Continental, IIT Madras inks MoU to develop safe mobility solutions
In order to enhance safety through Continental’s ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) business, the German component maker Continental and Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) have joined hands for advanced research in machine learning. For which, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed recently and code-named `Project NeuroMotive’.
IIT Madras with its known capability in machine learning and bio-inspired neural networks will contribute to Continental’s ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) business that provide drivers and passengers additional safety and increased comfort. The `Project NeuroMotive’ will aid Continental’s long-term strategy globally towards `Vision Zero’, a future with zero accidents, through innovations and ongoing improvement of components and systems making a decisive contribution to greater road safety. Project NeuroMotive is the first step in this JV and Continental wanted to invest in the technologies of tomorrow. Being a technology company, Continental focus on making future mobility concepts a reality.
According to Alexander Klotz, Head of Technical Centre India (TCI), Continental’s in-house R&D centre, “With technology growing so rapidly, collaborative forms of R&D, where experts from different sectors come together to develop complementary technologies, promise better value at a quicker pace.”
Koltz further said, “An R&D Centre like Continental’s TCI is constantly exploring ways to improve its innovation potential. At Continental, AI plays a key role in areas ranging from software to manufacturing, and TCI has, in turn, focused on developing this competency in-house in Bengaluru, to support global projects in the areas of safety and connectivity. It is our aim to grow further the local competence in AI, by hiring and leveraging the ecosystem through relevant partnerships.”
“We are glad to partner with IIT Madras for advanced research in machine learning and neural networks. Our expertise and efforts, combined with the strengths of IIT Madras, will pave the way for technological advancements that further reduce traffic casualties, and potentially even develop vehicles incapable of getting into an accident,” Klotz said.
According to Ravindra Gettu, Dean (Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research), IIT Madras, “As an institution that is in the frontier of research, we are pleased to collaborate with Continental. Prof. Srinivasa Chakravarthy, Head of Neuroscience laboratory will collaborate with Continental on `Project NeuroMotive’. IIT Madras’ expertise in bio-inspired neural networks can help expand the scope of what assisted-driving functions can accomplish. Bioinspired neural networks are becoming increasingly important for industries and businesses. They help to solve problems based on the biological knowledge of how human brain learns and processes information. Thanks to advancements in technology, we can use this knowledge to improve the future of mobility.”
Praveen Kumar, Head of Engineering, Business Unit ADAS (India), Continental Automotive said, “ADAS systems are the backbone for automated driving. These systems assist the driver both in everyday situations, and, are available in dangerous situations, when they warn the driver and even intervene in driving when necessary. We need fail-safe architecture that, in the event of a potential malfunction keeps the vehicle in a safe operating state. Therefore, Continental uses AI to aid different aspects of assisted and automated driving. Deep Learning based methods outperform classic methods with respect to performance. We believe it is imperative to continue exploring it to its full extent. We are excited about the possibilities `Project NeuroMotive’ will open to support our aim of making roads safer.”