Premium lighting systems pioneer ZKW is developing advanced perception capabilities for autonomous vehicles. By partnering with Kognic, they're efficiently integrating scalable, cost-efficient human feedback into their data pipeline—enabling them to train and validate autonomous systems that are safe, reliable, and aligned with human expectations.

We spoke with Matthäus Artmann, Group Manager Electronics Engineering Predevelopment, and Andres Moreno, Electronics Engineer, about how Kognic helps ZKW get the most annotated autonomy data for their budget.

As a global leader in innovative premium lighting and electronics for the automotive industry, ZKW is designing the technologies that will make autonomous driving possible. Their forward-thinking approach positions them at the forefront of automotive innovation.

Even self-driving vehicles need the right light - ZKW GROUP

ZKW envisions lighting that transcends traditional illumination to become an intelligent communication interface between autonomous vehicles and their environment. Imagine braking paths projected onto roads, virtual crosswalks illuminated for pedestrians, and visual signage displayed for other road users. The goal: creating lighting systems that enhance perception and safety, helping to realize accident-free transportation.

While these innovations are in pre-development phases, ZKW partnered with Kognic to overcome a critical challenge: efficiently generating high-quality annotated data to train their AI systems. With Kognic's platform combining productivity, automation, and smart workflows, ZKW is maximizing their annotation ROI.

Why ZKW Chose Kognic

"At ZKW, we like to partner up with experts in different competencies for topics that are new to us. We wanted to go into AI and realized the importance of data in our development because Artificial Intelligence requires high quality annotated data - MATTHÄUS ARTMANN"

ZKW's decision came down to three key differentiators:

#1 Specialized Focus on Autonomy Data

Kognic is the leader in autonomy data annotation, providing the most productive annotation platform specifically designed for AD/ADAS development. For ZKW, beginning their AI journey, having a partner with deep domain expertise in automotive perception was essential.

#2 Platform, Process, and People Working Together

Kognic's competitive advantage comes from the unique combination of our Platform (productivity-optimized tools and automation), Process (robust workflows for quality and scale), and People (domain expertise and flexible workforce). This integrated approach delivers more annotated data per dollar than competitors.

"Some companies are mainly focused on the end result, which is basically: we have the annotators, it will take this amount of time, this is our price and that's it. Kognic goes beyond and really guided us in the initial steps, and that helped us stay the course and achieve our initial goal" - ANDRES MORENO

#3 Building on a Strong Foundation with GAP

Every Kognic project begins with our Guideline Agreement Process (GAP), which helps customers develop a deeper understanding of their specific use case through collaboration with Kognic's perception experts. This ensures customers make informed decisions that lead to accurate results aligned with their requirements—maximizing the value of every annotation dollar spent.

"The guidelines were a really good first step to initiate this annotation process. That was something that we didn't have. And starting smart with the right set-up made the difference." - MATTHÄUS ARTMANN

Quality Data as the Foundation for AI Excellence

The guidelines process wasn't just about staying on track—it was crucial for ensuring ZKW focused on acquiring the right data from the beginning. In AI development, working with biased data can undermine even the most sophisticated algorithms.

Kognic provided ZKW with a structured process for regularly evaluating outputs, discussing improvements relative to established guidelines, and continually reassessing which data types would be most valuable moving forward.

"From my point of view, the main challenge is the quality of the data. The initial steps that any company has to take regarding data is the most important thing, because usually the artificial intelligence, doesn't take too much time to develop, but if the data is bias then there isn't any artificial intelligence that can overcome that - ANDRES MORENO"

Many organizations view annotation as simply "drawing bounding boxes" and opt for the lowest-cost provider without considering their specific needs. This approach typically results in low-quality annotations that introduce bias—issues that must be corrected later at greater cost. Kognic's approach goes beyond basic labeling: we generate high-quality data that properly trains algorithms while optimizing the entire workflow for maximum productivity.

By taking this comprehensive approach, ZKW achieved superior results quickly while reducing total effort. They focused not just on annotation quality, but also on optimizing their data handling process—enabling them to work efficiently with their datasets, browsing, filtering, and identifying gaps.

"With Kognic, I knew we were processing the right kind of data, and could talk to the team about improving them, and I can select what data matters most, and what I need more of. Filtering, visualising - MATTHÄUS ARTMANN"

The Kognic platform enables seamless viewing, sorting, management, and deeper understanding of data, allowing teams to make strategic decisions about future data acquisition—reducing costs and saving valuable development time.

Kognic and ZKW share core values of efficiency, continuous learning, and relentless improvement. By establishing the project correctly based on ZKW's specific use case, ensuring quality throughout the process, and implementing regular check-ins for adjustments, the team successfully achieved their initial objectives while maximizing their annotation budget.

At Kognic, we're partners building lasting relationships based on delivering the most annotated autonomy data for our customers' budgets. While ZKW has primarily focused on video imagery, their mission to enhance mobility through advanced lighting technologies now has them exploring new autonomous driving applications with Kognic's guidance, including LiDAR and additional sensor types—all with the same focus on cost-efficient, high-quality human feedback.