In the era of software-defined vehicles (SDV), German technology giant ZF has announced the end of the era in which the chassis was simply a collection of iron and hydraulics. With its new Chassis 2.0 strategy, presented at CES, the company is officially bringing the “skeleton” of the car into the digital world, transforming it into an intelligent system controlled by artificial intelligence. Wow! We are no longer talking about just shock absorbers and springs, but about a true digital DNA that senses the road before the tire has touched it.
The crown jewel of this transformation is the AI Road Sense system. Using a complex algorithm and an arsenal of sensors, the car can now recognize the pavement in real time – from ice and deep snow to sand and gravel. The most impressive thing is that in its Premium version, the technology relies on LiDAR, which scans the road profile 25 meters ahead with a surgical precision of 2 centimeters. This allows the cubiX software to prepare the suspension for every bump in just one millisecond. Imagine - the car reacts faster than human reflexes, eliminating the driver's uncertainty in poor conditions.
But the innovations do not stop there. ZF solves one of the eternal problems of comfort - noise in the passenger compartment - through Active Noise Reduction technology. Instead of piling up heavy and expensive insulation materials, engineers are using “intelligent” shock absorbers and sensors that neutralize tire vibrations in the bud. The result is silence that has previously been the preserve of only the most luxurious limousines, with series production of this solution planned for 2028.
It's all part of the big picture of “by-wire” technologies, where the physical connection between the steering wheel, brakes and wheels is replaced by lightning-fast electronic signals. As Dr. Peter Holdmann of the company's board of directors notes, ZF is no longer just a hardware supplier, but an architect of the mobility of the future. By combining artificial intelligence and intelligent mechatronics, they create cars that adapt to each driver's individual style, making every journey safer, quieter and more exciting.
