FRIEDRICHSHAFEN – ZF, a global leader in automotive technology, has unveiled the latest model of its automotive supercomputer, the ZF ProAI, just ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019. Dubbed ZF ProAI RoboThink, this state-of-the-art central control unit represents the pinnacle of AI-capable processing systems in the automotive industry. Offering unparalleled performance, modularity, and scalability, the ZF ProAI product family caters to a wide range of applications, from advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to fully autonomous vehicles across various sectors, according to a press release published on EuropaWire.

In a groundbreaking move for the mobility industry, ZF introduces its own software stack designed to meet the evolving needs of new mobility concepts, particularly in the realm of Mobility-as-a-Service applications such as ride-hailing. This innovative software stack, combined with the formidable computing power of the ZF ProAI, forms a comprehensive solution for driverless vehicles, poised to meet the demands of emerging players in the mobility services sector.

The collaboration between ZF and NVIDIA has resulted in the integration of NVIDIA’s DRIVE AutoPilot L2+ system on the ZF ProAI platform. This partnership positions ZF as a preferred partner for NVIDIA’s advanced self-driving solutions, enabling ZF to deliver L2+ self-driving solutions for production as early as 2020. Wolf-Henning Scheider, CEO of ZF, highlights the significance of this collaboration, emphasizing ZF’s readiness for volume production and its commitment to providing open, flexible, and scalable solutions tailored to diverse industry needs.

Rob Csongor, Vice President of Autonomous Machines at NVIDIA, commends ZF’s agility and system expertise, acknowledging the rapid development of the ProAI platform. With ZF’s ProAI, car manufacturers gain access to advanced self-driving capabilities, paving the way for the rapid deployment of autonomous vehicles.

The ZF ProAI RoboThink boasts unparalleled computing power, with a total computing performance exceeding 150 teraOPS and modular scalability of up to four units, totaling 600 teraOPS. This formidable processing unit, coupled with ZF’s open software architecture, offers a versatile platform for a wide range of autonomous driving functions, from Level 2 to Level 4 and beyond.

Torsten Gollewski, head of ZF Advanced Engineering, emphasizes the unique selling proposition of the ZF ProAI RoboThink, highlighting its modular hardware concept and open software architecture. With four distinct models catering to diverse application scenarios, the ZF ProAI product family provides an ideal solution for the evolving landscape of automated driving.

Furthermore, ZF’s collaboration with Xilinx underscores its commitment to an open system approach. By integrating Xilinx’s Multi-Processor System-on-Chip (MPSoC) platform, ZF enhances the scalability and flexibility of its ProAI platform, offering customers a wide array of options for processor selection and system customization.

As the demand for autonomous mobility services continues to rise, the ZF ProAI accelerates the development of central control units with unprecedented computing power. Whether it’s robo-taxis or autonomous cargo-movers, ZF’s ProAI serves as the backbone for advanced autonomous driving functions, revolutionizing the future of mobility.