u-blox - u-safe: Solution for secure vehicle positioning

u-blox, a provider of wireless communication and positioning technologies and services, has announced the launch of u-safe, a comprehensive vehicle positioning solution that is driving the adoption of autonomous vehicles. The u-safe solution intelligently leverages components already proven in highly accurate navigation and positioning systems in automotive applications. It will provide Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs with a positioning solution for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that is valued worldwide for its reliability and safety. Typical applications are ADAS Level 3 and higher, which require high accuracy, integrity and functional safety. In addition, ADAS Level 2+ applications can also benefit from this solution to ensure that the systems concerned are future-proofed for the transition to higher levels of automation.

With satellite support

u-blox says it is the only vendor in the market to offer an end-to-end solution for functionally secure positioning (ISO 26262 and SOTIF compliant), combining proprietary hardware with custom software and correction services. With the new solution, the company aims to take positioning to an unprecedented level using global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). By integrating with ADAS and ADS (Autonomous Driving Stacks), u-safe provides an additional layer of safety.

u-safe is an ASIL Class B GNSS positioning solution for advanced safety-critical automotive systems. The solution includes u-blox' ninth generation GNSS technology platform with the A9 chipset and module, the PointSafe correction service with the corresponding positioning and sensor data fusion software, and the u-blox Thingstream IoT platform as OEM backend services. In addition to the pre-certified product components, u-blox will provide customer-specific support for integration and final certification in the overall solution.

New partnership

The launch of u-blox's u-safe solution follows the recently announced partnership with GMV, a leading navigation company providing solutions for connected and autonomous vehicles. u-blox and GMV have partnered to provide functionally safe E2E positioning solutions in the automotive sector for applications intended for the mass market.

"Autonomous driving is the biggest revolution in the automotive industry. While people face risks every day, accidents with autonomous vehicles have far-reaching consequences. Safety is therefore of the utmost importance. Without a doubt, ensuring safety is the most important prerequisite for customer acceptance and widespread deployment of automated driving systems," explains Peter Kalinowski, Director of Product Management for Safety Critical Products at u-blox. "Our mission is to provide the next generation of seamlessly integratable and functionally safe positioning solutions that enable autonomous driving in a broadly scalable way."

Source: www.u-blox.com