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ZF is reinforcing its position in automated driving by strengthening its capabilities for Advanced Driver-Assist Systems (ADAS) turnkey solutions. The company is responding to a growing demand for comprehensive systems that include hardware, software, testing, and validation, particularly as the automotive industry shifts toward software-defined vehicles and new E/E architectures. Since July 2024, new vehicles registered in the European Union are required to have assistance systems for emergency braking, lane keeping, and intelligent speed control, making these advanced features essential for modern vehicles.
Key Highlights
- ZF is the market leader in smart cameras for ADAS, holding a 30 percent global market share.
- The company now offers ADAS and parking functions as stand-alone software solutions, adaptable for various controllers and vehicle actuators.
- The ProAI automotive computer family offers scalable computing power, from entry-level models to supercomputers, suitable for all vehicle platforms.
- Development and validation cycles are accelerated using AI-powered tools like ZF Annotate, which can speed up the validation process by up to 10 times.
Leadership in Smart Camera Technology
ZF has established itself as a global leader in automotive smart cameras for ADAS functions, having sold more than 75 million units to date. The company has a history of innovation, being the first to market with a 100-degree horizontal field of view camera.
The latest evolution, the Smart Camera 6, features a 120-degree field of view and an 8-megapixel image sensor, which is more than four times the resolution of the previous generation. This new camera possesses greater processing power and supports over-the-air updates, enabling performance enhancements and new functions throughout the vehicle’s life. ZF supplies its ADAS sensor technologies to over a dozen vehicle manufacturers globally, enhancing vehicle safety and supporting critical driver assistance systems.
Scalable Hardware and Software Solutions
Reflecting the industry trend toward centralized vehicle architectures, ZF now provides its ADAS and parking functions as stand-alone software products. This portfolio includes approximately 25 safety, comfort, and parking features that manufacturers can select and scale in a modular fashion for different vehicle series.
To power these functions, ZF offers the ProAI family, an automotive-grade central computer. This platform is highly scalable, with configurations ranging from cost-effective units for volume models to high-performance supercomputers for premium segment ADAS and autonomous applications. The most powerful version of ProAI delivers a computing power of more than 1,500 TOPS (1.5 quadrillion operations per second) and can manage multiple vehicle domains—such as ADAS/AD, chassis, and infotainment—in a single box.
For seamless connectivity, the ProConnect platform provides a modular solution for orchestrating all modern connectivity standards, including cellular, Wi-Fi, and V2X, ensuring vehicles are prepared for the future of software-defined mobility.
AI-Powered Validation and Development
To accelerate the development of ADAS and AD solutions, ZF utilizes ZF Annotate, a cloud-based, AI-enabled validation service. This tool compares a vehicle’s sensor data with a high-precision reference sensor set to establish “ground truth,” ensuring the system’s accuracy. By using artificial intelligence to mark, classify, and track objects, ZF Annotate provides a highly precise comparative measurement for testing and training ADAS systems from Level 2+ to Level 5. This innovative approach can reduce the validation timeline from 12 months to just two.
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