Johannes Betz studied automotive engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Coburg and the University of Bayreuth. From 2013 to 2018 he was a research assistant at TUM, where he received his PhD in 2019. From 2016-2020, he completed an additional degree in Philosophy of Science and Technology at TUM. Until 2022, he worked as a postdoc at the Chair of Automotive Engineering, where he founded the TUM Autonomous Motorsport Team, which is still successfully participating in autonomous racing series. Johannes Betz continued his postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, in the xLab for Safe Autonomous Systems from 2020-2022. In 2023, he was appointed to the Rudolf Mößbauer Professorship of Autonomous Vehicle Systems.
How have you become who you are?
Johannes Betz: I come from a family of automotive technicians. My dad was a master automotive and agricultural machinery mechanic; my grandpa had the same profession. I also grew up on a farm. There were always machines around me that could drive, that had wheels, ones you could tinker with, and that supported people in some way. This is where my enthusiasm for automotive engineering comes from, which deepened further during my studies years later. Initially, however, I wanted to become a developer at BMW or Porsche, always working directly on vehicles. When I was writing my bachelor's thesis, I discovered my passion for scientific research. This led me to pursue a master's degree and a PhD here at TUM. Through my postdoc position, I eventually moved into the area of autonomous driving – a field of research that, until a few years ago, was situated only in robotics and was more of a trend in the mobility sector. Even today, there are comparatively few professorships devoted exclusively to autonomous vehicles that operate only on the ground.
Why do we need autonomous driving?
Autonomous driving represents a turning point in mobility that goes far beyond mere convenience. As a researcher, I am convinced that we humans should hand over the steering wheel. Driving wastes time that could be better spent. There are also safety issues to consider. Many accidents result in traffic fatalities that could be avoided. In my research, I focus on software development to enable autonomous vehicles to drive independently, better, faster, farther, and safer. The goal is "Vision Zero": no more traffic fatalities caused by vehicles on the road.
What are you working on right now? What is your first research project at TUM?
My first research project at TUM, "Agility for Safety," aims to apply insights from autonomous motorsport – where the driving is exclusively in circles – to road vehicles. My team and I are investigating how autonomous vehicles can safely perform highly agile maneuvers in critical situations. In this context, I am also delving into ethical behavior planning for autonomous vehicles. This research question is inspired by my second master's degree in philosophy. The goal is to incorporate moral decision making into the control mechanisms. This goes beyond mere safety considerations to include social behavior and different cultural contexts. An example of this would be adapting vehicle behavior to different traffic conditions in different countries.
To explore these research topics, we are intensively working with the research vehicle EDGar (Exzellent Driving Garching), a hybrid VW bus equipped with sensors. This vehicle serves as the basis for practical experiments in agility, safety, and decision-making in autonomous driving.
What is required for an autonomous vehicle to maneuver around obstacles?
For autonomous evasion, precise environmental perception and positioning are crucial, despite the inherent uncertainties in technologies such as cameras for object detection or GPS for positioning. The vehicle must learn that, despite these inaccuracies, there is a safe space for navigation where safety is at 99%. Another challenge is the execution of highly agile maneuvers, such as drifting, which could open up new possibilities for evasion. These developments are part of a long-term research project that has started with the first doctoral students.
What can you pass on to young scientists considering your career?
The answer is to pass on knowledge. I have been incredibly fortunate in my life to always have mentors or teachers who have motivated and supported me. For me, it is fundamental to give back that support, especially in a promising field like autonomous driving, which offers tremendous growth potential.
What changes do you hope to see in the future?
I hope to see more cooperation and focused action in all areas. I believe that despite the awareness of global challenges such as climate change, there is a lack of common, large-scale, overarching goals that we can work towards together. Even at the university level, I hope that we can increasingly work together on specific goals, with everyone contributing to the larger questions. In some cases, we may have to put our own needs aside. The bigger picture matters.