• Pick Up
• Management Message
• Cross-Domain Computing Solutions Division (XC)
• Automated Parking/Parking Assistance Systems

Automotive driver assistance systems reduce the burden on the driver, prevent accidents, and increase safety. Currently, Bosch is also developing a system to support parking. In the future, safer and more comfortable functions will be implemented. We asked Hideaki Hattori, who heads the Parking System Development Department in the Driver Experience Business Unit, to talk about the current status and challenges of Bosch's goal of developing parking assistance systems, the challenges of popularizing automated parking systems, and the type of personnel Bosch is looking for.

Current status and challenges of parking assistance systems that increase driver safety and security

What kind of development is being done in the Driver Experience Business Unit led by Mr. Hattori?

In addition to the hassle and difficulty of parking cars, there are many accidents involving damage to walls and adjacent cars, as well as accidents due to pedal misapplications – when a driver mistakes the gas pedal for the brake pedal. Parking lots with many blind spots are also characterized by a large number of accidents involving bodily injury. Even minor accidents can be stressful experiences for drivers.

Bosch is working on the development of parking assistance systems that eliminate such hassles when parking and reduce car accidents. For example, when a car is approaching a person or an obstacle while parking, ultrasonic sensors and cameras with an accuracy of several centimeters detect it, a warning sound is emitted, and automatic emergency braking is used to avoid a collision. In addition, the parking assistance system can also provide steering assistance for reverse parking and parallel parking.

In many cases, these systems are still limited to luxury cars, mainly from European and American manufacturers. However, in recent years the practical application of automated parking systems, in which the system is responsible for all operations in parallel parking, is progressing.

In the future, if less expensive and easy-to-use automated parking systems can be implemented not only for luxury cars but also for vehicles in a more affordable price range, then drivers will be freed from cumbersome parking operations and accidents in parking lots will be dramatically reduced. It can be said that such systems have the potential to make a great contribution to society.

Aim to implement advanced parking functions in Japan, where there is a high need for automated parking

What is the status of the development of parking assistance systems in Japan?

In Japan, there are more narrow parking spaces than in Europe and the United States. Therefore, we believe that there is a high potential market need for automated parking in Japan. In addition, since there are many accidents involving pedal misapplication errors, Japan is leading the movement to legislate functions that prevent pedal misapplications.

Against this background, Bosch's base in Japan plays a central role in the development of parking assistance systems for the Japanese market, as well as functions to prevent pedal misapplications. Taking into account the traffic conditions in Japan and Asia, we are working with Japanese automobile manufacturers and aiming for zero accidents.

What will Bosch focus on in future development?

In order to achieve an advanced automated parking system that can respond to various environments, it is necessary to combine information obtained from multiple sensors, such as cameras.
We call this "fusion". Automated parking systems are still in development. However, we are trying to improve the capabilities of the system by making sensing and recognition technologies more advanced.

Just as AI is commonly used around the world, automated parking systems also use AI and machine learning to improve recognition accuracy. Data is the key to machine learning. The parking environment generally differs depending on the region, and Japan and target markets are working together globally to determine what kind of data to collect and learn from.

We believe that engineers who have both AI/machine learning skills and knowledge of Japanese automobiles and parking environments will enable us to develop systems that are more competitive than other companies. Hiring and training such engineers will be a major key to transformation in the future.

Development from a global perspective in collaboration with vehicle manufacturers

In your previous job, you were involved in circuit design and software development at a Japanese manufacturer, and also experienced working overseas. What new things have you learned and experienced at Bosch?

They are related to automobile safety and regulations. Since automobiles and motorcycles are fields where lives are at stake, at Bosch I learned how to proceed with thorough development to protect people's safety and security.

In my previous job, development was completed in-house, but for automobiles, it is necessary for vehicle manufacturers and suppliers to work closely together. At Bosch, I was able to experience a variety of communications through repeated negotiations and collaborations with automakers on a daily basis.

As a business partner of Japanese automobile manufacturers, Bosch is focusing on making the best proposals for the Japanese market and drivers based on an understanding of global trends in the automotive industry.

Although we are in the position of a supplier, I believe that it is necessary to make proposals too rather than merely complying with the requests and requirements of automobile manufacturers. This is one of Bosch's strengths, and one that I find interesting.

In addition, Bosch can also identify what needs to be developed from a global perspective. Technical development of automotive parts is a mixture of competitive and non-competitive areas. If Bosch's proposal promotes uniformity and standardization in non-competitive areas, then development efficiency will increase, and as a result, products will be delivered to end users at a lower price.

Global development environment and support for engineer training from a long-term perspective

Please tell us about the members of the development team, the atmosphere, and the workplace culture unique to Bosch.

Currently, there are about 30 people in my department, of which about 10% are engineers from Germany and about half are mid-career hires. There are members with a wide variety of backgrounds, such as from home appliance manufacturers and automobile manufacturers.

Our approach to development is truly global. A project with a Japanese automobile manufacturer requires at least 30 people, and at most 100 to 200 people. Among them, there are many projects where 20% to 30% of the members are Japanese, so I have to work with overseas members on a daily basis. Our overseas members are not only from Germany, but also from Hungary, India, Vietnam, etc.

There is a "culture of trusting the site", and I think the atmosphere is open and flat, and it is easy to speak up. The important thing is for everyone to share their opinions on what the team should achieve.

Two-way feedback is also encouraged. I also get feedback, and I was surprised when I received frank comments such as "Aren't you working too much?" (laughs). Thanks to that, I try to rest well when I take a break.

Please tell us about your in-house training system and career development initiatives.

Foreign-affiliated companies may have the image of people repeatedly changing jobs in a short span of time, but Bosch wants its associates to work for a long time. For this reason, personnel development is also conducted from a long-term perspective. I think that training is substantial – not only technical training that is immediately useful in practical work, but also language training and leadership training that can be used for different products and businesses.

In addition, because our clients are Japanese automobile manufacturers, we are looking for partners with whom we can work together for a long period of time. It is not desirable for both the company and the customer to have the person in charge leave after a few years. We sincerely hope that associates will develop their skills and careers at Bosch and continue to work at Bosch for a long time.

In addition, in-house recruitment is also used because it is believed that the transfer itself will contribute to the growth of the associate and the company in the long term. At Bosch, the pervasive idea is that we want our associates to gain experience and grow, and to continue working with us for a long time.

It is not uncommon for Bosch associates to experience working abroad for a short period of three to six months, or for a longer period of two to three years. I think it is very attractive to people who want to experience overseas technology trends and cultures.

Aiming to transform mobility by developing functions that emphasize user experience

What is your vision and future image of Bosch parking assistance systems in the age of automated driving?

While improving safety to achieve zero accidents, we would like to make products that make people feel that, "I am glad I bought this car." In particular, we will focus on the user experience.

Ease of use is the key to both automated parking systems and parking assistance systems. From the concept development stage, we are proceeding with development while being conscious of user-friendliness and visibility. For example, even if there is a function, people will not use it if they need to press many buttons or if the operation is difficult to understand.

We ask ourselves "How can people easily use this function?" and proceed with development while keeping in mind the user experience. Personally, my hope is that when I get to the parking lot and get out of the car, I can just operate the automated parking from my smartphone. That's the kind of world I want to see.

What kind of experience and skills do you think will play an active role in achieving this goal?

Advanced electronics and software are becoming increasingly important for all aspects of vehicle system automation. For example, in parking assistance systems, we are looking for people with experience in image recognition, AI/machine learning, and software engineers who want to challenge themselves.

Since machine learning collects data globally and learns repeatedly, skills in cloud computing, image recognition (services), image processing and data processing will also be required.

In addition, driver assistance systems handle signals from various sensors in order to control vehicles, so we welcome people who have skills in embedded systems, signal processing, and control systems. In my previous job, I was involved in logic circuit design and video processing system development around embedded CPUs. Although the target was not an automobile, they shared common skills such as processing performance improvement and control technology through parallel processing. Those skills and experience are still being utilized today.

As mentioned above, the focus is on user experience. Therefore, this work should be interesting for those who have a vision about future cars and mobility in general, including a vision of who will use the systems and how they would like the systems to be used.

We are actively trying to adopt modern development methods, such as Scrum and DevOps, at our development sites. It will be an exciting place to work for those who have experience in such development methods and for those who want to gain experience in development in the future.

Please share a message for engineers who are interested in working at Bosch.

Challenging technological development continues in the technical areas of automated driving and automated parking. On-site development is done through trial and error every day, so there are some difficulties, but I think it is an attractive workplace for those who want to take on new challenges.

Bosch has a culture of positively taking on challenges without being discouraged by failure. It is a culture where you can continue to learn new technologies, cooperate with colleagues, and grow through various experiences.

We have prepared career paths not only for promotion to line management, but also as experts in project management and technology. For example, I would like to see engineers who improve their technical skills as software engineers and surpass line managers. I hope that engineers will take a long-term perspective and advance their careers at Bosch.