Making a business case for technology

On display at Convergence were two research demonstration vehicles from DaimlerChrysler: the Chrysler 300M IT-Edition and Jeep Grand Cherokee Concierge.

Vehicles equipped with global-positioning-satellite, voice-recognition, intelligent-speed-control, and lane-guidance systems were in the innovation pipeline at Convergence 2000. "We talked about those technologies at the last Convergence, and they're now in the marketplace," said Bernard Robertson, Chairman of Convergence 2002 and Senior Vice President of Engineering Technologies & Regulatory Affairs for DaimlerChrysler Corp.

With about 8500 attendees at this year's three-day show that featured more than 180 exhibits focused on transportation electronics, many more products will register as marketplace wins or failures before Convergence 2004. "CB radios, integrated cell phones, and wireless concierge services were technical successes, but commercial failures," said Robertson, adding, "We've learned over and over again that people can't tell you what they like until they've experienced it."

But experiencing a product is a long way from selling it. "Technology itself cannot be sold, that's clear. We need a business case for technology," stressed Guenter Hertel, Technical Chairman for Convergence 2002 and Vice President of DaimlerChrysler's Research & Technology and Corporate Quality.

The show floor included two research demonstration vehicles from DaimlerChrysler. Some of the featured technologies on the Chrysler 300M IT-Edition and Jeep Grand Cherokee Concierge may reach production. "The automotive success equation is a combination of three things: business, plus technology, plus processes," said Hertel.

An intelligent driving experience underscores the Concierge, whose features include Visteon Corp.'s voice-controlled key fob, a message-sending center high-mounted stop lamp (CHMSL) from Compunetics, Inc., a capless fuel-fill entry-point, and a medical device that links to the vehicle's communication system.

"The Concierge really is a supplier vehicle because suppliers had complete autonomy to do their (particular) innovation, but there's been no production commitment to any of the suppliers," said Richard Henry, Advanced Technology Council Liaison for DaimlerChrysler's Liberty and Technical Affairs advanced development technology group, adding, "We created a preliminary requirement document for each technology."

The ITW Global Product Development Center provided the vehicle's direct fuel-fill system. "Inside the fuel pipe is a positive sealing insert, which is the primary fuel shutoff," said Ava Sand, Product Marketing Manager with ITW, adding, "This (capless refueling) costs the same or a little less than a fuel cap."

Medtronic Physio-Control Corp. supplied the onboard integrated defibrillator. Because the demonstration vehicle uses the CHMSL as a message center, the medical device and the message board can work in tandem. "If the defibrillator was removed, a 'please provide assistance' message would appear automatically," said Henry, noting the CHMSL can be preprogrammed for as many as 300 messages.

In addition to supplier participation, DaimlerChrysler's research lab contributed voice-recognition and lane-departure software as well as a rearview mirror monitor to show rear-facing video images. (Rear obstacle detection is also aided via three rear bumper-located radar sensors.) "The purpose of the vehicle is to make driving easier and more comfortable," said Henry.

The 300M IT-Edition is designed to respond to help manage the human-machine interface. In addition to today's typical onboard sensors, the car adds 25 sensors to monitor 50 parameters. "The car is a rolling research platform for the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Media Lab to work on developing smart software agents that can manage information based on what the driver is doing at that moment and/or the vehicle situation—i.e., in traffic or at high speed on the highway," said Stephen Buckley, Manager of Electrical Product Innovation for DaimlerChrysler's Liberty and Technical Affairs group.

Like many other Convergence exhibitors, DaimlerChrysler executives are experimenting to find practical production applications. "We're looking at where we can go with technology," said Robertson, adding, "All things have potential."

- Kami Buchholz

Microsoft wants to tear down the wall

Toyota's G-Book telematics device in many ways marks the birth of the first truly connected car, said Dick Brass, Microsoft Vice President of technology development in the Advanced Strategy and Policy Group. Microsoft's Windows Automotive is at the heart of the G-Book system.

More partnering among disparate industry segments must take place if Microsoft's vision of an interconnected automobile is to be realized, the company's Vice President of technology development in the Advanced Strategy and Policy Group said during a Convergence keynote presentation.

"As people begin to bring...larger and more powerful devices into their cars, they'll have enough computing horsepower to do navigation and perform other functions," said Dick Brass, the Microsoft VP. "Yet unless there's some integration and some very deliberate work between the automotive and the software/electronics industries, we'll have a wall that will form between the consumer, appliances, and the automotive experience."

Recent signs are encouraging, though, Brass noted. Among them is the Chrysler Group's use of Bluetooth technology that automatically connects a person's cell phone to the vehicle electronics system.

"It's not a full integration...but it's a very important first step," Brass said. OnStar is another example. But taking the industry even further down the path toward a "connected environment" in the vehicle is Toyota's G-Book. The telematics device that enables hands-free communication and navigation as well as other services "in many ways marks the birth of the first truly connected car," he said. Microsoft's Windows CE for Automotive (renamed Windows Automotive by the company) is at the heart of the G-Book system.

Still though, there are very few vehicle systems that "allow you to bring your own devices into the car and have them integrate well," Brass said. "Beyond a few cell-phone cradles, the car represents a cloistered area where the devices that we already own don't provide any particular special benefit to the driving experience."

In a "connected environment," on the other hand, "we can make all our devices, whether they use a Windows operating system or Java or anything else, cooperate together and make the vehicle experience better, richer, and safer for everybody," Brass said.

The exact form electronics advances take in a connected world is hard to predict. "No one anticipated that e-mail would turn out to be the killer app of networking 20-30 years ago," Brass said. "By allowing the connections to take place—by tearing down the wall—we can put ourselves into a position where the natural creative forces of our partners and of our customers and of the various industries can take place. Very interesting things can happen."

Navigation is an area ripe for advance. Most map information is based on CD-ROM or some other storage mechanism, but real-time traffic information goes beyond that. "There are interesting ways in which all of that data can come together, and while it is no substitute for more roads and better highways, it can certainly obviate the pain and the hassle of being stuck in a traffic jam," Brass said.

E-mail is another land of opportunity. "There's no reason why your e-mail cannot be read to you in the car," he said. "We must end the barriers between discrete electronic devices and the proper and efficient use of them inside the automobile."

To that end, the automotive and software industries must "work with the people who provide content (information, entertainment) to make sure their content can easily enter the vehicle and be played, be consumed, be stored," Brass said. "We must work with the communication industry so we can have fast channels that are 'interconnectable' so you don't have to buy one system; you can choose from many and obtain your data whether by satellite or terrestrial broadcast" or other means. Driver distraction also must be addressed.

Software will be a big part of such solutions, according to Brass. "The next decade will be marked by tremendous integration of software and vehicles," he said.

"In many ways, this is the beginning of the age of software."

- Patrick Ponticel