous figures have limited substance unless we know how many of these rides actually happen on busy city roads rather than designated routes in enclosed areas.

“Electromobility will become a core business for us, and CO 2 – free mobility a growth area. We are turning challenges into opportunities – that’s how we do things at Bosch.”

These growth areas also include automated driving. Driver assistance is the basis for all the levels of automated driving. The company’s healthy position in the areas of electromobility and automated driving is helping it to successfully hold its own in a market environment marked by the Covid crisis, chip shortages, and the even faster transformation of the mobility sphere: the sales revenue of its Mobility Solutions business sector will grow 10 percent this year. Denner added:

“Bosch is a technology leader, and this means business success.”

Electric driving – breakthrough thanks to Bosch high-tech

Electromobility will be the next chapter in the Bosch story. With upfront investments totaling 5 billion euros so far, and the most efficient electrical powertrain solutions in the market, the company is helping it to a breakthrough. This year alone, upfront investments will come to another 700 million euros. Dr. Stefan Hartung, member of the board of management and chairman of the Mobility Solutions business sector, said:

“We are preparing for increasing demand for electric vehicles across the globe. Worldwide, we expect that 60 percent of all newly registered vehicles in 2035 will be electric.”

The company’s aim is to shape the mobility of the future, across the entire range. Denner added:

“It must be climate-friendly, but it also has to be affordable and attractive, not least in light of the ambitious targets set by the EU. Only in this way will people and freight stay mobile in the future as well.”

Bosch is continuing to pursue a technology-neutral approach, offering climate-friendly solutions worldwide for all types of mobility, in line with the requirements of national policy. Bosch is investing not only in battery-electric powertrains, but in fuel-cell powertrains as well, and is involved in customer projects in China, the United States, and Europe. The first trucks featuring Bosch technology are already on the road in China. When driving electrically, recharging plays a decisive role. In Munich, Bosch is premiering a new flexible charging cable for electric cars. It features integrated control and safety technology and adapters for Type 2 and household plugs. Even when recharging at a 230-volt power socket, it can do without the otherwise usual in-cable control box, which means that it weighs less than three kilograms – some 40 percent less than conventional charging cables featuring control boxes.

Autonomous driving – Bosch offers everything from a single source

Domain control units, sensors, artificial intelligence: the Bosch portfolio contains all the elements of automated driving, and the company has some 5,000 engineers working on all its levels. Not least among these elements are enhanced assistance functions that allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel. Bosch is already working with Mercedes-Benz and other partners on deploying this function in the P6 parking garage at Stuttgart airport. The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the world’s first production vehicle to feature the technology needed for this. So that driverless vehicles can navigate by smartphone command to a reserved parking bay, Bosch is equipping the parking garage with technology such as fixed-installation video cameras. A further 1,000 parking garages are expected to follow suit by 2025. For all the extra convenience associated with such developments, Bosch sees automated driving above all as something that can make road traffic safer. Bosch pioneered systems ranging from electronic skid control to automatic emergency braking, and continues to pursue the goal of accident-free driving. At the same time, the company is providing innovative software as the basis for the intelligence cars need to have. Denner said:

“Even in the software-dominated mobility of the future, our profound systems expertise will be an advantage: Bosch is equally at home in the world of on-board electronics and of the internet of things, with which cars will be connected.”

Connected driving – Bosch thinks beyond the engine hood

Vehicles are increasingly turning into internet nodes. In the future, software will be just as important as powertrain performance or efficiency. Bosch is actively shaping this change. And the company is well positioned for this: nearly half the R&D associates in the Mobility Solutions busines sector are software engineers. Even the bicycle is becoming part of the internet, as evidenced by the new Bosch eBike Flow app. For example, it enables the software in components to be updated. In addition, software integration is becoming more and more important: here as well, Bosch has the necessary expertise. Take infotainment computers: by 2025, their computing power and software complexity will double. Bosch ensures that the various software modules work reliably with each other. When it comes to connectivity, moreover, the company’s ideas go far beyond vehicles.

Since April this year, Mercedes-Benz models featuring the MBUX voice assistant have also been a command center for Bosch smart-home applications. From the driver’s seat, a voice command is sufficient to contact the smart home and switch off the lights, open blinds, and control the heating. All this shows that Bosch technology is paving the way to mobility that is sustainable, safe, and exciting.