New Product: Danfoss 'all-new PLUS+1® XM100 controller quickly initiates the era of Level 3 autonomous driving

Danfoss Power Solutions is proud to present its first autonomous driving hardware solution: the PLUS+1®XM100 controller. It is the first product in Danfoss 'upcoming series, which will help customers integrate automatic functions into off-road applications such as road construction, specialty agriculture, material handling, ports and airports, lawn and turf care, and mining.

Andrej Bendtsen, the product manager for controllers and autonomous driving at Danfoss, said: "The path to machine automation is a gradual journey involving multiple steps, each of which offers numerous opportunities." By launching the new XM100 controller, we can provide solutions for level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 autonomous driving. These products can help customers seamlessly integrate autonomous driving functions and operator assistance functions into their machine designs.

01 Autonomous Driving upgrade

After reaching Level 3 autonomous driving, customers can experience higher safety and working capabilities through operator assistance functions based on perception sensors such as LiDAR and radar. Although the operator's concentration remains crucial for ensuring overall safety, LiDAR and radar enable machines to monitor the surrounding environment and automatically perform some major functions, such as steering, path navigation, and precision tasks, when the environmental conditions are safe.

To achieve Level 3 autonomous driving, Danfoss provides the key components that customers need to activate autonomous driving, including the powerful i.MX6 processor, advanced GNNS receiver and 6-axis inertial measurement device, making the PLUS+1® XM100 controller running Danfoss 'automatic software toolkit a powerful hardware platform. Bendtsen said.

Secondly, the automatic control library provides the underlying algorithms for level 3 autonomous driving through pre-programmed functional blocks, thereby saving programmers precious programming time. The last advantage is our PLUS+1® partner program, which enables us to collaborate with leading LiDAR and radar manufacturers to launch a full range of plug-and-play system solutions. A complete set of Level 3 autonomous driving software that combines all these advantages can help machine manufacturers shorten time to market when transitioning to autonomous driving and achieve automation goals with the help of partners."

The operator can control the machine more easily and safely in the sitting cabin

With the new XM100 controller, machine manufacturers can design machines with higher productivity and precision, ensuring the safety of operators and reducing their fatigue while performing critical functions.

This is the first time we have installed a computer on a vehicle, which has significantly enhanced the machine's computing and processing capabilities. In this way, we can install more complex software into vehicles. Peter Bleday, the head of autonomous vehicles at Danfoss, said.

For instance, in the field of road construction, the XM100 controller and ACL solutions can keep vehicles within precise driving routes, while operators can simultaneously maintain observation and perception of the surrounding area. In the field of special agriculture, operators can also achieve this, ensuring that vehicles travel within the crop planting rows in the farmland.

Can machines replace 35 years of experience driving road rollers? No. But can we help operators enhance their driving experience by 5 to 10 years through a brand-new driving tool? It can be done. Can we make this brand-new driving tool a little safer? Sure!"