This post is also available in: German
- Continental pairs its interior camera and integrated OLED displays in the vehicle’s A-pillar for increased visibility and safety
- The Continental Virtual A-Pillar tracks the driver’s movements and displays an image of the vehicle’s exterior environment on the interior OLED displays, enabling the driver to “see through” the A-pillar
- The advanced technology addresses an increasing issue on newer vehicles that may require expanded front pillars
Babenhausen (Germany), October 18, 2018. The technology company Continental has developed a Virtual A-Pillar to help remove forward blind spots – making wide A-pillars virtually see-through. The front support pillars, often referred to as A-pillars, anchor the windshield and the beginning foundation of the vehicle’s roof. However, A-pillars have also been identified as visual obstructions for the driver. Over the years, A-pillars have expanded to improve rollover safety and meet more rigorous federal roof-crush standards. This trend poses an increased hazard to pedestrians and vulnerable road users easily obscured from the driver’s view.
“Increasing the safety of all road users, from drivers to pedestrians, is the motivating force behind innovative Continental technologies like the Virtual A-Pillar,” said Dr. Karsten Michels, head of Systems & Technology in the Interior division at Continental. “By pairing and implementing advanced technology in the vehicle, Continental has created a solution that eliminates the forward blind spots of the A-pillars, helping to reduce a critical safety hazard experienced by so many road users.”
Virtual A-pillar provides dynamic perspective of the vehicle environment
In some situations, depending on the pillar’s width, a linear distance of over 36 inches can end up being obstructed at just 12 feet from the pillar. This increases substantially as the distance from the vehicle grows. As a result, the design of the A-pillar is an important factor when trying to increase the driver’s forward field of view.
Continental’s Virtual A-Pillar is designed to address the growing problem on vehicles that need widened front pillars to meet mandatory safety testing. With new flexible OLED displays and advanced head tracking, Continental is bringing enhanced visibility to the driver’s view. Today, drivers are used to compensating for lack of forward vision by adjusting their position while driving. The Continental Virtual A-Pillar tracks these movements using an interior camera mounted just above the steering wheel. At the same time, Continental’s SurroundView camera, mounted on the vehicle’s exterior, feeds a live video of the vehicle’s external environment to the OLED displays embedded in the A-pillars. By tracking the driver’s head movements paired with the exterior live image, the Virtual A-Pillar offers a dynamic perspective for the driver, giving the driver an experience more like looking through an extended “window” rather than at a live video feed.
More safety for vulnerable road users
“This new technology allows the driver to see pedestrians and other vehicles approaching from the left and right, which would have otherwise been blocked by the A-pillar,” Michels added. With the advancements of camera and display technology, Continental’s Virtual A-Pillar allows the driver to maintain a direct line of sight when turning left or right, providing additional safety for cyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2017, Continental generated sales of €44 billion and currently employs more than 243,000 people in 60 countries.
Information management in and beyond the vehicle is at the very heart of the Interior division. The product portfolio for different types of vehicles includes: instrument clusters, multifunctional and head-up displays, control units, access control and tire-information systems, radios, infotainment systems, input devices, control panels, climate control units, software, cockpits as well as services and solutions for telematics and Intelligent Transportation Systems. The Interior division employs more than 46,000 people worldwide and generated sales of €9.3 billion in 2017.
Press contact
Alena Liebram
External Communications
Interior Division
Continental
Phone: +49 6196 87-2521
alena.liebram@continental-corporation.com
This press release is available in the following languages: English, German
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