Bosch provides “sensitive car” module for Swiss Museum of Transport

Sensor technology in the automobile

“Road Transport” permanent exhibition redesigned
· Visitors get a spatial impression of sensor technology in the automobile

· Focus on sensors’ contribution to road safety

· More than 870,000 visitors last year

LUCERNE – From useful helper to life-saver: in modern vehicles, sensors are assuming an ever greater variety of tasks. The aim of the “sensitive car” exhibition module in Verkehrshaus Luzern (Swiss Museum of Transport) is to make these common yet nearly invisible assistants visible and tangible. Bosch has agreed to be a partner for this part of the completely redesigned “Road Transport” permanent exhibition, which opens on June 27, 2009.

On a platform measuring five by two meters, the exhibit shows more than 60 electronic control units and sensors. All these elements appear to float on air in exactly the spot where they would be found in the vehicle. In this way, they form the silhouette of a vehicle. Two multimedia consoles next to the “sensitive car” provide visitors with further information about the accident-preventing or accident-mitigating role that sensors play in modern driver-assistance systems such as the ESP® electronic stability program, the ACC adaptive cruise control, or the night vision enhancement system. “It is via the sensors that these assistance systems develop their own understanding of the driving situation. They relieve and support drivers, warn them in critical situations, and can even automatically intervene in driving maneuvers if necessary,” said Martin Wieser, Sales Manager Bosch Automotive Switzerland.

“Cooperation with Bosch allows us to present the significance of sensor technology authentically, yet in a way the man in the street can also understand,” said Daniel Schlup, who is responsible for exhibitions in the Swiss Museum of Transport. Last year, more than 870,000 people visited Switzerland’s largest technology museum. On a surface covering more than 20,000 square meters, they could admire a large collection of land vehicles, watercraft, and aircraft. The museum first opened its doors 50 years ago – and Bosch exhibits were on display back then as well.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 280,000 associates generated sales of 45.1 billion euros in fiscal 2008. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros, or eight percent of its sales revenue, for research and development, and applies for over 3,000 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial.

The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.

Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com.