Although we more often than not associate the Continental name with tyres, the group also has a sizeable engineering business which then licenses or sells its ideas to manufacturers.
Charged with developing forward-looking technologies, such as AI-based systems, sensors and autonomous robot solutions, one of the projects being developed is the ProViu 360 surround-view camera system which it has already sold into other sectors.
It uses four high dynamic range cameras with a viewing angle of 194 degrees to give a bird’s eye view which can then be used to give an alert if a person or animal approaches the operating area.
If the camera lens becomes dirty it will also send an alert to the user. And finally, there is the ‘transparent chassis’ mode which adds a front-mounted camera and the picture is then portrayed on a terminal.
Another project being developed by Continental is the new series of NightViu LED work lights. Developed to increase safety and efficiency on tractors and harvesters, the design combines six powerful LEDs with four lenses.
At around 100 lumens per watt, the luminous flux options range from 1500 and 2500 to 3500 and 4500 lumens. Covering a wide variety of different lighting requirements around the vehicle, the light beams range from close-range to far-field, spot lighting to floodlighting and from wide to ultra-wide.
“In ultra-wide mode, we’re getting one lux of light at 25m in a 90m-wide area – and that’s unique in the industry today,” explains Chris Meissner, head of product management special vehicles in Continental’s automotive aftermarket business segment. This increases the brightness in the corners and sides and at the end of the illuminated area away from the spotlights.
The flexible aluminium installation not only allows the four different luminous flux options and light patterns to be combined, but also allows the lights to be retrofitted in many different positions.
Housings are protected against water and dust to at least the IP6K8 standard, and the lights can withstand temperatures between -40 and +90 degrees C.
The NightViu LED work lights and ProViu 360 surround-view camera system will both be on the Continental stand at Agritechnica.
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