We caught up with Verena Ihring, Senior Manager Strategy and Business Excellence Interior Monitoring at Bosch, ahead of her presentation at InCabin next week. Read on to gain insights about her journey and Bosch's future plans in the in-cabin sector.
1. Verena, tell us about your journey. How did you land at Bosch and how did you come to join the Product Area Interior Sensing?
During my journey as an industrial engineering student, my internships provided valuable insights that highlighted the significance of having a sense of “purpose” in my work. It was at Bosch that I discovered a company that perfectly aligned with my values and aspirations. Renowned for its innovation and global presence, Bosch impressed me with its unwavering commitment to sustainability, social responsibility, and its prominent position in the automotive industry.
Even during my studies, I had the privilege of holding multiple positions within Bosch, which allowed me to gain firsthand experience and understanding of the company’s operations. After completing my bachelor’s degree in 2015, I eagerly joined Bosch’s Corporate Marketing and Sales department. Embarking on a two-year trainee program, I had the opportunity to explore various roles and departments. Additionally, I had the honor of working as an assistant to our executive management, gaining valuable insights into the company’s strategic direction.
Eventually, an exciting opportunity arose within the product area of interior sensing at Bosch. I couldn’t have asked for a more innovative domain, supported by a remarkable team. The potential to contribute to the advancement of interior sensing technology at Bosch thrilled me. I firmly believe that Bosch will continue to play a leading role in this field, and I am eagerly looking forward to being a part of shaping this development further.
2. What are some new and exciting developments for in-cabin sensing at Bosch? Which trends do you see in the market?
Upcoming legislation and consumer tests will require a minimum sensor set-up to detect the presence of children left behind in vehicles and assess the driver’s attentiveness. Driven by those future requirements, we at Bosch are excited about a new sensor we have added to our portfolio with a focus on the child presence detection function: our cabin sensing radar.
While most of the functions with increasing importance can be realized with either a camera or a radar for single-sensor solutions with minimal total cost of ownership, we also see a great potential for increased performance by combining both camera and radar technology. Since each sensor type will be needed to meet specific requirements of legislation or consumer tests, a fusion of both technologies is consequent. Utilizing such a fusion of both sensor types, we can implement a wide range of applications and enhance their performance.
We will be showcasing some of the functions we offer at InCabin, such as child presence detection, occupancy detection, driver monitoring with drowsiness and distraction detection, and comfort features, so be sure to come by our booth to get a better idea of Bosch’s solutions for interior sensing.
The conversation around this topic is growing fast, what do you think the future holds? We need to be very aware of what drivers’ capabilities are and what they are likely to do if the DMS is not fit for purpose. It is the responsibility of designers to understand the limitations of their systems and ensure that these are used appropriately by the driver, ultimately leading to appropriate use of these systems and ensuring road safety.
3. We can't wait to see the demo. You are also running the Session "What end-consumers really think about our fancy ideas to improve their comfort with interior sensing" at InCabin. What can we expect to learn from it?
According to our company motto ‘invented for life’, we at Bosch put safety first. Therefore, ensuring the safety of all vehicle occupants is our main target for interior sensing in the automotive context. By adding comfort features the consumer acceptance of interior sensing solutions and the monetarization potential for OEMs can be enhanced. We have studied end-customers perspectives of comfort features enabled by interior sensing and the results revealed interesting insights into differences based on national culture and brand preferences, as well as preferred payment method. We’re looking forward to sharing our insights with you at InCabin!
4. Before we let you go, what is exciting about coming to InCabin Brussels?
Last year, we had the pleasure of engaging with industry stakeholders and customers, sparking insightful conversations. We eagerly anticipate this year’s events, where we will showcase our capabilities at our booth, participate in panel discussions, and deliver an inspiring keynote presentation. Visit our booth and meeting pod to connect with us and experience the power of Bosch firsthand. We cannot wait to meet all of you and make this event truly remarkable.
...Don't forget that as an OEM / Tier1 you can join us for FREE!
We don’t want you to miss out on hearing crucial In-Cabin advancements! Enhance your experience and book your Full Pass to gain access to TWO technical tutorials to enhance your knowledge on Time-of-Flight sensing, & the Interplay of Human Factors & Safety.
