Continental has achieved a significant milestone with the integration of a cross-domain High-Performance Computer (HPC) into a car, pioneering a new era in the automotive industry. This innovation centralizes various vehicle functions—from the cockpit to automated parking and driving safety—within a single system, exemplifying the future of software-defined vehicles (SDVs).
Utilizing Continental’s proprietary cloud-based Continental Automotive Edge Framework (CAEdge), this system connects vehicles directly to the cloud. It includes a virtual workbench that streamlines development, supply, and maintenance of critical software-driven system functions. The core of this technological leap is the Snapdragon Ride Flex System-on-Chip (SoC) from Qualcomm Technologies, designed to handle multi-modal critical workloads on a singular chip, thus boosting efficiency and performance.
Gilles Mabire, CTO at Continental Automotive, highlighted the project’s significance, “With the SDV technology car, we are able to demonstrate Continental’s ecosystem: from road to cloud, from virtual to real.” This project not only displays Continental’s diverse technology portfolio in one vehicle architecture but also tests the seamless integration of various technologies within a unified HPC-based vehicle system.
Jean-François Tarabbia, Head of Business Area Architecture and Networking at Continental Automotive, underlined the project’s goals. “The goal is not only to show how well functions work, but to validate how well multiple technologies can be integrated and work alongside each other in HPC-based vehicle architectures within a software-defined vehicle.”
The implementation of the Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC marks a turning point, being the first automotive SoC capable of supporting essential, multi-modal operations on one chip. This innovation enables automakers and suppliers to shorten market entry times and adopt a flexible, open approach to vehicle design. Passengers will benefit from a superior driving experience featuring advanced assistance, safety, and comfort.
Enrico Salvatori, SVP and President of Qualcomm Europe/MEA, expressed excitement about this collaborative effort: “It is very exciting to see the Flex SoC realized in Continental’s HPC and new SDV technology car. The Flex SoC provides a more integrated and adaptable approach to designing and developing vehicle architectures. We look forward to continuing to work together with Continental towards the future of software-defined mobility.”
Additionally, CAEdge offers a cloud-based platform that significantly enhances software development efficiency for SDVs. This tool permits engineers to test software on a virtual HPC prior to deployment on physical hardware and to address software issues through direct debugging in the cloud.
Continental’s initiative with the CAEdge framework signifies a commitment to accelerating development productivity and enhancing customer satisfaction by minimizing the time-to-market for new software functions in production vehicles. This advance not only cements Continental’s position as a leader in automotive innovation but also drives the industry toward a future dominated by software-defined mobility.
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