AutoSens is one of the best autonomous driving conferences to connect with engineers

After a successful May conference in Detroit, AutoSens, the global summit on automated driving, returns to Brussels, Belgium in September. The organizers have announced the agenda for the event, which includes more than 60 different sessions designed to facilitate constructive dialogue on the topic of autonomous cars.

“The challenge for the automotive industry is to develop computers and robots that can perform tasks better than humans, while also causing minimal damage to a system that will include human-driven vehicles for decades to come,” explained AutoSens founder Robert Stead. "It's not an easy task."

Collaboration and communication

AutoSens covers almost every aspect of autonomous driving, from supply chain, infrastructure and engineering, to legal, financial and ethical considerations. Exhibitors, speakers and sponsors are encouraged to draw on each other's experiences during the event, which poses some of the biggest challenges facing autonomous vehicles. Collaboration and creativity are central themes of AutoSens, which invites professionals in the field to share ideas and develop solutions to overcome the obstacles facing autonomous driving.

“It's a fiercely competitive market, but all companies can take advantage of the free idea sharing forum,” Steid told us. “Of course people don't come and tell all their trade secrets. Very often, engineers face similar problems, and by working together to solve some of them, they can spend more time on other research.”

“I would say the biggest challenge for people is trying to understand different technologies,” Phil Magny, founder and chief advisor of VSI Labs, said during AutoSens Detroit in May. “At this conference, we meet like-minded people who face similar challenges: we talk, we share our views, and we learn from each other.”

For engineers from engineers

Organizers say they are focused on the technical integrity of the conference, making sure attendees have an accurate picture of what's happening in the market. In other words, there are no marketplaces here. "Engineers to Engineers" is an organizing approach that can be seen in every aspect of the conference, from demonstrations of autonomous vehicles to an expert panel of speakers.

“AutoSens brings together engineering minds in a way that is incomparable to other events in the sector,” Stead said. “A real sense of community. You will find that participants who do research in a niche technical field will be very open and explain things to those who are less experienced.”

Experts include representatives from BMW Group, Intel, Hailo, Lyft, NXP Semiconductors, Waymo, University of Surrey, Siemens, Renesas, Smart Eye, Warwick University, ABI Research, VSI Labs and Arbe Robotics. Session leaders have expertise in robotics, computer vision, automotive electronics, digital imaging, and functional safety.

“The difference between AutoSens and many other autonomous car events is that AutoSens attendees are real engineers,” Stead said. “They know firsthand what technologies work well, what are the weak points, and what are the future opportunities.”

Participants during one of the many technical presentations that took place in May at AutoSens Detroit.

Tickets and location

AutoSens Brussels 2018 will be held at the city's famous AutoWorld Museum from 17 to 20 September. Tickets are now available, including discount packages for female engineers. The full agenda of the event and the list of speakers can be found here. The AutoSens Awards, also held in Brussels, are scheduled for the evening of September 19th.

More than 400 engineers, researchers, technologists and other industry experts visited AutoSens in Detroit in May. In preparation for the upcoming conference in Brussels, the organizers are grateful for the level of support they have received.

Themes and themes for AutoSens Brussels

• Image quality and standardization.
• Requirements for image and signal processing.
• Human factors in the design of sensors and autonomous vehicles.
• Regulation/ethical considerations for self-driving vehicles.
• How to improve the performance and safety of automated vehicles.
• Functional security and testing, including real world and virtual verification.
• Driver and coupe control on the way to autonomous vehicles.
• Sensor fusion, including validation issues and discussion of different sensor combinations.
• Sensor technologies including camera monitoring systems, LIDAR, radar and time-of-flight imaging.