Electronic Horizon: A Map as a Sensor and Predictive Control

Dr. Raimund Varnhagen

doi:10.4271/2017-01-1945

During recent years, all major North American and European commercial vehicle OEMs have introduced predictive functionalities based on an electronic horizon for their on-highway fleets. This is a system concept that lets vehicles know what is happening on the road ahead and allows them to react to that information without driver involvement. When an electronic horizon is used in heavy-duty trucks, a significant reduction in fuel consumption is possible as a key application. This is achieved by optimizing the algorithms in the engine control unit, the transmission control device or other control units in the vehicle. There is a clear business case for the vehicle owners. In this paper we review the long development from early navigation technologies to an in-vehicle sensor, called an electronic horizon. We present an overview of different architectures from several perspectives as well as multiple use cases for commercial vehicles. Furthermore, we look at the future, in which the electronic horizon will be able to save location-related vehicle data and transfer it to a cloud or deliver dynamic data for the road ahead such as traffic jams, accidents or weather conditions. Finally, we examine the relevance of the electronic horizon for important future innovations such as the connected powertrain and autonomous driving.

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Electronic Horizon: A Map as a Sensor and Predictive Control 2017-01-1945

SAE MOBILUS