“Automated driving has introduced new functions and requirements to our industry,” said Executive Board member Dr Peter Laier. “Our truck systems competence gives us an advantage here, as it enables us to generate added value for customers through intelligent networking.” At the press conference held by Knorr-Bremse at the IAA, Peter Laier and Management Board Chairman Bernd Spies presented the company’s latest systems and the strategy for their further development.
High-ranking guests such as the Minister President of Lower Saxony Stephan Weil, the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Günther Oettinger and Matthias Wissmann, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), visited the booth and discussed the possibilities offered by these new technologies with company proprietor Heinz Hermann Thiele and top Knorr-Bremse managers.
One highlight of the trade fair was the prototype of a system for autonomous yard maneuvering, which enables a truck to maneuver, park or position itself in a freight depot loading bay without the need for a driver. Günther Oettinger tested the system outside the hall by sitting in the passenger seat while a truck drove him around autonomously. “The special feature of our prototype for autonomous yard maneuvering is the fact that this function has been achieved through intelligent networking of Knorr-Bremse components and actuators,” explained Dr. Peter Laier. “At the heart of the system is the new GSBC brake control, to this is added the EPB electronic parking brake and the iHSA steering system developed by Knorr-Bremse subsidiary tedrive Steering Systems. We have also developed the transmission and clutch control, the trailer EBS and the software ourselves.”
Bernd Spies added: “Our many discussions with customers have brought home to us the extent to which our industry all over the world is undergoing radical change. Nowadays, excellent mechanical design is not enough – for long-term success a combination of systems competence and groundbreaking capability is required. In this regard, Knorr-Bremse is in an extremely strong position: We consistently integrate all our components and use the full scope offered by cutting-edge software architecture without making any concessions regarding safety. Road safety and efficiency are at the top of our agenda.”
