2021 Munich Motor Show: Continental to showcase new in-vehicle safety systems

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the development of airbag control systems, Continental will showcase a range of new in-vehicle safety systems at the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, including pre-crash safety monitoring systems, airbag control valves and battery impact detection systems.

Continental began developing airbag control units (ACUs) in 1981, with production starting in 1986. Since then, Continental has produced more than 350 million ACUs. Over the past 35 years, the ACU has evolved significantly, from controlling a single airbag to controlling up to 48 ignition circuits (depending on the architecture) to being able to receive OTA wireless software updates even while the electric vehicle is charging, improving cybersecurity and crash detection.

Continental's pre-crash safety monitoring system takes into account monitoring of the surrounding environment and the cockpit, thereby adjusting the airbag deployment strategy more closely to different situations, occupants and their positions. Using the increasing amount of sensor data in modern cars, airbags can be deployed earlier, and since airbag control valve technology is still in the early stages of development, the inflation level of each unit can be adjusted to achieve optimal occupant protection. Pre-crash safety monitors not only provide better protection when every millisecond counts in an accident, but also help extend the service life of the airbags, allowing them to be deployed in a more controlled manner. Continental also plans to soften the airbags in the future just as the occupants are being sucked in, thereby reducing the rebound effect.

Finally, Continental will also release a battery collision detection system, which is a very useful feature in the current era of electric vehicles. Using a contact-sensing sensor called CoSSy (Contact Sensor System) that works in a similar way to pedestrian protection systems, the battery collision detection system can immediately detect minor damage to the battery. Continental will integrate this function into the ACU and plans to use it to detect battery damage and monitor road conditions.

The new systems that Continental is about to showcase are still under development and are expected to be used in mass-produced vehicles in the next few years. Please stay tuned for more news from the 2021 Munich Auto Show.