Delphi demoes autonomous car technologies at new lab

Delphi fitted this Volvo with radar sensors hidden at each corner, letting it 'see' pedestrians, cars, and buildings.

(Credit: Wayne Cunningham/CNET)

The electronics in your car’s dashboard were probably not made by the car’s manufacturer. Most automakers rely on suppliers for stereos and navigation systems, and one of the largest in the world is Delphi. To keep up with the latest in technology, Delphi followed its automaker clients by establishing a new development facility in Mountain View, putting it in close proximity to giants Google and Apple, and a multitude of smaller companies developing technology useful in the car.

During the launch week for the new facility, Delphi invited me down to see some examples of its latest development projects. These ranged from an integrated infotainment and safety suite to a module that will let drivers wirelessly charge their personal electronics.

The products of a tier 1 supplier such as Delphi often have a conceptual look–we don’t see the final results until automakers incorporate them into production vehicles, putting a brand spin on them in the process. As such, what I saw at Delphi serves as an indicator of what features will be showing up in future vehicles.

Electronic awareness A key component of autonomous cars, Delphi equipped a Volvo wagon with four radar sensors, one at each corner. These sensors give the car a 360 degr… [Read more]