Auto presence grows at Consumer Electronics Show

Appearing to be en route toward becoming an actual car show, a record-setting array of automotive OEMs, vendors and assorted aftermarket entrepreneurs eagerly displayed a prominent presence at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

At an event previously known for homing in on home- and people-oriented electronic gadgetry, exhibit space dedicated to automotive innovations has nearly doubled over the past five years to exceed 165,000 square feet; this year’s industry volume amounted to a 17 percent increase over the footage allotted during 2014’s CES.

Research by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the show’s producer, reveals that about 30 percent of American households currently own a vehicle equipped with a communications, safety or entertainment system. The trade organization is forecasting that sales of factory-installed vehicle technologies will increase by 3 percent in 2015 to $11.3 billion.

“As the car has become more connected we have seen the popularity of in-vehicle technologies increase as well. We created the Vehicle Intelligence Marketplace to showcase advanced innovations and how these technologies are making the driving experience safer,” says Gary Shapiro, the CEA’s president and CEO.

“The continued growth of the automotive category at CES parallels the rapid evolution of in-vehicle technologies,” he points out. “From connectivity to autonomous driving technologies to other rapidly evolving innovations, consumers today view in-vehicle technology as an important factor in their buying decisions.”

Prototype cars that drive without a driver were basking in the CES spotlight with attention-attracting demonstration runs.

“OEM sales of self-driving cars will start slowly with small-scale availability around 2020,” predicts senior analyst Jeremy Carlson at IHS Automotive. Higher-volume production will begin in earnest in 2025 and grow rapidly in subsequent years, according to the company’s forecasts.

“There is no question that autonomous driving technology and self-driving vehicles will have tremendous long-term impact on the auto industry,” says Egil Juliussen, an IHS divisional director. “It also will likely have a positive influence on auto sales and vehicles in operation after 2035, presumably adding another 50 years of growth to the sector.”

Executives at BMW observe that “theoretically, vehicles which can steer themselves entirely independently can come into use after 2020. However, a number of legal issues and liability risks need to be clarified before this happens. Initially, the challenge of the quantum leap from partially automated to highly automated driving must be mastered effectively. After that step has been accomplished, we definitely see potential for fully automated driving in a number of use cases.”

In the meantime, research and development projects within the field are continuing to power forward.

“Automated functions are at the top of the industry’s agenda. This requires an increase in the level of integration between sensors, controllers and actuators as well as redundancy strategies,” says Tolga Oal, TRW’s vice president of global electronics.

“For example, our Automated Vehicle engineering team is doubling in size in 2015 in order to meet the growing product development demand from our European, North American and Japanese customers,” Oal adds. “This is part of a wider effort in which the company is hiring engineers and technicians to also support the overall growth of our Driver Assist System product portfolio.”

Automotive game-changers

In addition to numerous suppliers, 10 of the larger automakers were hosting booths and conducting demos at CES. Other OEMs and aftermarket enterprises without an official exhibit at the event were busy walking the show floor and making key connections.

“We did some ‘guerilla marketing,’” reports Dallas La Porta, co-founder with Dino Mariutti of DD Technologies. The company, based in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and Italy, is gearing up to roll out its Iris aftermarket add-on heads-up display unit in the spring.

“We talked to some big distributors and they were impressed. We couldn’t have asked for a better reception,” says La Porta. “There’s no sugar-coating there; if someone’s not interested they’re not going to pay attention to you.”

Retailing for $499, the Iris HUD mounts inside the car near the sun visor, using laser-scanning technology to present a sharp, clear display. Mobile communications and navigational data – including directions, speeding alerts and school zones – are projected in front of the driver. “Simple finger gesture control allows the driver’s hands to remain on the wheel and their eyes on the road,” La Porta says.

“It has an application that runs on your smartphone,” he explains. The device connects several layers of a phone’s GPS informational capability along with communicating with the vehicle’s OBD port. “We have a wicked piece of hardware,” says La Porta, adding that “there will be a number of new things that are still in development” that will be introduced as Iris hits the marketplace.

Among other current and future features, Hyundai’s augmented reality HUD on display at CES delivers information in the form of animations that describe road conditions ahead. Drivers will see warnings when a car is about to unexpectedly veer into their lane, arrows leading to exit ramps, highlighted street signs, smart cruise control distance bars and one-way street markings.

“We’re bringing more information to the head-up display than we’ve had in the past,” says spokesman Miles Johnson. (The terms “heads-up” and “head-up” are both used throughout the industry to describe this type of technology.)

Hyundai’s HUD can be linked to a wearable wristband that vibrates when the lane departure/lane encroachment warning system is activated. It also serves as a heart rate monitor should a health problem arise. “The band sends a signal and pulls the car to the side of the road by itself, and then it calls 911,” he says. Production is expected to be sooner rather than later. “The wearable is not too far away.”

Johnson goes on to describe the company’s ongoing HUD V2V (vehicle to vehicle) technological developments as “a game-changer” for the industry. An infrastructural roadway warning system is especially enticing for avoiding traffic tie-ups and potential roadwork tragedies. “Construction crews would have some kind of transmitter, and they’re sending that information to the vehicle, and the car has a sensor to pick it up. It’s going to take involvement from governments to implement, but the technology is there. That is an example of what’s possible in a real-world environment.”

CES attendees were particularly attentive to what Hyundai’s engineers are preparing to offer, says Johnson. “The booth was mobbed non-stop.”

Diagnostic data

Not surprisingly, maintenance and repairs for this type of technology will require heightened education throughout the industry. “The systems are very sophisticated,” Johnson says, noting that the automaker’s existing systems have already adopted advanced knowhow and technician training. Along with diagnostic and troubleshooting gear, “some of the dealers had to purchase new equipment to tune the lane departure system and the blind spot detection system.”

Scheduled to be available on select 2016 Chevrolet Equinox, Tahoe, Suburban, Corvette, Silverado and Silverado HD models equipped with specified powertrains, an enhanced OnStar system attracted strong attendee attention, according to Stuart Fowle, General Motors’ assistant manager of global connected customer experience.

“It was the busiest our booth has ever been at CES,” he says. “This industry-leading prognostic technology can predict and notify drivers when certain components need attention – in many cases before vehicle performance is impacted,” says Fowle.

“It will keep an eye on fuel pumps, starter motors and batteries, and going forward we will look at other parts that can receive advance notice that they are failing,” he says. “It’s set up so (the OnStar advisory) comes to you, but you have the option to share that information with anyone you choose. We always send it to the customer and let them decide. If you have a third-party favorite repair shop that you use, you can call that shop” with the relevant diagnostic data.

Unlike competing systems, says Fowle, OnStar functions without having to utilize the driver’s cell phone. For optimum performance and advance component failure warnings, “the car needs to stay connected even if you don’t have a phone.”

Jaguar Land Rover has developed a 360-degree virtual windshield that has monitors incorporated into the A-pillars so drivers can see all around them. Sensors send out signals to detect encroaching objects, signs and landmarks.

“If we can keep the driver’s eyes on the road ahead and present information in a non-distracting way, we can help drivers make better decisions in the most demanding and congested driving environments,” says research and technology director Dr. Wolfgang Epple.

“Driving on city streets can be a stressful experience, but imagine being able to drive across town without having to look at road signs, or be distracted trying to locate a parking space as you drive by,” Epple adds. “We want to present all of this information on a Heads-Up Display in the driver’s eye-line, so the driver doesn’t have to seek it out for themselves and take their eyes off the road ahead.”

A 360-degree crash avoidance system and a Remote Valet Parking Assistant that automatically maneuvers through multi-level parking garages was demonstrated at CES by BMW.

“BMW vehicles include an ADAS (advanced driver assistance system), which ensures that vehicle service and repairs work – automated systems will work the same way,” says company project manager Dr. Werner Huber.

“If an automated driving system malfunctions or is damaged – if a sensor breaks, for example – diagnostic software will inform the driver and disengage the system. In the service center a BMW technician will find the malfunction using a tester connected to the OBD interface,” he says. “Depending on the defect each component can be identified and repaired through an automated system, much like any other ADAS system. A recalibration of the sensors will ensure accurate operation is restored.”

Huber points out that “technicians improve their skills with every new technical system released. They have received training in specific BMW training centers to learn how to deal with malfunctions. Additionally, real and virtual repair handbooks will help them to understand different defect characteristics.”

Subscribe to Aftermarket Business World and receive articles like this every month….absolutely free. Click here.