Continental plans to introduce a new concept to the automotive industry with a European project to develop laser technology displays that can recognise the driver’s facial and vital signs while offering at least a 50% reduction in energy consumption, said Petru Demian, Head of SCT EU Project Management at Continental Automotive Romania.

“We are introducing a new concept in the automotive sector, a more reserved industry, because products have to be sustainable. We’re going to get more simplicity in the car, but with a hidden complexity,” Demian said at the conference “Digitalization and Energy Efficiency – Timisoara”, organised by Energynomics.

The displays will integrate video cameras and health monitoring sensors, and the ultimate aim is to centralise all this functionality into a single control unit. Continental also plans to introduce a fully electronic, energy-optimised braking system. The project will run until 2028 and will include collaborations with universities in Romania, part of an initiative to prepare the next generation of professionals for the demands of the automotive industry. Continental is also collaborating with 11 indirect partners.

DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION OF PETRU DEMIAN

“Basically, the car becomes like a computer. Energy consumption will drop by more than 50%. This is a trend that is strongly felt in the market. We want to collaborate with different faculties, and through this project we want to assign them different tasks to increase the capabilities of education in a few years, so that it can be able to give industry what it needs,” Demian added.

The conference “Digitalization and Energy Efficiency – Timisoara” was organised by Energynomics, with the support of its partners: ABB, BCR, CRC, Datacor, Elektra Renewable Support, MET Energy Romania, Nofar Energy, Polytrade Global, Volt, WALDEVAR Energy.