By ATN Editorial Team
Summary: Schaeffler and Sonatus have announced a global partnership that embeds edge AI in motion control solutions for software-defined vehicles. Sonatus Collector AI and Sonatus AI Director are integrated into Schaeffler’s cross-domain control units, giving OEMs a pre-integrated foundation for centralised and zonal electrical and electronic architectures.
Key engineering takeaway: AI models are deployed, executed and lifecycle-managed directly on the control unit via Sonatus AI Director, while Collector AI gathers targeted vehicle data in real time without bulk data logging. Functions such as steering, braking and energy management can then be updated over the vehicle’s life with no hardware changes — edge AI replacing the round trip to the cloud. Sonatus software already runs in more than 8 million production vehicles.
Why it matters: Pre-integrating edge AI at the ECU level cuts the integration and validation effort that slows software-defined vehicle programmes, and signals Schaeffler’s shift from hardware supplier to system and software partner — a route other chassis and powertrain tier ones are likely to follow.
Edge AI Integrated Into Schaeffler Control Units
- Schaeffler and Sonatus bring edge AI into motion control to accelerate the shift to centralized electrical and electronic architectures
- Sonatus software is seamlessly integrated into Schaeffler control units, reducing OEMs’ integration and validation efforts
- The partnership strengthens Schaeffler’s position as a system and software partner for software-defined vehicles
Schaeffler and Sonatus, a leader in intelligence-driven, software-defined vehicle technology, today announced a global partnership to bring edge AI into motion control solutions for software-defined vehicles (SDVs). By combining the control units of Schaeffler with Sonatus’s AI-driven software, the companies enable intelligence directly at the vehicle edge – accelerating development, reducing complexity, and unlocking continuous improvement throughout the vehicle lifecycle.
Software-defined vehicles require more than powerful hardware — they depend on seamless interaction between hardware, software, and data. The joint solution integrates Sonatus Collector AI and Sonatus AI Director into Schaeffler’s control units, creating a ready-to-use foundation for next-generation vehicle architectures and faster time to market.
“Software-defined vehicles require a robust and scalable hardware foundation,” said Thomas Stierle, CEO E-Mobility at Schaeffler AG. “Our control units run data-driven and AI-based functions within the vehicle, enabling the next generation of vehicle architectures.”
As The Motion Technology Company, Schaeffler contributes its cross-domain control units and system integration expertise across powertrain, energy, chassis, and body domains — enabling centralized and zonal architectures that form the backbone of an SDV.
Sonatus brings to the partnership a proven track record in production-grade, AI-driven technology for software-defined vehicles that is deployed in more than 8 million vehicles. Its solutions extend Schaeffler’s systems with embedded AI capabilities:
- Sonatus Collector AI enables targeted, real-time data collection without relying on large-scale data logging
- Sonatus AI Director allows deployment and lifecycle management of AI models directly on the vehicle
“Hardware centralization is the first step; the software-defined vehicle is realized when AI can be running at the edge and when hardware continuously learns and adapts. Together with Schaeffler, we are turning static control units into dynamic, intelligence-driven systems,” said Jeff Chou, CEO and Co-Founder of Sonatus.
What The Partnership Means For OEMs
Together, the solution allows automakers to run and continuously improve key vehicle functions — such as steering, braking, and energy management — directly on the control unit. New features and optimizations can be deployed over the vehicle’s lifecycle without hardware changes.
Flexible data collection enables faster issue resolution and deeper insights into vehicle performance, equipping OEMs to manage increasing system complexity while accelerating development cycles.
The partnership underlines Schaeffler’s strategic focus on software and systems engineering for software-defined vehicles. By combining hardware, embedded software and system integration expertise, Schaeffler enables customers to manage increasing system complexity and accelerate the adoption of future vehicle architectures.
“Our central control units are equipped with a pre-integrated software infrastructure that includes solutions such as Sonatus products. This significantly simplifies integration for OEMs and helps them accelerate the centralization of their software architecture,” said Rodrigo Peres, Schaeffler’s senior vice president of Business Unit Vehicle and Battery Controls.
For more software-defined vehicle news, click here.
