A brief chat with Jonas Ekmark
Meet our employees from different parts of Zenseact when they share their story, insights and experiences.
Jonas Ekmark, leader of Zenseact’s New Technology organization
Tell us about yourself.
My daily work involves leading the “New Tech” team at Zenseact, which includes conducting research projects, engaging with startups, and managing proof-of-concept activities. Given my experience in ADAS and traffic safety, I also contribute to external communication and internal education.
How did your interest in cars begin?
I have always been fascinated by mechatronic systems that serve a good purpose. Early on, I had the opportunity to work on what is now known as electronic stability control. It was a novel concept in the 1990s, technically challenging, and even controversial.
Today, electronic stability control is legally required in many markets and prevents approximately 30 % of severe crashes, saving tens of thousands of lives each year. It is astonishingly effective and may represent the greatest lifesaver since the introduction of the seatbelt.
Now, we are developing solutions that tackle more complex crash scenarios. Our ultimate goal is to create a lossless road traffic system. Most crashes are avoidable, so it is great that we are working to prevent them.
Autonomous driving technology has advanced considerably over the years. Can you highlight key milestones and explain how they’ve influenced the industry?
Well, the first step in that direction for me personally was realizing that the point of no return, when a vehicle is about to crash, occurs about a second before impact. Sensors can detect this state, allowing computers to make automated decisions. For instance, they may engage the brakes automatically to lessen the severity of the impending impact.
I was at Volvo at the time, and we were leaders in this technology. We launched a research project in 1999, and the first AEB product was released in 2006. We had great success with it, and essentially, the concept was that "when it is clear that the vehicle will crash, let the computer take over and brake automatically."
The next step involved observing the DARPA Grand Challenge and DARPA Urban Challenge research programs in the US, which aimed to develop self-driving robots. It was fascinating to see how difficult it is for a computer to drive a vehicle, yet impressive to witness the rapid development.
We launched our own projects to explore the self-driving concept, such as the "Safe Road Trains for the Environment" initiative in 2009 and the "Drive Me" program from 2014 to 2017. We gained significant insights, which also tied into the foundation of Zenuity in 2017, eventually leading to Zenseact.
There are two main purposes for self-driving technology. One is to provide robotaxis, where the computer entirely replaces the human driver, resulting in safer and potentially more affordable transportation. Waymo has seen significant success in this area.
The other relates to self-driving technology for personal mobility, which enhances consumer vehicles with autonomous capabilities to ensure safety and convenience. We fall into that category. This can be divided into two subcategories, depending on the driver's role:
The first scenario involves the driver overseeing automated driving while being responsible for the operation. This is often called Level 2 and typically includes a system capable of automatically avoiding crashes at any moment.
The second scenario occurs when the vehicle assumes the driving task under specific, well-defined conditions, enabling the user to engage in other activities, much like a robotaxi.
Where do you see the future of autonomous driving heading?
I believe these two tracks will develop in parallel: the robotaxi technology will spread into all fields of commercial transport, such as taxis, as well as heavy vehicles like buses and goods vehicles. The personal mobility-related aspect will focus more on convenience. It will spread faster, which is beneficial for safety. Its collision avoidance capability will also be utilized, reducing losses in the road traffic system.
What personally drives you to work in this field, and what impact do you hope to make through your work?
My motivation is to make the road transport system safer to prevent the losses that are continually occurring. It is outrageous that we, as a global society, accept that road traffic kills over a million people per year and injures about 50 million.
This situation doesn't have to be accepted, and we are working to eliminate it. It is not an unrealistic goal on the horizon. The advancements we have developed and brought to market in the past twenty years are already improving the situation, saving tens of thousands from injury and death.
Recently, our technical capabilities have expanded even further with the introduction of central computing software-defined vehicles. It is fantastic to be an engineer in this context.
Collaboration being one of our core values, we know we cannot solve this challenge ourselves. Tell us about the ecosystem we are in, to take us towards zero faster.
Yes, we need cutting-edge knowledge, technology, and talent. This requires us to be engaged and proactive in the areas where these resources are available.
First, we have a group of 12 industrial PhD students called "The Advanced Graduate Program." Zenseact employs those researchers, and they work in areas that are strategically important to us
Currently, most research topics focus on making the embedded AI system in vehicles efficient and safe. We allow students to visit research groups at world-leading universities, such as the University of California, Berkeley; MIT; Stanford; TU Munich; and ETH Zurich in Switzerland. This is a great way to stay up to date with the latest findings.
We interact with startups that provide solutions to some of our challenges. For that reason, we partner with MobilityXlab, which is conveniently located nearby. These startups come from all over the world. We are also part of Volvo Cars' innovation network; for instance, the Volvo Tech Fund brings opportunities.
We are also active in research and innovation-enabling organizations such as SAFER, AI Sweden, Drive Sweden, and the Chalmers Software Center. All in all, it is wonderful to be an engineer and researcher in this context, working to eliminate losses in the road traffic system, and to do so sooner rather than later. As we say, Towards Zero. Faster.
