- AutoSens returns to Brussels, Belgium for its flagship conference on autonomous driving.
- The event features over 60 presentations, seven panel discussions, and a technology exhibition.
- AutoSens is a way for senior level engineers and researchers to see what is happening in the industry.
The renowned Autoworld Museum will host AutoSens Brussels next week; the global conference on autonomous driving and vehicle perception technology returns to Belgium beginning Tuesday, September 17th. The conference examines and covers nearly every level of self-driving and vehicle perception technology, from the supply chain and product development, to plausible use-cases and eventual implementation. AutoSens, in essence, takes a deep dive into the engineering, legal, financial, and even ethical challenges and implications of autonomous cars.
“We strive to bring a really high quality of technical presentations to AutoSens every year, so all attendees will go back to their office or lab with some new solutions, food for thought, or novel information,” said Robert Stead, Managing Director, Sense Media Group, the parent company of AutoSens. “The audience joining us at Autoworld is as healthy as ever, with the world’s best imaging and computer vision engineers and scientists hard at work pursuing the shared goal of safer roads and sustainable technology for the future of transportation.”
For Engineers, By Engineers
Every aspect of AutoSens lives by this motto – for engineers, by engineers – meaning the technical integrity and depth of the conference is of the upmost importance. Collaboration and creativity remain central themes as well, whereby professionals in the field share ideas and devise solutions to the obstacles facing autonomous driving. Organizers say they want attendees to feel welcome, and to have an accurate representation of how the industry is evolving.
“AutoSens exists simply to support and help engineers and scientists, and when we hear stories from attendees about the new people they met, the things they learned, the business connections made – that’s what keeps us motivated,” Stead explained. “It’s about creating a meeting place and community that can be a catalyst for others in their pursuit of good science. We also want to provide context so the technical discussions show an up-to-date picture of what is happening in the market.”
“This conference has been good for us because we meet like-minded people that are facing similar challenges; we talk, we exchange our views, and we learn from each other,” added Phil Magney, Founder and Principal Advisor, VSI Labs, and a longtime attendee. “We like AutoSens because it’s technical and focused with respect to the perception side of this business, and it’s a good mix of industry and technology.”
AutoSens Brussels 2019 Agenda: At A Glance
In its entirety, AutoSens Brussels includes over 60 presentations, seven panel discussions, and a technology exhibition with 40 plus displays; all surrounded by timeless classic cars inside the Autoworld Museum. Midday lunches and a drinks reception Tuesday evening are among the many chances for networking and discussion. The AutoSens Awards dinner is set for Wednesday night at the Atomium in Brussels.
AutoSens Brussels 2019 Agenda: Expert Speakers
The robust agenda for Brussels begins on Tuesday, September 17th with a session entitled AI and Deep Learning for Driverless Vehicles: Trends and Challenges. Dominique Bonte, Managing Director of ABI Research, will lead the session on lightweight, low-power automotive AI systems and new testing approaches for them. Later in the day, representatives from AEye, Arbe, FLIR, and SOS Lab will host a comprehensive round table discussion on LiDAR, thermal cameras, and other ADAS technologies.
On Wednesday and Thursday, September 18th and 19th, a number of expert speakers will take the stage, including Geoff Ballew, Senior Director of Marketing for ON Semiconductor. Ballew’s presentation will cover the challenges and requirements for state-of-the-art sensors across specific applications: e-mirror and camera monitoring systems (CMS); driver and occupant monitoring systems (DMS); and scalable machine vision for ADAS, on up to fully-autonomous driving solutions. While this is only one of over 60 different presentations scheduled, attendees can expect a thorough analysis of the topics at hand.
“The difference between AutoSens and many other events on this hot topic of self-driving cars is that the AutoSens attendees are the actual engineers who are building the systems that will make it all possible,” Stead said. “We try to find the leading minds in the field because they have the experience and can provide that level of insight.”
Other presenters in Brussels this year include Dexin Chen, Senior Technology Analyst, IHS Markit; Dr. Valentina Donzella, Associate Professor, University of Warwick; Professor Robin Jenkin, Principal Image Quality Engineer, NVIDIA; and Christian Moczko, Supplier Quality Engineer, Daimler – among many others.
AutoSens Expands Further
The return to Brussels marks the 7th edition of AutoSens, launched four years ago by Sense Media Group. The conference is a twice-yearly event, meeting in Detroit, Michigan every May and in Brussels in September. Beginning next year, AutoSens Hong Kong will join the events in North America and Europe. Organizers say Asia is an important market for autonomous technology, and an international hub for engineers, researchers, and other automotive experts. Longtime attendees, delegates, and speakers agree with the decision.
“AutoSens has quickly established itself as the event in this space to see, hear and meet the key companies and people that matter in the autonomous vehicle sector,” explained Rudy Burger, Managing Partner, Woodside Capital Partners, and frequent AutoSens speaker. “Launching a third edition in Hong Kong is an exciting and valuable proposition for the industry.”
“I can’t think of a better combination,” added Abhay Rai, VP of Product Marketing, Visteon. “The latest innovations from Asia, the backdrop of one of the world’s most famous cities, and the global AutoSens community convening for the latest addition to the world-class event series.”
Continued Industry Support For Hong Kong
AutoSens Hong Kong already has a number of highly invested stakeholders. Expert advisory board members include representation from Aptiv, Byton, Valeo, Visteon, and Robert Bosch with founding partners from top companies such as Visteon, IAV Automotive Engineering, Siemens, OmniVision, Kalray, ON Semiconductor, Viavi, Woodside Capital Partners, and XenomatiX.
“We are incredibly proud to announce 13 founding partners and advisory supporters,” Stead said. “It’s very encouraging to see the level of support that’s been shown upon sharing our vision for the next phase of the AutoSens journey.”
Organizers are still developing the agenda for AutoSens Hong Kong, but say attendees can expect sessions on sensor hardware, image processing, driver monitoring, computer vision, and regulatory challenges. AutoSens Hong Kong will feature over 300 delegates, 45 speakers, and nearly 12 hours of networking. The conference runs November 17th through the 19th of next year.
AutoSens Brussels 2019: Location & Tickets
Tickets for AutoSens Brussels 2019, including discount packages for females in the engineering community, are available now. The conference begins Tuesday, September 17th and runs through Thursday the 19th. Those wanting to keep up on everything from afar can do so via the official AutoSens TV channel. There viewers will find archived presentations from past conferences, along with interviews with many of the attendees, delegates, and speakers.
“We try really hard to create an environment that is different and stands out from the crowd,” Stead said. “Only by sharing knowledge and resources can we address the many great challenges posed as we work towards a world of autonomous vehicles.”
Cover Photo: 2018 AutoSens Award winners.
