Vision X – that is the name of a visionary concept study of a driver’s cab, which the technology group Bosch presented on the IAA Commercial Vehicles in Hannover.
Technology group Bosch presented a concept study on the IAA Commercial Vehicles, which gives an outlook on the driver’s workplace of tomorrow as well as the potentials of connected driving. The study with the name "Vision X" appears aerodynamic and futurstic on the outside. Truly innovative, however, is the interior. The workplace is surrounded by monitors, on which the driver receives all for the transport process necessary information. Some of this information is projected onto the windshield, and is therefore directly in the driver’s line of sight. The vehicle receives the necessary data from Bosch’s IOT-Cloud – IOT hereby stands for "Internet of Things". Those are, for example, information about the route, traffic situation and other road users. The latter item is especially interesting for Bosch. The vehicle is equipped with all available assistent systems and is able to establish contact with other trucks via this connectivity. This ability comes into effect, for example, when the truck is on its way autonomously and looking for other vehicles to form platoons with.
"Always in control of the situation"
"When the truck is on its way in a platoon on the motorway, the driver is already able to plan his next tour while always remaining in control of the situation", Dr. Markus Heyn, management board member at Bosch, explains. If needed, the driver is also able to find out about possible free parking spaces or the choice of food at the next service area. The increasing connectivity and digitization likewise takes into account the possibility that the driver is able to sign in to the shipping company via smartphone and can be digitally assigned a ramp for his truck. But the driver isn’t able to only retrieve shipments.
An eye on shipments at all times
Furthermore, the driver in the study Vision X is able to keep an eye on his shipment’s cargo securing at all times, thanks to Bosch’s own cargo monitoring system Track Q. He is automatically informed of any irregularities. "The idea really is very visionary", Andreas Spellig acknowledges while explaining the study to interested parties. On the other hand they have a clear idea about when the vehicle will be put on the road: on 21st September – in exactly ten years.
