Improved Safety and Security through Vehicle Electronics?

Summary form only given. Electronics have become the main subject and a fundamental innovation engine in the automotive industry. According to ongoing studies the share of electronics in vehicles will increase by 5 percent annually on the average. By the use of modern electronics and software it is today possible to improve classical functions such as power windows and to give the customers a variety of new safety and security features that would not be imaginable without electronics, e.g. the ESP system. The development of such electronic systems is demanding for all parties involved. Processes must be harmonized with each other and robust systems must be realized. In addition to consumer acceptance the quality and reliability are the keys to success. The first part this presentation highlights some innovations and trends in vehicle electronics. Especially in the driver assistance and information systems new applications are possible through the intelligent combination of existing sensors and actuators. These new applications allow improved safety and security in vehicles. But those new applications also make an issue out of the reliability which is being controversially discussed. The second part of this presentation will focus on these arguments and discuss some methods to cope with the new reliability requirements associated with more complex electronic systems. The higher demand for safety and security on the one hand and the reliability requirements on the other points out the areas of conflict in which both the automobile manufacturer and the customer are caught in between. In the last part of the presentation those contradictions was discussed, and a path was pointed out how to resolve the matter of dispute: is it possible to have improved safety and security through vehicle electronics?