The 10 Most Innovative Automotive Tech Solution Providers 2018

2019 Vol- 7 Issue- 4

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Philipp Popov Brand of the Month

CEO

CloudCar

Emission Regulations

Recharging Enviroment

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utomobiles! For some it’s a mere mode of transport, and for some wannabe enthusiasts like me it’s an emotion. Since the introduction of Ford’s revolutionary Model T and VW’s Beetle, the automotive industry has come a long way.

Now Ford doesn’t manufacture the Model T which could have been severely outdated by today’s standard and VW’s Beetle is not exactly a common man’s car nowadays.

Currently the automotive industry is witnessing a massive shift with many important evolutions that are taking place. Cars that were used as a mere mode of transportation only, have transformed into connected cars that can communicate with each other, thanks to the use of IoT, cloud computing, big data, etc. With the use of all these the automotive industry is all set to change our life forever. Thus, let’s have a look at the upcoming trends that can change our life forever; Electric Vehicles: The concept of electric vehicles is not new; back in 1897 the first electric taxis started its journey on the streets of New York City. The Pope Manufacturing Company of Connecticut became the first large scale American electric automobile manufacturer. However, the concept of electric cars slowly lost its traction, thanks to its limitations. However, the high fuel prices and pollution levels has brought back the concept from the cold storage. Currently the potential of electric cars is greater than ever before. The entry of organizations like Tesla has led companies like GM, VW, Daimler AG, BMW and others to join the bandwagon. As a result, we (not me although) can buy cars like BMW i8, Tesla Model S, Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, etc. So, in the coming years we can expect many more companies will join the race to build the most sophisticated and desirable electric vehicle, which will eventually help us to reduce the pollution level of our beloved planet earth.

Autonomous Vehicles: Ah! I’m not a very big fan of this trend, but it’s slowly gaining traction all over the world. However, the fully autonomous vehicles will still take some more time to ply onto the roads, but the trend is definitely worth an attention. The autonomous vehicle will eventually come with benefits like reduced accidents, better comfort and traffic management.

Although for people like me, autonomous vehicles will eventually take away all the pleasures of driving. But that’s me.

Blockchain Technology: Love it or hate it blockchain is the new fad and a super-hot trend across various industries.

Blockchain can create a trusted protocol for automotive parts supply chain, which can help remove the cancer of the automotive industry, counterfeit parts. If the blockchain bubble performs as expected, then this will eventually shape the pricing strategy of car makers across the globe.

Data Security and Protection: Believe it or not, in the connected world, most of us have already shared our valuable data with some shady person unknowingly. Automotive industry is one of the most data driven industries around the world.

Nowadays intelligent vehicles can collect data which includes, driving behavior, pattern, routes, etc. As a consumer you love all these features, don’t you? But in case of data breach, don’t be surprised if your data gets sold in the market of the dark web. Recently GM came under a cyber-attack where hackers forcibly took control of several vehicle controls. Hence, currently organizations are in a constant search of the much needed protection.

Considering this vital factors, with great enthusiasm Insights Success has shortlisted, “The 10 Most Innovative Automotive Tech Solution Providers 2019”, which are changing the world of automotive technology.

In this issue we have 3db Access, an ETH spin-off company. It aims to provide secure solutions for proximity-based access control; Acerta Analytics Solutions Inc, which is a platform that leverages the data from across the vehicle lifecycle and applies machine learning and AI to detect malfunctions and predict failures in real-time for vehicles and their systems; Blickfeld, which is designed to meet automotive-grade production and scalability requirements. Field of View 3D LiDARs and environment perception software enable multiple applications; Blue Sage Software, who delivers value to our customers by streamlining their workflow and automating their core business processes; CloudCar, which is driving innovation with a platform for the automotive industry that integrates machine-learning capabilities with voice-enabled infotainment services to deliver a seamless and personalized experience; Design Systems, Inc., who offers complete “Concept to Commission” services for the automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, package handling, health care, steel manufacturing, and many other industries; Toposens, who developed the first 3D ultrasound sensor worldwide. The sensor system perceives its environment via the principle of echolocation.

So, let’s get started!

Maestro’s Insights

Emission Regulations

Expert’s Forsights

Mentor’s Standpoint

Recharging Enviroment

Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Executive Editor

Managing Editor Anish Miller

Assistant Editors Jenny Fernandes Hitesh Dhamani

Shubham Khampariya

Visualizer

Art & Design Director

Associate Designer

David King

Amol Kamble

Kushagra Gupta

Co-designer Mayur Koli

Senior Sales Manager

Business Development Manager

Kshitij K

Peter Collins

Marketing Manager

Sales Executives

John Matthew

David, Kevin, Ajinkya

Technical Head

Business Development Executives

Jacob Smile

Steve, Joe, Alan, Vishal

Technical Specialist Aditya

Digital Marketing Manager Marry D’Souza

SME-SMO Executive Prashant Chevale

Research Analyst William Morgan

Database Management Stella Andrew

Circulation Manager Robert Brown

Technology Consultant David Stokes

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10 |July 2019

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n-vehicle entertainment systems are evolving constantly as cars become more and more connected. Automakers have responded to consumers’ tech obsession of having an increased number of services and expanding set of features.

Everybody seems to want more in their infotainment systems. However, when it comes to in-car features, they do not always live up to expectations.

CloudCar’s distinct “voice-first” approach to in-vehicle content not only enables a personalized, driver-centric experience, but also provides the utmost flexibility and scalability for car manufacturers. By normalizing cloudbased content into common use cases that are not specifically tied to apps and intelligently processing driver intent, the platform allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. This approach eliminates the driver's need to hunt through an abundance of infotainment applications and menu items to access the desired content. It also provides OEMcontrol for building and retaining brand loyalty and owning the vehicle data for future monetization opportunities.

An Adventurous Journey CloudCar’s journey started in 2011 in Silicon Valley, a hot spot for technology companies. Four years later, the company introduced its first product justDrive, a voice activated connected car application, which was exclusive to Jaguar Land Rover vehicles. justDrive brought a unique experience for the driver as it combined the three major elements of the mobile phone, the car, and relevant content.

In 2017, CloudCar secured an investment from Jaguar Land Rover and achieved an early win by completing their product development of the Online Media Application, which is out on the road today. This product

brings cloud-based media streaming services into the vehicle. The firm also has filed forty-five patents in which sixteen are awarded.

CloudCar has established key partnerships with leading content providers to strengthen its partnership portfolio and is working with new global automotive customers in the European, US and Asia markets. The company has recently expanded its locations globally, building a diverse workforce to address the global automotive economy. Besides in the United States, CloudCar currently has presence in China, the UK, Germany and France. Their recent growth also led its headquarters to move to a larger office space now located in Santa Clara, California, USA. Like every business, CloudCar has faced challenges, but has also learned through experiences. For one, the automotive industry has shifted vastly over the past few years and continues to change. This change has shaped the company’s product portfolio into what it is today which anchors on cloud-content integration and analytics services. CloudCar has also defined its requirements around platform flexibility, the desire for personalized content and data privacy mechanisms. With automotive DNA at its core, CloudCar’s successful products are in the market and its experienced teams continue to work collaboratively with their trusted global partners to develop new offerings and solutions.

The Au Courant CEO CloudCar was co-founded in 2011 by two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who both had an appetite for technology innovation and taking risks. In 2016, Philipp Popov was announced as CloudCar’s new CEO, succeeding one of the founders who is currently a continuing member of the board.

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We use cloud-based technology and machine learning to create an intuitive connected-onboard infotainment solution in the vehicle, enabling a truly personalized experience for the driver.

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Our team is focusing on "what's next" for the driver experience and collaboratively working with automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and content providers for attractive solutions.

Having Philipp onboard with his seasoned automotive and entrepreneurial expertise, where he delivered infotainment systems to automotive customers like Audi, Bentley, Porsche and Tesla, it became a completely different ball game for CloudCar. His proven abilities, perseverance and knowledgeable audio and infotainment background is what the company needed.

Philipp reshaped CloudCar by building a strong diversified team and adding the product discipline and robustness required by automakers. With excitement, ambition and the focus of its leadership team, the firm is earning the trust and loyalty of existing and future customers. Observing the industry talent, Philipp asserts, “It’s a very exciting time to be in the automotive industry. CloudCar is rapidly growing and we’re continuously looking for top talent to join our dedicated team.” He adds, “Our combination of automotive and Silicon Valley experts work with OEMs to redefine the customer experience and enhance the journey in the car.”

Customer Oriented Approach CloudCar’s platform lets automotive OEMs choose from a breadth of cloud-based services. The wide range of integrated service providers and depth of understanding for driver intent provides OEMs the flexibility when designing their in-vehicle infotainment solutions. The company works with global leading service providers to categorize data into common driver use cases that fall into specific groups like Media, Places, People, Knowledge, Smart Home and Productivity. Their solution brings all the relevant cloud-based content into the vehicle and makes it available through an on-board Software Development Kit (SDK). No clunky connection to the driver’s mobile phone is needed to obtain the desired content and deliver the desired services.

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Aiding and Revolutionizing the Industry CloudCar is developing the future of connected car technology for car manufacturers by solving the needs of the driver with voice-first infotainment. Its cloud-based cutting edge technology, including machine learning capabilities, provides the connected-onboard infotainment features that automakers are seeking to fulfill their business needs. The company is working with premium manufacturers on exciting opportunities and challenges in the machine learning and infotainment fields. CloudCar’s innovative solutions are at the intersection of Silicon Valley's technology entrepreneurship and the rapidly changing global automotive experiences. It has experts in key areas like cloud technology, data sciences, and user experiences just to name a few.

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with the contextual vehicle data from the HumanMachine Interface (HMI), the firm can build a rich driver profile based on infotainment usage and preferences, and offer unique AI services to personalize the driving experience.

One of the pain points that CloudCar addresses for automakers is the need to maintain control of their brand identity and retain data ownership. The company provides automotive OEMs with a white label platform that offers flexibility, customization, and complete ownership of the data while delivering the desired experience for their consumers.

Infotainment for the Future As it pertains to improving the driving experience, CloudCar has some pretty lofty goals. Their engineers

We've built a comprehensive content-services platform that allows for analytics, personalization and monetization.

A Step Ahead of the Competition As a cloud-based platform, CloudCar integrates machine learning capabilities with voice-first infotainment to deliver a seamless, user-friendly and personalized experience. The service provides car manufacturers with a hardware agnostic, portable SDK that is embedded in the vehicle’s head unit. Consequently, automotive OEMs have access to all of the cloud-based services and providers integrated into its platform.

The firm’s solution is different from many other solutions in the market as it is not app-based thus, there is much more flexibility in designing the user experience.

This allows car manufacturers to meet the needs and preferences of their customers in the vehicle. CloudCar integrates the relevant content from an ample selection of cloud-based content providers and transfers the information through the SDK into the car. This is ideal for easily mapping content to a voice-first experience. In addition to content accessibility, the CloudCar platform supports an extensive list of use cases. When coupled www.insightssuccess.com

continue to advance the machine learning and AI technologies with the utmost ambition of anticipating the driver’s needs and unique, tailored driving experience.

The team on the front line of their organization also spends lots of time engaging with customers, keeping up with their objectives and expectations to sustain a valuable client relationship.

Looking at today’s in-vehicle experience, the company sees the opportunities. CloudCar’s integrated platform brings services to drivers without having to connect their phone while moving between vehicles and still being able to bring their preferences with them.

Technology trends towards the autonomous driving and the shift towards shared mobility is redefining the role of infotainment services in the vehicle. CloudCar will continue to lead this effort and evolve with the fastchanging automotive industry.

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Expert’s Forsights

Electrovaya Lithium-ion batteries: Powering Electro-Mobility Since 1996

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lectrovaya was established in 1996 as a research and development company focused on Lithium ion technologies and manufacturing processes. In 2000, it was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: EFL) and has continuously delivered cutting edge technology projects for aerospace (NASA), automotive and personal electronics. Overtime, it has developed key technologies for fundamental cell and battery technology with more than 150 patents in these fields.

Recently, Electrovaya has concentrated on battery solutions for heavy-duty applications requiring superior life cycle and performance. It has successfully developed unique ultralong life cycle battery systems, which are particularly designed for Materials Handling Electric Vehicles (MHEV).

Currently, it supplies major OEMs with specialized battery module and systems. On the average, MHEVs and passenger EVs run daily for around 10 hours and 2 hours, respectively. Electrovaya’s ultra-long life cycle technology is extremely suitable for these kinds of application.

Compared to vehicles powered with fuel, Electrovaya powered vehicles can function well within 24 hours every day under extreme temperature conditions with annual mileage of 20,000km.

The current target markets are 1.5 million operational MHEVs and approximately 160,000 new MHEVs placed in North America last 2017 (Industrial Truck Association, 2017, Washington DC, USA).

Also, on 25th of July 2018, Electrovaya has successfully delivered batteries to Walmart Canada’s distribution center.

This is a major milestone for Electrovaya and the Materials Handling Industry, for it is one of the largest lithium-ion installations in North America. Currently, Electrovaya’s Lithium-ion batteries provide power to all MHEVs at this distribution center.

Industry Outlook Forklift truck sales in North America’s market continued their unprecedented increase. The year 2017 marked the third consecutive year of growth with more than 250,000 units sold, representing a 9.5% and 12.2% increase compared to 2016 and 2015, respectively.

In addition, thousands to millions of electric powered trucks are sold annually in the U.S. and worldwide. The continuous increase in the number of battery-operated trucks from the previous years’ shows the potential use and lead of Electrovaya’s lithium-ion batteries in the trucking industry.

Customers and Emerging Markets Six Fortune 500 companies in the logistics, e-commerce and manufacturing sectors have started using Electrovaya batteries for their forklift trucks, Material Handling Electric Vehicles (MHEV) and Automated guided vehicles (AGV).

This emerging market generated around $3.3 million of revenue from battery-operated deliveries mainly from Walmart from the January to March 2018. Also, additional purchase orders of $2.3 million were placed last June 2018.

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To further introduce the technology and excellence of its products and services to the world, Electrovaya joined the Modex Expo 2018, which happened at Atlanta, GA. In this occasion, the company showcased the lithium ion batteries that are widely used in the materials handling sector.

Given the tremendous success of Electrovaya in the previous years, what really sets it apart from the other battery providers? www.insightssuccess.com

Raj Das Gupta Vice President of Business Development

Electrovaya

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batteries with maintenance cost of only 45 USD for cable replacements and remote monitoring.

Safety is our priority Electrovaya batteries are built using the safest technology, which has been continuously improved overtime. Once installed, this battery can be recharged similar a cellular phone. Hence, it removes the danger involved in removing and handling of batteries, which are necessary in lead acid battery charging. Ÿ

About the Author Raj Das Gupta has worked with Electrovaya previously as Director of Research and later as Vice President of Energy Storage. Raj is responsible for managing and increasing Electrovaya’s sales for both its stationary and automotive energy storage systems, as well as developing Electrovaya's strategy for technology licensing and business partnerships. Raj attended Imperial College, London; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and the University of Cambridge, where he received his Doctorate in Materials Science.

Last year, no accidents were recorded on the usage on forklift trucks with Electrovaya batteries.

Capital expenditure Lithium battery is always criticized about its high initial cost, wherein Electrovaya battery system is twice the cost of the lead acid batteries. However, Electrovaya batteries last twice longer than lead acid batteries due its 9000 life cycle. This is the result of the collective efforts of the company’s engineers who filed more than 150 patents under the Lithium cell technology. Therefore, after 6 years, the total investments of both types of batteries are the same.

Also, if both batteries will be on a lease, the monthly lease expenses will also be similar due to longer lease period on Electrovaya batteries. Ÿ

Future Perspective

To elaborate on what makes it one of the leading brands for powering electro-mobility, enumerated below are the benefits from utilizing Electrovaya’s technology.

• Reduced costs and increased productivity of charging Based on observation, there was an increase in the productivity of the forklift truck drivers due to opportunistic and fast charging. Lead acid battery can function for 8 hours but also needs to be charged for 8 hours. Meanwhile, Electrovaya battery can be charged opportunistically during break times, which increases its run time. The use of advance connector system removed arching or any fire hazards.

Reduced maintenance costs Electrovaya batteries do not require additional distilled water, switching, cleaning and maintenance. These advantages, made the maintenance costs of Electrovaya batteries 59% cheaper than Lead acid batteries. Ÿ

Electrovaya’s vision is to be the leader in critical and highly intensive applications. Its extensive line of products and worldwide partnerships helps it to lead the industry. Aside from the six Fortune 500 companies, MNCs have also purchased from Electrovaya and many are still exploring the benefits of using this technology in keeping their companies transform and grow.

Reliability of Electrovaya A testimony from the warehouse manager of a leading ecommerce company stated that Electrovaya was very efficient in switching the batteries, particularly in installing the Lithium-ion batteries. Since then, the company has reported reduced energy and maintenance costs, while there was an increase in the labor productivity.

This shows that Electrovaya continues to be one of the leading companies in this industry. Electrovaya has been continuously providing unwavering high quality technologies and services to the people since 1996.

For instance, Watering System Maintenance and Acid Containment Spill Kit cost 135 USD annually for each truck with lead acid batteries compared to Electrovaya 18 |July 2019

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Greta Cutulenco CEO

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3. Describe the experiences, achievements or lessons learnt that have shaped the journey of the company.

Some of our biggest learnings have been around the datasets that are generated during testing of various vehicle systems. Although each manufacturer is testing for similar functionality, the equipment used, the steps of testing, the data formats, and data quality seemed to vary hugely between manufacturers. For a while we were trying to accommodate each dataset in a special way, build separate schemas, APIs and UIs, but over time we started to notice quite a few similar underlying patterns in this data. As a result, we’ve built a very robust governance system we call Cortex that can aggregate, clean and normalize data in the same way across multiple manufacturers, systems, and tests. We have since realized that Cortex can provide a lot of value to many manufacturers who are just starting with their digitalization journeys, and thus started to offer it to customers directly.

4. How does the company contribute towards making the industry better?

In the recent decade the automotive industry has been facing a major transformation. As a result of electrification, autonomy, and new mobility paradigms, vehicles and automotive manufacturing processes have been growing in complexity at an overwhelming speed. This has led to billions being spent on recalls in the last few years (ex. GM ignition or Toyota acceleration), and high-profile accidents in autonomous vehicles. To succeed in the new era, manufacturers need to adopt new technologies that help ensure safety and reliability of their cars in face of the growing complexities.

Acerta provides such a platform and will continue to have an impact on ensuring reliability and safety of vehicles and their parts throughout their life.

5. Give a detailed explanation regarding the Founder/CEO/Management’s influence towards the industry and Acerta Analytics Solutions?

Acerta has a very strong leadership team with years of experience spanning multiple disciplines including data collection, analysis, machine learning and AI, and automotive systems (development, testing, and manufacturing).

There are a few influencers on our team worth noting.

Sebastian Fischmeister, Acerta’s co-founder and current Chief Science and R&D Officer, has worked in academia over the last 15 years in the area of real-time embedded and safety systems. As the Executive Director of WatCar, Waterloo’s automotive research facility, he headed many projects that focused on autonomous vehicle reliability and safety. The group had major contributions to the Renesas autonomous demonstrations at CES over the last few years.

Acerta’s CEO Greta Cutulenco comes from the automotive industry, where she focused on functional safety of vehicle ADAS systems, primarily with Magna. She used a lot of her experience from the industry, automotive and aerospace, to drive the vision at Acerta and the focus of current activities.

Acerta’s CTO Jean-Christophe Petkovich has a combination of academic experience, through his PhD at the University of Waterloo, and industry experience, through QNX and Bombardier. His earlier work has focused on the applications of machine learning and AI for performance monitoring and anomaly detection. By merging his understand of the industry and newest AI technologies, he now drives the product behind Acerta to deliver real value to Acerta’s partners and customers.

6. Where does Acerta Analytics Solutions see itself in the long run and/or what are its future goals?

Acerta’s goal is to facilitate the future of autonomous, connected, electric, and shared mobility by providing an .

AI-driven platform that can ensure reliability and safety of these vehicles throughout their life cycles. We have started making an impact for manufacturers today by applying our platform and analysis during assembly. In our most recent deployment we were able to reduce warranties by 30% by identifying complex patterns in testing data that were indicative of defects. But our vision is to provide similar value throughout the vehicle lifecycle, and have already started making headways by applying our platform and analysis to autonomous on-road connected vehicles.

7. Considering the rising number of Automotive Tech Solution Providers, how does Acerta Analytics Solutions stand out from its competitors?

We are the only platform solely focused on product data from automotive systems across the lifecycle of the vehicle, so from initial development and testing, through production, and afterwards while the vehicle is driven on the road. This ability to manage and analyze the product data throughout the supply chain and across multiple vehicle subsystems differentiates us from most other tech providers.

Our solution is being implemented by a growing number of automotive manufacturers as they trust the predictions and the value that our analysis brings.

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26 |July 2019

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Emission Regulations

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Sustainable Shift

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ndustries in their true essence are the systems driven by technical excellence and customer satisfaction.

These two variables are the vital ingredients for any organisation to thrive in this competitive domain.

Unfortunately, not all the time these dimensions prove to be absolutely fruitful. Contingencies do strike! The Automotive sector is no exception to that.

One such history-defining challenge in the form emission norms had entered into the market back in 90s and its latest version has caused automotive industry to disrupt.

Constantly rising air pollution made lawmakers to establish few amendments for restoring the nature's balance. These amendments or regulations impose constraints in front of the firms making them to upgrade and update their tools.

To survive and succeed, automakers need to revise policies and strategies on different fronts including technology, infrastructure, recapitalization and marketing. This difficult balancing act where they have www.insightssuccess.com

to enhance their expertise on the account of billions of dollars to be invested, and minimising the pass-on effect to customers, has sparked vigorous discussions in recent times.

An industry which has evolved astonishingly with passing time will evidently respond to this universal call towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Euro Standards, the first and foremost emission regulation ever formulated in the wake of astronomically growing pollution across the globe, were initiated in 1991. On its basis, California Air Resource Board (CARB), a primary institute which governs all emission related rules in US was made. CARB which works in tandem with Environmental Protection Agency (EPAs) is known for its stringent regulations which are adopted by most states in the country.

Ultimately, the issue which remains is how are the current automotive companies going to amend

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themselves to match these norms and appeal customers without tightening their budget at the same time? Thus, they are analysing keyways to adopting these strict emission norms and not losing their beloved customers as well.

1.Technological Innovations In the history of automobile, many revolutionary changes have been made. Be it the discovery of Spark Ignition or Compression Ignition engines, or the development of Electronic Traction Control system which employed a smooth integration of machine intelligence into mechanical power.

In this need of the hour, technical perfection has to stand up once again if automotive industries have to retain their title of change-makers. Thanks to many bright engineering minds, such ideas are kept surfacing which will help to reduce emissions from automobiles and simultaneously enhance fuel efficiency too. Higher mileage eventually helps to achieve lesser vehicular emissions.

Mechanisms like Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), Three Way Catalytic converter (TWC), Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI), Variable Valve Train (VVT), Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT), Turbochargers, Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), On-Board Diagnostics with oxygen sensors and transmission-systems-provided-with-many gears can help to trap and reduce Nitrous oxides (NOx), Hydrocarbons(HC), carbon monoxide(CO) and particulate matter (PM). Additionally they have proved their prowess in enhancing mileage, realizing the dream of highly fuel efficient futuristic vehicles with zero or least emissions.

One more important aspect of these add-on systems is that they operate with a prerequisite condition of high graded fuel. Fuel quality of present days can hinder the flawless working of above mentioned equipment. Fuel with any amount of sulphur greater than 10 parts-permillion is considered ill-suited for the current infrastructure. Therefore, fuel refineries have to upgrade their machinery to achieve the desired quality. Good news is that Oil Marketing Companies have already gear up the process to upgrade their refinery infrastructure.

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2. Down-weighting is the key!

Many organisations employ a method where they opt for unconventional size accompanied with lightweight structure to fit in the regulations. For instance, instead of hunk sized SUVs, companies nowadays launch many SUVs having smaller sizes and much lighter in weight.

This can give them advantage in two ways. Firstly, with less intrinsic load to propel, vehicles achieve better mileage which is the most appealing factor for many of the buyers. Second thing is, production costs associated with shrunk size vehicles are proportionally smaller, further shrinking the actual cost a consumer has to bear.

Needless to say, reduction in size and weight together is merely a dream without materials having desired properties. Fortunately modern material science has blessed us with materials like Carbon fiber, Aluminium Alloy, Magnesium Alloy, Hybrid material and Polymer Composites which not only flaunt their lightweight characteristics but also their durability and wear resistance.

3. Green fuel powered vehicles Automobile fraternity is facing a paramount shift in terms of propelling power as newer, cleaner and cheaper alternatives are being introduced. From its introduction of SI and CI engines in late 19th century, they are a popular choice among mass and technocrats. But their environmental demerits are slowly pushing them towards extinction. Solar vehicles, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and gas powered vehicles can be the solutions for growing environmental pollution and depleting crude oil sources. As a wise has man said, “change is the only permanent thing in this world”, automakers have no choice than embracing these changes despite of their higher initial cost. However, the advantages it offers are countless and unquestionable.

4. Unorthodox Designs Until now people have used automobiles for connectivity, comfort and the means of carrying goods.

Time has come to rethink over our expectations from them since we are employing vehicle designs which serve purposes commonly. An example where a vehicle www.insightssuccess.com

widely used for intra-city connectivity is also equipped with larger trunk spaces which could have been avoided helping in reduction of overall weight and size.

Dedicated category of vehicles for dedicated purposes employing unique shapes seems a distant dream for now but certainly not impossible.

5. Spread the word!

Customers tend to have a problem in paying extra cash unless they know the long-term benefits and payback time of these accessories. A study shows that a EURO VI norm car which costs about $1000 more than its EURO V counterparts retrieves the investment within 2-3 years for enhanced fuel efficiency.

Protecting our mother Earth from harmful effects of pollution is a responsibility of every single individual to assure a healthier and greener environment to our future generations. Despite of initial investments which these amendments demand, they are essential for the very existence of this planet. An intensive marketing strategy about making people aware of the benefits received at the core can instil an appreciation of value over cost.

This can make the job easier for manufacturers.

6. Credit System: A tool for rectification Credit system is a depository system where if an automaker exceeds standards in early years, it can bank credits to use in future years with stringer standards. An interesting statistics revealed that last year, many automobile giants like Mercedes Benz, Honda could not mitigate the emissions to the level drafted by regulatory agencies. However, thanks to their previous years' credit points, they could manage to surpass the benchmark.

7. Lower profits with higher number of customers A prime hurdle while employing these technical modifications is that their cost is undoubtedly reflected in increased vehicle prices. This can discourage people from purchasing new automobiles resulting overall slowdown of the industry. After all, people pay vehicle producers for horsepower and not for environmental protection.

That being said, we should also face the reality check where bearing the whole cost isn't possible for any organisation. So, passing it on to the customers is the only way manufacturers have. But a chunk of those costs can be swallowed by lowering the profit margins. This strategy can make businesses survive without losing their customers.

Undoubtedly, emission regulations are the need of the hour with millions of vehicles rolling out in the market worsening the pollution issue globally. Conforming to them is of prime importance when considering the noble virtues of the efforts making this planet a better place to live. But succeeding and surviving in this transiently modifying world of connectivity, automobile industry has to adopt some changes and strategies. An industry with a history of marvellous inventions and a potential to shape the future will surely be on the driving seat while experiencing this sustainable awakening.

Some experts even call this credit score mechanism a daunting loophole which is compromising the serious efforts of environmental protection. However, while tightening the grip on vehicle pollutants, stricter emission standards like EURO VI, CARB and BS VI had to provide a breathing space for organisations.

Entrepreneurs can exploit this situation to some extent in case they fall marginally short of meeting the norms.

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Mathias Müller, Florian Petit, Rolf Wojtech

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iDAR systems are technically ideal for environment detection - especially for autonomous cars. The problem is that laser-based sensor technology is not yet robust enough and, above all, too expensive for use in millions of vehicles. Munich-based LiDAR start-up Blickfeld is working on the next generation of LiDAR. It is still unclear exactly when autonomous cars will bring us comfortably to our destinations. While manufacturers such as Tesla and Volvo predicted such vehicles for 2017 in the past, the consulting firm PwC assumes that Level 5 driving will not be part of everyday life until 2030. What is clear, however, is which sensor technology will be needed for the further automation of traffic in the coming decade: “LiDAR is the sweet spot for sensors,” writes the Swiss banking group UBS in its recent report on autonomous driving. The reason: only LiDAR technology will ensure reliable safety for autonomous cars - and thus pave the way for their breakthrough for the mass market.

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Key technology for the autonomous car Laser-based sensor technology functions similarly to a radar: Instead of radio waves, however, a LiDAR emits laser pulses. If these pulses hit objects, they are reflected. A sensor in the LiDAR measures the amount of time it takes for each pulse to bounce back. The distance between the objects can then be calculated from the pulse propagation time. Thanks to their good

spatial resolution, LiDAR sensors can detect cars, cyclists and pedestrians as well as traffic lights, fences and buildings precisely and reliably - better and easier than other sensors: stereo cameras can also be used to obtain 3D information. However, distance measurement with this method is strongly dependent on ambient light.

A radar, on the other hand, is not highresolution enough: it detects objects, but cannot say exactly what they are.

However, LiDAR systems still have their drawbacks: Currently, the key technology for autonomous cars is still too large, prone to failure, too expensive, and not production scalable.

German LiDAR start-up Blickfeld says the problem that the automotive industry faces today is not buying a handful of high-performance LiDAR. The problem is getting hundred thousand or millions of them at a cost where they can be built into every consumer grade car which can eventually provide the highest performance and safety. As of now, there is no LiDAR available for this mass-market need.

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he currently most powerful LiDAR costs tens of thousands of euros, is so large that it can only fit on the roof of the car and is still not automotive-grade. Prices like that are out of the question for series applications. In addition, the current LiDAR generation has a further disadvantage: it works with complicated rotating mechanics to direct the beams from several lasers over the scenery. These components are sensitive and not ideally suited for the typical stresses in a car. Blickfeld takes a different approach. They believe solid-state-LiDAR sensors are the solution. They do not require mechanically sensitive components like bearings and are therefore much more robust and therefore more durable. A key component are so-called MEMS mirrors. These silicon parts are responsible for laser beam deflection, replacing all rotating parts.

They can be manufactured as precisely and as highly scalable as computer chips. In combination with low-cost standard components, powerful LiDAR sensors will thus become affordable for the mass market for the first time.

Highly scalable, ultra-compact and flexible in application Blickfeld's silicon technology is also ultra-compact and can be configured flexibly, for example as a front-facing system with a narrow opening angle and a long range of up to 200 meters for motorway driving - or as a mid-range sensor with a 120-degree scanning angle. In addition, the new generation of LiDAR sensors can also improve driver assistance systems such as blind spot detection. Distributed over the corners of a vehicle, they can completely monitor the area around the car. Previously, only extremely expensive and bulky LiDAR sensors on car roofs offered such a 360-degree

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stack that provides abstracted information and enables high-level environment perception based on data collected by one or more LiDAR sensors. It is designed for application in a variety of scenarios, such as object tracking and recognition, or real time localization and mapping.

Visionary Leaders

. all-round view.

Soon such LiDAR sensors could roll off the assembly line in their hundreds of thousands and more. Until now, one could only dream of these quantities.

For this new LiDAR technology, there are also many applications outside vehicles. For example, intelligent traffic lights that warn pedestrians, cyclists and cars of each other at dangerous junctions. Or mobile robots and autonomous drones that can find their way safely. Even LiDAR monitoring and measurement technology is possible.

The 3D point clouds, that the LiDAR produces are rich in information, but to use it in such a turnkey solution requires an intermediate step which condenses information. Blickfeld is therefore also developing a software

For Blickfeld, the key for success is technical expertise, experience and variety in a team. Each LiDAR is a complex system and requires deep knowledge of a multitude of technical disciplines.The founding team of Blickfeld consists of an opto-electrical engineer, a computer scientist, a roboticist, and a patent attorney - two of which had already founded a successful start-up together. They therefore know how to build a company, valuable knowledge which they are applying to Blickfeld now.

That alone brings very different skills to the table. They are joined by a management team of experienced professionals with renowned expertise in the fields of electronics, optics, MEMS, software, and business.

About Blickfeld Blickfeld is a provider of cutting-edge LiDAR technology for autonomous mobility and IoT applications. The company has developed proprietary LiDAR technology based on patented silicon MEMS mirrors and commercial off-the-shelf components. Blickfeld aims to bring high-performance LiDARs to the mass market. Founded in 2017 and based in Munich, Germany, the fast-growing company has 50 employees today.

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one are the days when the application of ERP software was limited to automating the back office functions of an enterprise. ERP today has become a comprehensive tool for businesses and manages to impact almost every function of an enterprise with effective results. Logistics in specific has seen exceptional productivity. All of this is an outcome of years of development and innovations put together by the ERP solutions providers. These providers have disrupted various industries for good and enabled them to deliver best in class products and services. Blue Sage Software is one of the leading ERP solutions providers and has done the same.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in San Diego, CA, Blue Sage Software provides premier ERP software for the automotive, truck, and heavy duty aftermarket parts distribution market. The software is designed to provide customers with an easy to use interface and give owners and managers access to the details they need to operate their businesses efficiently.

Blue Sage also participates in the major trade events where customers, vendors, and users all have valuable insights into the market. This enables the company to work within these groups to develop new and better products to meet the ever-changing needs of industry concerns.

Solutions as per Needs Blue Sage delivers solutions that are customized and are tailor made for the needs of each customer, be it a small retailer or a very large enterprise. It offers solutions that can re-order parts as per the requirements of specific rules determined by the customers and provides many levels of pricing that can be customized by the customers themselves and adapted for each end user they service.

A Seeker of Excellence and Innovation Roger Moyers is the President of Blue Sage Software. He has over 35 years of experience building and guiding high-tech business growth driven by his desire for excellence in technology, developing people, and building successful teams.

Prior to Blue Sage Software, Mr. Moyers’ career highlights include founding his first company in 1989 and selling it to Intel Corporation and then starting his second company in 2000 and raising $40M in venture capital funding. Blue Sage Software is his fifth company.

He is a former Technology and Business Advisor at the William J. von Liebig Center for Entrepreneurism and Technology Advancement at the University of California, San Diego.

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Roger is also a former Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) with Springboard/CONNECT, a non-profit corporation that assists companies in all phases of their business.

Blue Sage Software management is extremely customer focused. The Leaders, along with its team interact with customers on a daily basis and encourage the employees to do so as well to make sure they fully understand customer needs and requirements to continuously improve the products and services.

Leveraging Experience The core of the software that Blue Sage provides has been developed over the course of more than 35 years. This level of insight is unparalleled in the industry, and the vast rulesbased capabilities that have been created over that long period of time continue to show value even to new entrants in the company’s markets. Blue Sage has customers that have relied on its products to manage their businesses for decades and it offers the same level of service to brand new patrons.

Customer Specific Software Blue Sage has been operating its software for a many years and its team has developed a deep understanding of the unique needs of each of its customers. The company fully understands that no two customers are exactly alike so it has made a significant effort to develop the tools necessary to allow its customers to adapt the software to fulfill their specific needs.

Exploring new Territories Growing its business into new markets and segments is a priority for Blue Sage Software. It will continue to develop features to meet the needs of new geographical markets as well as new vertical markets that can benefit from its extensive experience in business process management software.

Blue Sage will also be announcing the launch of PaceSetter Business Intelligence at AAPEX 2018 in Las Vegas, NV October 30 – November 1. PaceSetter BI provides easy-touse dashboards for visually reporting the data from Pacesetter, webPace, or Pacesetter Plus ERP software package. The charts & reports provided by this solution will show everything from stock flow to sales performance in real-time. It will also allow mobile friendly access to all features on-the-go through smartphones, tablets, and of course, laptops and desktops. Pacesetter BI is the ideal analysis tool for business owners, senior management, sales people and financial staff.

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Emblem of Excellence “The number one reason we changed to Pacesetter was the ease of exporting the financial data and importing that data into our accounting system due to the fact that just about all financial institutions, accountants, etc., required all our financial data be integrated into third party software such as Quickbooks, Peachtree, etc.” – Todd Hernandez, Computer Administrator, Childersburg Truck Service, Childersburg, AL “Business owners need tools to help them make money and those tools are usually either a blessing or a burden to use.

Pacesetter is a Blessing.” – Larry Hall, Owner, Battery Specialists, Inc., Greenville, SC “If you are already using PaceSetter software I don’t think you need to go anywhere for an upgraded system and better customer service. Blue Sage Software isn’t just a new name, it’s a whole new company that’s here to help your business grow.” – Roger May, Founder, Mighty Distribution of Minneapolis, MN

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Maestro’s Insights

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reen number plates for electric vehicles. Zero Emissions Zone trials. Grants for any employer installing EV charge points. Ideas and initiatives for boosting the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) have accelerated recently, in an effort to make electric vehicles the norm rather than the exception on UK roads.

In September, Theresa May announced further support for the industry at the very first Zero Emission Vehicle Summit, outlining a plan to ensure Britain “leads from the front” in the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, committing £106m in funding for research and development into EV technology. She also elaborated on the 2040 target to make all manufactured cars emission-free, saying that this should be reflected in all cars on the road just ten years later.

Government backing This government’s commitment to electric vehicles is being matched by an increase in interest from drivers, as the perceived hurdles - including the initial cost of switching to an electric car, and the mile range compared to traditional petrol and diesel cars - are being cleared. Last month EVs accounted for one in every 12 new cars purchased in the UK. That’s been attributed to a number of factors, including the availability of a range of cars that do at least 150miles on a single charge, EV drivers are

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reducing their fuel spend by 90%, and with an increase in the number and visibility of charge points and a decrease in the cost of the electric vehicles themselves.

There’s also been better proof of the environmental impact of EVs, such as a recent European Climate Foundationcommissioned report which found that EVs emit half the CO2 emissions of a petrol or diesel car through the course of their lifetime, and the overall effect has now been shown to be positive.

A new breed of EV One company is on a mission to help drive the adoption of electric vehicles.

Octopus Electric Vehicles is pioneering an ‘EV bundle’ which will give drivers everything they need to make the switch, for one monthly price. The innovation has come from energy supplier Octopus Energy, which is driven by a mission ‘to make buying energy as easy as buying cornflakes’.

Similarly, the team at Octopus EV wants to help to make the switch to EV as easy as possible, for as many people as possible.

CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles, Fiona Howarth says: “For us, the EV journey begins long before we start talking about leasing options and charge point installation. There’s a big education job to do - many people still believe that they’ll need to stop every few miles to recharge and that the range of models is limited. Our Drive Day roadshow has proved enormously popular, touring the country and letting people come and see the cars for themselves, as well as question EV experts about exactly how it all works” These events have not only demonstrated the massive leap forward that the industry has taken in the past few years, but also provided people with a chance to test drive the latest models. From the sporty BMW i3 to the family friendly Nissan LEAF, the cars have been carefully selected as the best EVs on the market, with each www.insightssuccess.com

offering at least 150 miles of driving per charge.

electric vehicles at a fraction of the cost.”

Continues Howarth: “We’ve found that people are often surprised at what an electric car can do. I think there’s a general misconception that the technology and the pricing has stayed largely the same since EVs came to market a few years ago, whereas in fact today’s electric car is almost unrecognisable from its older incarnation, and a hell of a lot cheaper.

Battery costs came down 80% in six years – unlocking a better range of

All-in-one EV solution After education, the challenge has been how to best help customers with the changes needed to go electric. Here, Octopus Electric Vehicles is pioneering adoption with their ‘EV bundle’.

“We’re offering the electric vehicle equivalent of Sweden’s famous baby box, giving the driver everything they need to make the switch” says Howarth “and unlike babies, our vehicles come with instructions!”

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About Powerloop How Vehicle-to-Grid is changing the game Electric vehicles have been criticised for placing more demand on an already overloaded grid. But a consortium of industry experts is hoping that electric vehicles could be the solution to the grid’s capacity issues, rather than a problem. Led by Octopus EV and Octopus Energy, the consortium has won over £3m of funding from Innovate UK (backed by government departments DfT and BEIS) to test the viability of vehicle-to-grid charging on UK roads.

The Powerloop project offers EV drivers the chance to help balance demand by supplying the grid with power from their car batteries during the peak hours of 4-7pm, before recharging in the early hours of the morning while demand is lowest. In return for plugging in their cars 12 times a month to supply charge during the evening, Powerloop drivers will get money off their monthly leasing cost.

As well as the monthly lease of an electric vehicle, Octopus EV organises the installation of a home charge point and smart meter. The monthly lease cost can also include insurance, service and maintenance, as well as help and support for the duration of the contract.

There’s even a bespoke electricity tariff, designed specifically with EV drivers in mind. Dubbed Octopus Go, it offers renewable electricity at just 5p/kWh between the hours of 12.30am and 4.30am, allowing people to charge their cars for just a fraction of the daytime cost for 70% less than a standard variable tariff from a Big 6 supplier.

Octopus EV has also partnered with myenergi, to offer the innovative Zappi charge point, which automates charging to take advantage of these prices.

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Octopus can arrange the installation of the Zappi via trusted installers that can help unlock the £500 home charge point grant from the government.

This world-first tariff is possible thanks to Octopus EV’s relationship with Octopus Energy. The supplier is already taking advantage of the potential of smart meters with the Agile Octopus tariff, which lets customers see the fluctuations in wholesale energy prices and adjust their usage accordingly. It’s just the beginning of how the company intends to use smart meter technology, which allows them to measure and record electricity usage in real-time and offer cheaper electricity when demand on the grid is low.

Fiona Howarth believes this will be a landmark year for electric vehicle adoption in the UK. “Tesla has revolutionised the market and now all other vehicle manufacturers are rapidly bringing their EVs to the market. Think of the switch from analogue phones to smart phones - we’re in a similar transitory phase. If the Government can deliver on their EV plans, and we think they can, the carpark of tomorrow is going to look very different to the gas-guzzling lot of today.”

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dvanced Engineering Services provides one stop solutions to customers with the help of innovative strategies across multi-disciplined industries.

Design Systems, Inc. is one such large multi-disciplined engineering company with a staff of over 300 people to support unique needs of the clients. DSI provides engineering, consulting, and program management solutions across diverse industries.

Experienced Engineers As a completely unbiased, full-service engineering and consulting resource, DSI has no product line to sell – their only objective is to design the perfect solution for their clients’ unique needs. While many of their other competitors have been sold or closed over the years, DSI is still led by two of the original owners from 1983. DSI’s team of engineers have over 1,500 years of experience combined. These years of experience doing things the ‘DSI way’ gives their customers the confidence to believe that whenever they bring DSI aboard to complete a project, it will be with an experienced team which will complete and deliver the work as per the customer’s expectation.

Maximum Productivity DSI. has helped a variety of industries over the past 35 years to achieve maximum productivity within their operations. As a nationally recognized leader in manufacturing, process and warehouse design, DSI offers unmatched expertise and complete objectivity performing its engineering and consulting services. The company supports their clients with various processes from their production demands and throughput increases, to cost reduction projects, lean engineering practices and by identifying quality issues. Bringing a high-level of technical knowledge, tools, and expertise to their industrial client base, DSI is an unbiased partner with their clients throughout the process. At all times, DSI represents their clients’ best interest with an open line of communication.

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Advanced Engineering Services With DSI’s breadth of service offerings, clients have access to a full complement of engineering disciplines ready to assist any unforeseen event. They have been able to benchmark best-in-class practices across diverse industries.

They are able to provide a full 3D look into plants and provide a ‘street-view’ so all team members can see exactly what a problem is and what the solution will be. By being able to bring these floor level views into meeting rooms, the company helps the customer save time and money on travel costs and provides an outstanding communication tool for all stakeholders.

Another way DSI is helping their customers is by utilizing their drone technology to assist in preventive maintenance programs/health assessments to get a better view inside warehouses or different facilities. By being able to provide these advanced engineering services, it cuts down on the amount of people that need to be on site and is a much safer alternative than sending people to perform those services.

The company also offers complete “Concept to Commission” services for the automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, package handling, health care, steel manufacturing, and many other industries.

Continuous Growth DSI’s journey has been an incredible ride over the course of the last 35 years. Advancing from a small startupengineering house to a 300 person full-service, multinational engineering and consulting firm has challenged them and made them better. Growing from hand drawings on drafting boards to 2D and 3D CAD to today’s Industry 4.0, DSI continuously reviews success and challenges on projects to keep learning and improving.

Students in the Workplace By teaching, training and sharing since its inception, DSI has regularly involved all levels of young students and aspiring engineers into their workplace. One such www.insightssuccess.com

partnership is with Kettering University and their engineering department. DSI recruits students to spend their three-month ‘work-term’ working for them and getting actively involved in their projects. Not only do DSI’s engineers help students in their learning, but new, fresh ideas and perspectives that students bring help DSI engineers as well. In addition, DSI is a member to dozens of Industrial and Technological membership groups,

Joel Schnelbach Vice President of Operations

allowing them to connect with industry peers to serve their clients better.

Client Focused Management DSI’s management has always been delivering exactly what the customers need today along with having an eye towards helping them tomorrow. They have influenced the industry by presenting employees of DSI with new ideas, concepts and solutions to help reduce costs, reduce downtime and increase optimization. They have also influenced the employees at DSI to take ownership of their ideas and grow them. The company allows team members to explore new ideas and service offerings that interest them and helps further the solutions DSI provide to their customers.

Glowing Reviews “The knowledge and resources at DSI are outstanding. They have a great knowledge of supply chain processes and will work to help you understand those opportunities that you could be missing.”

“As expected from your teams’ members and DSI, the results exceed expectations! The enormous reduction of project hours & timeline and accuracy improvement for the entire shop cannot be overstated, both for immediate and future projects.

GREAT WORK!”

Smarter Processes DSI sees itself continuing to being a great partner to their current customers as well as continuing to explore new industries and techniques. DSI continues to attract top talent while they encourage their employees to seek continuing education courses to help strengthen DSI’s foothold amongst their competitors. One of DSI’s future goals is to work with their many project partners and come up with innovative ideas on how to make processes smarter and more efficient with new and improving technology. In being able to implement these new technologies, it helps DSI stand out as an innovator while also helping their customers increase their utilization and production. www.insightssuccess.com

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Mentor’s Standpoint

BEYOND AUTOMATION:

AI powered Autonomous Factories of the Future

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ise of the industrial robots in 1980s led to a major evolution of Henry Ford’s assembly line concept. Routine tasks that were being handled by factory workers started to be performed by robots with greater accuracy and efficiency. With the spread of device-to-device communication and IoT protocols, robots started taking a serious amount of responsibility from factory workers. This movement was initially led by German high tech firms that branded this shift as the 4th industrial revolution. On the opposite side, there was China, taking advantage of their access to low cost human labour as an alternative to automation. Very recently, a few years ago, China flipped their strategy 180 degrees, becoming the biggest advocate of automation by starting to invest aggressively on buying robots and developing their own robotics know-how led by government initiatives. So the technology won. There is no question about the need for automation anymore and major manufacturing companies, including the ones in China, Germany and rest of the world are racing to automate their industrial processes to increase productivity.

Daghan Cam Co-founder & CEO Ai Build

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Everything that can be automated will be automated, according to Zuboff’s law.

However, some things are more difficult to be automated than other things.

Those are non-repetitive tasks which require higher level of cognition and ability to adapt into unknown conditions. These tasks can be defined as the last mile in factory automation. Tesla, the electric car manufacturer, was recently criticized by analysts for automating their assembly line more than necessary. The reason of the criticism was the fact that the cost of automation exceeded the cost of a human led assembly www.insightssuccess.com

line. This may be a valid argument for today but the solution should be found in increasing the bar for commercially viable automation and not by going back to lower levels of automation.

So if we are moving towards full automation and lights-out manufacturing, how can the last mile in factories be automated without overspending and over engineering?

Autonomy seems to be the answer, therefore Artificial Intelligence…

There is a slight but important difference between Automation and Autonomy. Autonomy is the state of being able to make independent decisions in situations that were not experienced before. By definition, autonomous systems are always automated, but the other way around is not always the case. A system may be fully automated but not autonomous.

“Blind Automation” is the term we use for this category.

Systems that are blindly automated are based on hard coded rules, as in expert systems, and they tend to be very difficult to be reconfigured if the conditions or requirements change over time. Autonomous systems, in contrast, generalize the rules for decision making in different scenarios by allowing a higher level of abstraction in their programming.

For example, in the blind automation scenario, a robot may be programmed to go to coordinates x, y, z in order to pick up an object. This will work without problems as long as the object is found precisely at coordinates x, y, z.

However, if for any reason the object is positioned at a slightly different location, the robot will still go to x, y, z, fail to pick the object up and continue executing the rest of its commands without noticing this problem. Eventually every step subsequent to this failure will also fail.

A better strategy for performing the same task, is using a robot with vision www.insightssuccess.com

sensors, and programming it to go to the object’s position (as a variable) to pick it up. Regardless of where the object is positioned, robot will localize it using its sensors and successfully pick it up. This difference between the two programming paradigms; “go to x, y, z” and “go to an object’s position” makes a big difference in making the system less prone to making mistakes in unexpected conditions which is crucial for last mile factory automation.

About the Author Daghan Cam is the Co-founder and CEO of Ai Build, a London based startup developing Artificial Intelligence and Robotics technologies for the construction industry. He is also a visiting lecturer at University College London doing research on robotic fabrication, large scale 3d printing and parallel algorithms with GPU computing.

His work focuses on developing intelligence for automating complex tasks in design and manufacturing by using computer vision and machine learning techniques.

In this scenario where robots make autonomous decisions by using realtime sensor data, a feedback loop is established between physical and digital environments. The constant flow of information from physical to digital and vice versa create immense amounts of structured data which is the fuel for AI powered autonomous factories of the future. Such actionmeasurement-action strategies allow the systems to self-improve over time, creating a data network effect in manufacturing. The more one process is executed, the more efficient it will get. This allows super-human performance in almost every domain given enough data.

Robots making hundreds of decisions every second and receiving hundreds of measurements from the environment and from other devices also require massive computation and storage capabilities. Despite the popularity of cloud computing in most applications today, a decentralized compute power is necessary for most robotic applications and for IoT devices in general. The throughput between the edge and the cloud through internet connectivity is simply not enough to process all data generated by sensors and make sensible decisions in realtime. So edge computing, or fog computing - dedicated servers on premise as a layer between individual devices and the cloud - will likely be the norm in autonomous factories of the future unless we experience a breakthrough in science that leads to infinitely fast and reliable internet connectivity. However unlike compute power, storage of important data, that is filtered on the edge, should be centralized in order to achieve the best decision making models at every location.

As a summary, a few conclusions and predictions about the future are: Ÿ

We are moving towards an autonomous black-box factory model where the factory robots are operated by themselves without human intervention.

Ÿ

These factories will be powered by the data that is generated by themselves and their productivity will increase over time exceeding human performance in every process involved in manufacturing.

Ÿ

Factories will compute on-premise / on-edge and they will push important data to cloud for benefiting from a shared pool of data with other factories.

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t was Da Vinci’s belief that nature is the greatest source of inspiration for innovation. Ever since then, mankind’s greatest inventions have reflected the same belief. Keeping faith on the same, Toposens came up with the idea of ultrasonic echolocation enabled sensor technology.

Founded in 2015, Toposens has successfully developed a sensor system that can detect objects and people purely with the help of ultrasonic echolocation. By integrating the 3D ultrasound sensor into a vehicle, the startup from Germany aims to give bat vision to autonomously moving cars and robots. The sensor realizes nearfield vision for various applications, such as autonomous parking, ADAS, collision avoidance or in-car monitoring.

Enhancing the Technology The innovative sensor technology developed by Toposens, blends in perfectly with existing sensor stacks, covering edge cases, which otherwise would be difficult to cover. The sensor combines the unique characteristics of ultrasound, therefore being resistant to external influences, such as lighting 44 |July 2019

conditions, reflections or even dirt and rain. The sensor module itself is small, simple and inexpensive.

Multiple functions can be enabled with the same sensor system, making it attractive for Toposens’ customers to work with. This combination of characteristics provides an unprecedented way of perceiving the environment – another piece of the puzzle towards autonomous driving.

A Trio of Visionaries Alexander Rudoy, Rinaldo Persichini and Tobias Bahnemann are the Co-Founders of Toposens.

While Alexander and Tobias share the position of Managing Directors, Rinaldo has been appointed as the Head of Development in the company.

The trio started up with nothing but an idea and the basic algorithm for a completely novel sensor technology.

Having no industry connections and financial support, it took a while for them to get a foot in the door in the automotive industry. According to the Co-founders, Toposens had adversities in its way through the initial years of its existence. This perseverance however, paid off in the end, as it could

finally convince automotive companies of its technology’s advantages.

Setting up a sustainable company in this industry with the given barriers was a big accomplishment and it has been achieved by hard work and a strong belief in the technology. The three founders took every opportunity to learn more about the industry, get to know its peculiarities and its participants, incorporating the feedback in the product development along the way. Today, they are experts in the field of automotive sensor technology.

Automotive Adversities Gaining credibility as a startup in the automotive industry is hard work and such was the case with Toposens. The company believes that even though a lot of people seem to be interested in the technology at a very early stage, not a lot of enterprises take the initiative to take the first step forward.

Despite the extreme pressure for innovation in the automotive industry, a lot of companies in this sector are still relatively conservative and have a hard time trusting startups in the market.

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Tobias Bahnemann

Alexander Rudoy

Rinaldo Persichini

Co-founder & MD

Co-founder & MD

Co-founder & HOD

Long development and sales cycles in the industry make it even harder for independent startups to survive in this market. It takes a relationship of mutual trust for the corporate and the startup to work together at eye level.

However, if the cooperation is successful in the end – the struggle pays off for both sides. The corporate boosts its innovation power and the startup wins a loyal customer.

Raising Industry Standards Toposens has contributed to the whole ecosystem of both the autonomous driving and the sensor industries by developing its pioneer sensor technology. Using ultrasound as its underlying technology, the sensor is perfectly suited to complement existing sensor technologies and enable new applications, which have lacked a reasonable sensing technology up till today.

Bat Vision for Autonomous Vehicles.

certain sensor technologies, are easy to identify for ultrasound and vice versa.

Consistent Innovation is Key Sensors technology is very significant for automation industries, especially vehicles, robots and electronic devices. Therefore, its importance will increase dramatically in the future, as interaction between humans and technology increases. Due to this importance of sensor technologies, competition has grown fiercely. Even though Toposens offers a unique technology, it is possible that current complexities can also be resolved by different technologies before ultrasound.

To stand out from competition, Toposens therefore has to constantly work on its technology, evolve into new markets and, finally, broaden its product range from ultrasound to neighboring technologies. Today, an important difference to established sensor developers is Toposens’ agility and flexibility which comes with its small size. Maintaining this agility will be a crucial competitive advantage in the future.

Currently, Toposens is working together with automotive manufacturers and suppliers on various use-cases including collision avoidance and autonomous parking. In the long run, Toposens wants to provide near-field vision to all autonomous vehicles and robots, making interaction between humans and machines easier and more reliable.

According to the company, customers benefit from a broader range of options, but also from the redundancy, which subsequently increases reliability of the whole sensor stack. Edge cases, which might be difficult to detect for www.insightssuccess.com

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Driving Towards a Greener and Cleaner Environment

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ith the environmental damages from the fossil fuel electrics cars have seen a steep rise in its demand. A growing number of countries, including Netherlands, Japan, Korea, Denmark, Portugal and Spain, have recently set targets on electric vehicles sales. Also countries like UK, France and India are looking to completely shift towards all electric vehicles by the end of 2040.

According to petroleum giant BP, global oil demand will witness its peak demand in 2030, which will eventually increase the demand of electric vehicles by quite few folds.

When it comes to leading the way with electric and hybrid engines, Norway and China are one of the prominent facilitators. In case of Norway more than half of the new cars sold fall in to this category. China is also a big and a leading market for electric and hybrid engines and power trains. Back in 2017, more than 600000 electric vehicles were sold in China, which was whooping 71% higher than the previous year.

So, the question arises, how it will impact the consumers and governments?

When it comes to individuals, electric vehicles reduce monthly travelling costs drastically. However, there’s a catch;

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Recharging Enviroment electric vehicles come with limited range of fuel efficiency which means one has to plan his/her trip according to route with ample number charging stations.

Also electric vehicles are much cheaper to maintain than an internal fuel combustion engine.

The impact of electric vehicles on environment is quite clear. More than a quarter of greenhouse gases produced in the United States of America are a result of transportation which eventually contributes to the rising pollution levels. On the other hand, electric vehicles come with no gases and sounds, leading to a clean environment.

However, the wide use of electric vehicles also has some demerits if we consider the government’s perspective.

Thanks to these vehicles, various governments will lose billions of dollars of revenue from taxes on fossil fuel.

So, soon we might have to shell out higher direct or indirect taxes, or the vehicle taxation system could be changed completely. Also, electric cars need 30% lesser time to produce. So, a complete switch to these green vehicles might also lead to reduction of workforce in the automotive industry. Switching to green vehicles would also mean drop in employment levels in petrol bunks, car repair garages, etc.

Also, the aircraft manufacturer company Airbus, engine manufacturer Rolls Royce and Siemens are developing a hybrid model which will probably make its maiden flight as early as 2020.

According to a major Swiss bank, by the end of 2025 electric vehicles will account for 14% of total car sales globally. Back in 2017, the figure was just 1%.

Also thanks to the rapidly changing market and growing innovation this timeline can eventually shift backwards.

As an example, the batteries are constantly getting cheaper and much more efficient. Nowadays one can cover a distance of 1000kms with a single charge. With the improvement in battery technology costs are slowly cutting down and it’s being predicted that the total cost of ownership of an electric vehicle will be on par by 2025.

So, it’s all good for the drivers and the owners, who will be able to buy and maintain electric vehicles at reasonable prices. But jobs will be lost, countries that are now thriving due to petroleum will face scarce demands.

However, new jobs will be created, and countries which have Lithium deposits may have their chance of success.

Above all we will get a planet that is much greener, cleaner and quitter.

Vehicles are not only going electric, Norway plans to start 1.5 hours short haul flights using electric planes.

www.insightssuccess.com

July 2019| 47