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Autonomous Driving: An Overview

What does automated and autonomous driving mean? When will self-driving vehicles become common? And which advantages does it bring to us anyway? On this page, you can find out more about the different levels of automation and the current status of development. We show how ZF contributes to automated driving. And we explain why the company assumes that autonomous driving will first be established in the commercial vehicles sector and in local public transport. In the passenger car sector, on the other hand, the technology group sees the greatest potential for the foreseeable future in intelligent assistance functions.

Definition: What is Autonomous Driving?

Autonomous driving normally refers to self-driving vehicles or transport systems that move without the intervention of a human driver. In 2014, SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers) published the J3016 standard to define the various development levels up to fully autonomous vehicles. The levels for autonomous driving range from Level 0 (no automation) up to Level 5 (full vehicle autonomy).

From Level 0 to Level 5

Autonomous Driving: Steps to a Self-driving Vehicle

Autonomous driving is no longer a distant vision of the future. But how close are we? And what exactly does the term mean? The steps to the self-driving vehicle.

What an Automated Vehicle Needs

Advanced sensor technology, smart control systems and modern connectivity solutions: For everything from automated to autonomous driving, complex technology is in demand. However, it is not just a question of automated vehicles being able to set themselves in motion. In the future, safety will continue to be the top priority, and passenger comfort will become even more important.

Connectivity Platform ZF ProConnect - Connected With System

ZF ProConnect meets all modern connectivity requirements. It masters all connectivity standards, meets cyber security requirements, offers a flexible cloud environment and digital services.

ZF ProAI: The Source of Vehicle Intelligence

The intelligence of vehicles will be controlled by a few powerful high-performance computers like ZF ProAI. It is the most flexible, scalable and powerful automotive-grade supercomputer on the market.

Sensor Power for Automated Driving

Sensors such as cameras or radars are essential for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Autonomous vehicles need a whole set of them.

Artificial Intelligence: The Algorithm as a Chauffeur

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is gaining ground in more and more areas of everyday life. Of course also in road traffic. ZF is already working on this technological leap.

The algorithm learns how to drive

Occupant Protection Gets Ahead of the Collision

Safety systems can be designed to reliably deploy before a crash and help provide greater protection for occupants.

X-by-Wire: When the Electronics Take Sole Control

ZF has the largest portfolio of by-wire technologies in the industry. What are the advantages when the electronics control the brakes, steering and other systems in the car?

From Automated Passenger Cars to Self-Driving Shuttles

The trend toward automation is not limited to passenger cars. Companies like ZF have long been working on driver assistance systems for cars, but also on solutions for automated commercial vehicles and autonomous transport systems for local public transport.

Clean Transportation with Autonomous Shuttles

Driverless, fully electric shuttles can relieve congested inner-city streets, reduce emissions and better connect rural areas. With its autonomous transport system, ZF offers a complete ecosystem from a single source.

Level 2+: Semi-automated Driving for Everyone

Level 2+ semi-automated driving systems can help enhance safety and comfort in passenger cars. ZF offers a comprehensive portfolio of intelligent advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

ZF's Automated Valet Parking Solution

ZF's cost-efficient "Automated Valet Parking" solution is one of the first systems worldwide to function independently of a pre-mapped and instrumented parking garage infrastructure.

Driverless to the parking space

Urban Mobility Solution: Ride-Hailing Robo-Taxis

Novel urban mobility choices such as ride-hailing are one of the biggest drivers behind autonomous driving. ZF uses a demo vehicle to demonstrate how the company enables novel forms of mobility.

Autonomous Commercial Transportation System Solutions

ZF has future-ready automation technologies. This includes ZF's innovative next generation Autonomous Driving Open Platform Technology (ADOPT) automated chassis control solution. The advanced platform bridges autonomous vehicles’ virtual driver software with its actuation systems.

ZF's Autonomous Driving Open Platform Technology

ADOPT (Autonomous Driving Open Platform Technology) is a software platform for commercial vehicles that supports autonomous driving. It takes AI-based data and converts it immediately and precisely into instructions for the actuators.

Criticism, Legal & Ethical Issues

When the Computer Controls us

Not everyone is enthusiastic about the opportunities that autonomous driving is promising to us. Some are afraid of losing the fun of driving, and others are warning against the threat of hackers or pointing out difficult legal and ethical issues.

Cybersecurity Automotive: How to Protect Vehicles

Cybersecurity: How to protect vehicles from hacker attacks

Protection against hacker attacks is becoming even more important. Compliance with cybersecurity standards will be mandatory for new vehicle registrations in many countries.

Holistic approach to cybersecurity

How Can We Trust Artificial Intelligence in the Car?

Using artificial intelligence in cars places high demands on the safety of AI. ZF and partners are developing corresponding requirements, test methods and test tools.

Ethical Issues Around Automated Driving (ADAC)

The future could belong to autonomous vehicles, but the rapid pace of technological development is also raising ethical questions, such as whether this technology should one day be made mandatory.

New Cars – Changing Requirements

Autonomous mobility, mobility as a service, software-defined vehicles: The mobility of the future will evolve rapidly in some areas, bringing to the market new players, but also new opportunities.