A publication of
EXPLORING MICHIGAN’S EMERGING TECH SECTORS SPRING 2016 $3.99
Tech on Wheels New technologies transforming the automobile industry
+ Hella on track with
auto safety tech
+ Magna CTO weighs in
on vehicle innovation
+ Pedal pushing in
Michigan
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SPRING 2016 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 2
THE WESTBORN S T O RY Doug Moore, the pioneer and founder of Westborn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram,
WHERE TECHNOLOGY MEETS LIFESTYLE
features
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Magna CTO shares perspectives on vehicle innovation
has been serving the fine community of Dearborn for over 31 years. Westborn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram now has its third generation working at the
24 business profile Hella North America is on track with auto safety
dealership and learning the business to take it to the next level. When Mr. Moore started in the business over 45 years ago, Lyndon Johnson
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returned to power after a landslide
and Beatlemania went into overdrive as they released a series of number-one hits,
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focus on technology Computers on wheels
victory. It was also the year the Beatles took the world and America by storm
people profile
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lifestyle Pedal pushing in the mitten state
including “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
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and “All My Loving.” Other British groups also found success, including the Rolling Stones and the Animals. Together, with the American talent of the Supremes and Bob Dylan, many say this was one of the greatest years for music in the last century.
departments 4
editor’s letter
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automation alley update Views and news from Automation Alley
education kaleidoscope MSU focuses on composite materials
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newsmakers LTU partners with Focus: HOPE; OU’s FitDesks give students a healthy option; Cranbrook shares STEAM curriculum; M1 Concourse names track
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expert outlook Joe Bennett on the modern power grid
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making the scene Spotlight on tech events
Also, one young, loud, talented boxer by the name of Cassius Clay won the boxing world heavyweight championship from Sonny
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metro retro Ups and downs of the desk
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health+tech LTU app prevents falls; helmet tech reduces head injuries; Michigan attracting venture capitalists
Liston. Sony also introduced the first VCR Home Video Recorder. Westborn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram has stood the test of time and has witnessed many of the great things that have happened in this great country. Not only has the Westborn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram stood the test of time, they are still
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tech+design Stepping out in high-tech heels
delivering the best in new and used vehicles and, most important, they still deliver the best service in Michigan. Westborn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram looks forward to serving the great community of Dearborn for another 31 years to come.
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X-OLOGY • SPRING 2016
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editor'sletter ANGIE BAAN
www.xologymagazine.com
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elcome to the spring issue of X-OLOGY Magazine. For me, this is the time of year for looking forward and contemplating change. And change is exactly what our X-OLOGY cover story is all about: the changing role of automobiles — from a machine that gets you from point A to point B, to a very large, drivable communications device with remarkable capabilities, including crash avoidance, self parking and driving and Internet connectivity, just to name a few. But not so fast, say some industry insiders who believe we won’t realize the full breadth of vehicle tech for years to come. Of course, there are more optimistic views about taking tech to the road. Either way, the things you’ll read about in writer Michael Wayland’s feature article are sure to amaze you. You’ll also meet two Grand Prix drivers and their engineers who say their relationships are critical to their chances of crossing the finish line first. Auto tech is also on the minds of employees of Hella North America, featured in our Business Profile. The company is at the forefront of vehicle tech with blind spot detection, lane change assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, rear pre-crash functions and more. Our People Profile introduces Swamy Kotagiri, chief technology officer of Magna International. Kotagiri is passionate about vehicle innovation, including finding ways to make cars smarter, cleaner and safer with an eye toward affordability. Innovation is also apparent in our Tech+Design feature, which highlights one woman’s determination to engineer a high-heeled shoe that looks and feels good. Dolly Singh recruited a former astronaut, rocket scientist, orthopedic surgeon and fashion scientist to give women a reason to breathe a sigh of relief. Our Lifestyle feature will have you on two wheels in no time as you read about the many bicycle trails and clubs just waiting to be explored. Whether you take a ride around the block or challenge yourself to a 75-mile weekend group ride, you’ll be joining throngs of other Michigan pedal pushers who’ve rediscovered the joy of bicycle riding. The entire RDE Enterprises team, which has brought you X-OLOGY Magazine for the last seven years, wishes you a happy spring and invites you to stay tuned for exciting changes on the horizon.
E DI TOR I A L EDITOR | Jane Racey Gleeson EDITORIAL ADVISORS Ken Rogers Erin Sommerville COPY EDITOR Judy Solomon CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Pam Houghton Leslie Mertz Nicole Kampe Michael Wayland Rosemary Lane Ilene Wolff Jeanine Matlow
C R E AT I V E CREATIVE DIRECTOR | Alex Lumelsky CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Alex Minkin Aras Corporation PRODUCTION | SKY Creative
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Jane Racey Gleeson Editor jane@XOLOGYmagazine.com
X-OLOGY IS A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED FOR AUTOMATION ALLEY. THE MISSION OF X-OLOGY IS TO UNCOVER THE MOST SURPRISING AND RESONANT STORIES ABOUT THE PEOPLE, COMPANIES, TECHNOLOGIES AND IDEAS THAT ARE TRANSFORMING SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. THE PUBLICATION IS DISTRIBUTED TO 20,000 IN 8 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AND THE CITY OF DETROIT. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, PLEASE CALL 248-231-8067. ALL CONTENT HEREIN IS THE PROPERTY OF RDE ENTERPRISES, INC., AND CANNOT BE COPIED, REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED OR REPUBLISHED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF RDE ENTERPRISES.
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Reliable, modernized grid Energy is essential to the way we live, work and play. ITC operates, builds and maintains the region’s electric transmission infrastructure. We’re a Michiganbased company working hard to improve electric reliability and increase electric transmission capacity throughout the Midwest.
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X-OLOGY • SPRING 2016
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Automation Alley’ s 2 016
Technology Industry R eport
automationalleyupdate
automation alley 2016 technology industry report: survey of top tech executives reveals surprising results Southeast Michigan’s top tech executives are very optimistic about 2016 — even more so than their Silicon Valley counterparts in terms of growth, revenue, R&D investment and hiring, according to Automation Alley’s 2016 Technology Industry Report. In November 2015, Automation Alley conducted a survey of top senior executives currently working in the technology industry in both Southeast Michigan and Silicon Valley. The results show that Southeast Michigan is indeed a hotbed for technology and innovation and, according to the industry’s C-level professionals, it rivals technology powerhouse Silicon Valley as the best place to do business. “As Michigan’s leading technology business association, Automation Alley publishes this report to increase awareness of Southeast Michigan as a leading center for tech talent, innovation and opportunity in America,” says Ken Rogers, Automation Alley executive director. “These results make a statement that this region competes favorably with the Silicon Valleys of the world. No need to get on a plane, take a train and head for a better technology center than what we have right here in Southeast Michigan. We compete with the best and 6
brightest in America. We encourage the region’s leaders and influencers, as well as companies and individuals, to tout these new findings. Use the data to recruit. Tell those college grads that they have a tech future right here. Use this report as a tool to further attract talent and investment to our region.” The report found that Southeast Michigan technology companies are more optimistic about 2016 growth than their Silicon Valley counterparts. Of the tech executives polled, 99 percent of Southeast Michigan technology companies project revenue growth in 2016, compared to 90 percent in Silicon Valley. The report also found that eight in 10 Southeast Michigan technology companies surveyed plan to invest in R&D and make new hires in 2016. According to the data, 83 percent of executives in Southeast Michigan expect an increase in their company’s R&D spending, compared to 81 percent in Silicon Valley. And 82 percent of Southeast Michigan executives surveyed planned to hire more talent in 2016, compared to 81 percent in Silicon Valley. Another key finding: Southeast Michigan is a better place for technology professionals to build their careers than Silicon Valley. According to those surveyed, 81 percent of Southeast Michigan technology executives agree the region provides more networking
opportunities than other metro areas, compared to 77 percent in Silicon Valley. In addition, Southeast Michigan tech executives see more opportunity for ongoing education than their Silicon Valley counterparts. Of those surveyed, 85 percent of Southeast Michigan tech executives believe their region has leading academic institutions for selfadvancement, compared to only 68 percent in Silicon Valley. Finally, Southeast Michigan tech executives also think it’s easier to retain talent than their Silicon Valley counterparts. Of those surveyed, 74 percent of Southeast Michigan tech executives believe it is easier for technology companies to retain talent in their region compared to other metro areas, while only 67 percent of Silicon Valley tech executives felt that way. Supporting data for the report, along with employment projections for 2016, were provided by East Lansing-based Anderson Economic Group. In addition to assessing data for the Southeast Michigan region, the report looked at data for five U.S. metropolitan regions that are widely considered to be among the nation’s leading technology hubs: San Jose, Chicago, Boston, Seattle and Austin. For a link to more key findings and to view the entire report, visit automationalley.com.
about automation alley®
Automation Alley is a technology business association and business accelerator dedicated to growing the economy of Southeast Michigan and enhancing the region’s reputation around the world. Automation Alley offers talent and business development programs and matchmaking services to tech-focused businesses of all sizes — from startups to large corporations — to help them grow and prosper. Since its founding in 1999, Automation Alley’s membership has grown to include nearly 1,000 businesses, educational institutions, government entities and nonprofit organizations from the city of Detroit and the surrounding eight-county region. Automation Alley provides a variety of exclusive benefits to its members to help them succeed, including networking opportunities, meeting space and public relations tools. Automation Alley also serves the general business community in five key areas: entrepreneurship, talent development, international business services, emerging technologies, and defense and manufacturing. Automation Alley collaborates with regional partners to provide its members and clients with the best business resources available, to drive local economic growth, and to positively influence the stories being told around the globe about the people and businesses of Greater Detroit.
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INTRODUCING:
Venture Michigan Magazine
RDE ENTERPRISES, INC, the team that brought you X-OLOGY Magazine, is proud to offer the following services:
Published in print and digital formats, Venture Michigan will uncover the stories behind our state’s business innovators, entrepreneurs and investors. We’ll also bring you the best of Michigan living along with other intriguing topics.
INTEGRATED MARKETING/ COMMUNICATIONS
Debut issue: Summer 2016 Distribution: MEDC, Automation Alley, Tech Town, Ann Arbor Spark, Greening of Detroit and beyond
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Advertising: Contact ads@venturemichiganmag.com
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Coming Up at Automation Alley SAVE THE DATE The Ins and Outs of Pre-employment Testing April 14, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. @ Automation Alley, Troy
Spring Matchmaker @ Detroit Labs April 14, 5:30-8 p.m. @ Detroit Labs, Detroit
7Cs™ Best Practices: Customer Validation with The SearchLite April 19, 8:30-10 a.m. @ Automation Alley, Troy
Automation Alley’s 16th Annual Awards Gala Oct. 14, 6-11 p.m. @ Detroit Yacht Club, Detroit
automationalley.com
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X-OLOGY • SPRING 2016
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automationalleyupdate New technology added to the Automation Alley Technology Center includes a connected mountain bike, provided by PTC.
automation alley expands technology center offerings Automation Alley recently added new software and equipment to its Technology Center, located at OU INC on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, MI. The center gives local companies access to new and emerging technologies through training and hands-on product demonstrations. The new equipment includes a Solidscape 3Z Pro 3D printer from
Delray and a connected mountain bike donated by PTC. The Solidscape 3Z Pro is considered the premier system for jewelry manufacturing. It is also used extensively in applications that require ultra-high resolution and where precision is critical, including the medical, highprecision industrial and dental industries, among others.
The smart and connected bike streams operating data to the cloud using PTC software, as a demonstration of the Internet of Things. Software tools include Creo Parametric and ThingWorx, which are used to develop product design and effectively duplicate it in the digital world, to simulate and analyze how the product is really being used in the
field. This valuable data provides the manufacturer with advanced information that could be used not only to service the product efficiently but also to improve the design and build it better. For more information on Automation Alley’s Technology Center, visit automationalley.com or contact Automation Alley at 800-427-5100 or info@automationalley.com.
automation alley partners with tooling U-SME to provide online manufacturing training Automation Alley has partnered with Tooling U-SME, the leading provider of manufacturing training resources, to provide its nearly 1,000 member companies access to more than 500 online advanced manufacturing courses in areas such as engineering, machining and welding. The training is available to individuals looking to increase their own skills as well as to companies of any size. Automation Alley members will receive rebates on services paid. The percentage of the rebates offered will vary by membership level. To browse Tooling U-SME’s learning and development resources, visit www.automationalley.com/ToolingU.aspx. Tooling U-SME provides world-class online manufacturing training.
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Automation Alley Foundation Members Automation Alley would like to thank its Foundation Members for their regional leadership and support in contributing to the success of the organization. Airfoil Altair Arab American and Chaldean Council Autodesk Inc. Baker College Blue Cross Blue Shield Butzel Long Central Michigan University City of Southfield City of Troy Crain’s Detroit Business Delphi Corporation Detroit Economic Growth Corporation Detroit Regional Chamber DTE Energy FCA US LLC General Motors GlobalAutoIndustry.com Goodwill Industries Grand Circus HR Pro/BenePro Keaton Publishing Group Kelly Services, Inc. Lawrence Technological University Macomb Community College Macomb County Government Michigan Economic Development Corporation Microsoft New Horizons Computer Learning Centers Oakland Community College Oakland County Oakland County Workforce Development Board Oakland University Plante Moran Quality Metalcraft Quicken Loans Rave Computer Salesforce.com Siemens PLM SMART Strategic Staffing Solutions The Resource Network, Inc. Troy Michigan Works! U.S. Army TARDEC/NAC UHY Advisors Wayne County Wenzel America, Ltd X-OLOGY • SPRING 2016
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metroretro
From left: roll-top desk; writing box; kneehole desk; Tanker desk; Zero Gravity workstation by ErgoQuest
The ups and downs of desks BY ROSEMARY LANE
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Eventually, they evolved into “writing boxesks are everywhere: in our homes, schools, offices, the Oval Office. They es” or portable writing desks. Thomas Jefhave even been fashioned on tread- ferson designed his own writing box, which mills. But desks weren’t always essential. had a top that folded open for more writing The origins of the desk trace back 600 years, space, and on which he drafted the Declasparked not by a single moment of invention, ration of Independence. Jane Austen wrote of hers, “No part of my property could have but by the growth of literacy. Medieval scribes used the earliest known been such a prize before, for in my writing box was all my worldly wealth.” desks around 1440. Copying books At the beginning of the by hand was laborious 18th century, people and backbreaking, so needed desks with more sloped boxes were storage. Writing boxes fashioned, angled at gained stands, resulting 45 degrees to protect in bureaus in France, varthe neck and back. The guenos in Spain and writboxes were placed on ing tables in Germany. The top of a table or affixed Bible boxes such as this one wooden desks resembled chests, to a wall. Scribes were a were a precursor with a set of drawers on the botminority though; desks to the modern desk. tom for storage and a slanted top were usually found only in monasteries. Most of Europe’s general surface for writing that opened to reveal cubpopulation could not read or write, so desks byholes, slots and often, hidden drawers. Throughout the 18th century, cabinetweren’t a necessity. That all changed with the advent of the makers kept innovating, creating modern printing press and the resulting spike in lit- desks as we know them today. The kneehole eracy. By the end of the 1600s, more of Eu- desk had columns of drawers on either side rope’s middle class was literate, creating the of a table with space in between to rest one’s legs, so the writer wouldn’t have to sit sideneed for more paper and more storage. Enter the Bible box. Most households ways. The secretary desk, or “lady’s writing stored their Bibles and other valuable papers table,” had more storage, with a bookcase in wooden boxes they could transport or attached to a bottom chest. Between the keep locked at home. The boxes, most made two was a hinged writing flap that could be out of oak, were about eight inches high by pulled downward. When upright, the flap two feet wide, some with a slanted top that would hide all the cubbyholes, compartments and paperwork. could be used for writing. 10
The roll-top desk was also invented during this period. Louis XV commissioned a secure desk for his inner study at Versailles. The desk took nine years to make, and Marie Antoinette’s favorite designer ultimately finished the project in 1769. Called the bureau du roi, the desk contained thin wooden slats that curved around a cylinder that was hidden behind the top drawers. Louis could close the desk by turning a key and open it by pressing a button. By the mid-1800s, many furniture designers and tradesmen migrated to America, creating a booming furniture market. Abner Cutler of Buffalo, NY, improved upon the bureau du roi in 1850. Unlike Louis’s desk, Cutler’s roll top could be mass produced and was a mainstay in offices until the Tanker desk exploded onto the market in the 1940s. Made out of thick steel with two flanking pedestals, the Tanker desk, became the largest selling commercial desk in the world. Modern desks have morphed into pods or conjoined office desks, such as the ErgoQuest Zero Gravity workstation — a $4,500-all-inone reclining chair with a padded desk and attached screens — and standing desks. Other recent desk developments include a Kinetic Desk, which senses your presence and urges you to sit or stand, and a standing desk with built-in pull-up bars. A video by the Harvard Innovation Lab shows just how quickly the modern desk is changing. In the video, a desk from 1984 is cluttered with a fax machine, phone, globe, books, calendar and pens. The items are then dragged onto a laptop as apps, leaving the desk empty. Which begs the question: If all we need now is a laptop, will the desk become obsolete?
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Southfield Town Center
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health+tech
helmet tech reduces severity of head injuries
LTU app prevents falls A simple electronic mobile device will be able to alert a caregiver when an elderly person makes movements that indicate he or she is about to get up from a wheelchair. Known as “Sparrow,” this Android device was developed by an team of physicians, scientists and professors to provide caregivers the information they need to return in time to prevent an elderly occupant from leaving a wheelchair unnoticed and unassisted. Sparrow fuses multiple sensors, a microprocessor, artificial intelligence and Internet technologies into a tool designed to intercept falls, says Thomas Goulding, chair of Southfield, MI-based Lawrence Technology Institute’s Department of Math and Computer Science. “Falls are the leading cause of injury and death among the 170 million elderly in Europe and America,” says Goulding. “Over 50 million will fall during the next 12 months and 10 million will visit an emergency room. Lowering this fall rate is Sparrow’s mission.” The device is currently in clinical evaluation at Chelsea Retirement Community in Chelsea, MI.
michigan attracts venture capitalists The last two years were record-breakers for venture capital investing in Michiganbased life sciences companies, according to BioEnterprise Corp., a Cleveland-based initiative that tracks investments in healthcare and life sciences firms across the Midwest. Sixteen Michigan companies received $131.73 million in investments in 2015, including: • Armune BioScience Inc. of Kalamazoo, commercializing a new-generation blood test to diagnose prostate cancer, received $3.54 million in Series A financing in January 2015. • Delphinus Technologies Inc. of Plymouth, developer of a 3D imaging device to screen for breast cancer, received a $39.5 million investment in September. • Michigan Critical Care Consultants Inc. of Dexter, developer and manufacturer of cardiopulmonary medical devices, received a $34 million investment in November. • Tetra Discovery Partners LLC of Grand Rapids, developer of a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease that will go to clinical trials this year, received a $1.0 million investment in September. 12
With ongoing research about the relationships between football and concussion, head injuries and long-term brain disease, researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor are developing a shock-absorbing football helmet that can effectively dissipate the energy from a hit to the head. “We now understand that sports helmets need to protect both the skull and the brain from the harmful effects of an impact,” says Ellen Arruda, professor of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering at U-M. “Skull fracture is prevented by minimizing the amplitude of the force transmitted through the helmet, and to a certain extent, this also helps protect the brain from injury. In order to better protect the brain, the energy carried by the impact needs to be dissipated.”
Arruda notes that there are several strategies for dissipating energy. One strategy is fracture, which includes cracking and breaking. The creation of cracked surfaces dissipates energy, but this process can’t be used repeatedly. It is a useful strategy for a bicycle helmet; if it cracks and breaks as a result of an impact, it is replaced. “The strategy we have developed is intended to be used to dissipate energy in impact after impact after impact, Arruda says. “Not only can it better protect the brain in football impacts, it can be an effective strategy in bicycle accidents even if the helmet doesn’t crack and break.” The helmet system, known as Mitigatium, is made of three materials. The first layer is much like the hard polycarbonate that present-day helmets are made of, and the second layer is another type of plastic. Together, these two layers reflect most of the initial shock wave from a collision. The third layer, known as the “visco-elastic” layer, then dissipates the remaining shock via vibrations. Sponsors of the Mitigatium system include General Electric, the National Football League, National Institute of Standards and Technology and national sports clothing company Under Armour.
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SPRING 2016 • X-OLOGY
STEPPING OUT IN
HIGH-TECH HEELS BY PAM HOUGHTON
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f a vacuum cleaner could be successfully reengineered into a self-propelled cleaning machine (think Roomba robot) and the phone now doubles as a mini-computer, why hasn’t anyone figured out how to make a woman’s high-heeled shoe more comfortable while maintaining a fashion forward look? Dolly Singh, a recruiter for Elon Musk’s Californiabased rocket industry startup, SpaceX, did more than just wonder — she took action. After years of taking new recruits on tours that required her to traverse miles of hard factory floors in stilettos, the heels had taken their toll. Yet, there she was, surrounded by the best engineering talent in the world. It was high time to reconfigure the stiletto into a shoe that was kinder to the female foot. LAWS OF PHYSICS To get the high-heeled wheels of re-invention rolling, she tapped the skills of a former astronaut, rocket scientist, orthopedic surgeon and fashion scientist. Together, they “broke the problem down to the fundamental laws of physics,” according to a 2016 Business Insider story on Singh. “When it comes to high heels, there are three: how the shoe distributes weight, what happens when it hits the ground and the friction between your foot and the shoe,” the article reported. The “basic shape of the high heel and its materials — a metal plate, a metal shank and compressed cardboard — haven’t changed in many years.” With the engineering challenge addressed, Singh launched her Los Angeles-based startup, Thesis Couture, in 2013. She recruited an MIT- and Stanfordeducated designer to make sure style wasn’t sacrificed for substance and comfort. Another recruit with a manufacturing background
convinced the team to make the heel out of plastic instead of the old metal and cardboard. WORTH THE WEIGHT In a traditional high heel, 80 percent of your weight is on the toes, Singh told CBS News in June 2015. “By creating more surface area and matching it to the shape of the foot’s bottom surface, we were able to change how the load distributes.” The re-designed shoe reduces weight on the toes to 50 percent. Not only are the shoes more comfortable, people are less likely to experience health risks associated with high heels. Consumers who long for a good looking pair of stilettos that are easy on their feet will pay a price. The shoes expect to debut this spring for $350 to $950. But Singh isn’t the only one to re-think the stiletto. HYDRAULIC HEELS AND SMART SHOES London College of Fashion graduate Silvia Fado Moreno designed a hydraulic high heel using sports footwear for inspiration. While no one would run a marathon in these shoes, Moreno worked with an architect and an engineer to create a comfortable high-heeled shoe with the help of springs, rubber balls and pneumatic hydraulics. There’s also a stiletto that taps into the Internet, thanks to Lithuanian startup iShuu Tech. Bored with the color or pattern of your shoes? The Volvorii Smart Shoe lets you change either with the click of a smartphone app. Believe it or not, the shoe has a built-in circuit board, Bluetooth and battery components. What’s next? A shoe phone? A certain character on a 1960s TV show had that covered. Still, Maxwell Smart would be impressed. X-OLOGY • SPRING 2016
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educationkaleidoscope
msu focuses on composite materials Good for students and industry BY LESLIE MERTZ
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ew people think about the materials that make up the cars they drive, the jetliners they board or the bridges they traverse, but students taking courses in composites at Michigan State University (MSU) do. Enrolled in a collection of classes offered by the College of Engineering, many of these students are also conducting composites research in one of the numerous high-tech labs in MSU’s Composite Materials and Structures Center in East Lansing, MI. “A separate degree program in composite materials is not advisable, because when a company hires an engineer, they want a mechanical engineer or a civil engineer or a chemical engineer who understands and can utilize composites, rather than a composites engineer who is an expert in only that field,” says Lawrence T. Drzal, director of the Composite
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Materials and Structures Center and university distinguished professor of chemical engineering and materials science. “What an engineer does need is a concentration of courses in composites that are translatable to different areas.” COMPOSITE COURSES COVER THE BASES Currently, MSU offers 16 classes on composites. “The courses basically cover all aspects of composite materials: atomic, molecular-level phenomena that look at the polymer chemistry structure and fiber structure; investigating how to put composites together and what properties the resulting composites have; examining how to design with them; and studying how to use nondestructive inspection techniques
to find out if there are defects in them,” Drzal says. “Together, these courses represent a continuum across the spectrum from the molecular level to the structural level.” Some of the courses are directed at senior undergraduate and entry-level graduate students who don’t yet have a background in plastics and composites, and others are graduate courses that tend to emphasize specific aspects of composites, Drzal says. An example of the latter is the “Nonlinear Structural Mechanics” course that provides knowledge about the behavior of compositebuilt structures, which are often very different from those of metal or concrete structures. Another example is a course taught by Drzal called “Surface and Interfaces of Composite Materials.” “We talk about things like composites
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PATRICIA MROCZEK
MSU professor Lawrence Drzal (center) discusses the operation and advantages of an ultraviolet light-ozone carbon fiber treatment line with Mariana Batista of Bahia, Brazil, and Markus Downey of Narragasett, R.I. Batista is a doctoral student in materials science and Downey is a doctoral student in chemical engineering. MSU developed and patented this process, which uses ozone and high-intensity ultraviolet light to improve the adhesion of composite materials.
that are made by combining reinforcing fibers with a plastic, where the fibers can be made of carbon, glass, Kevlar®, polyethylene or any number of other materials, and the plastic is the glue to hold the material together,” he says. Here, the students learn about adhesion between the fiber and the plastic matrix, as well as how to join composites to other materials, such as bonding a cured epoxy carbon fiber composite to aluminum. BUILDING A FOUNDATION Undergraduate and graduate students select from a wide range of courses to form individualized concentrations that best suit their future career needs. Often, their classmates include continuing education students who are full-time employees and need to update skills to enhance their work performance or augment future career prospects. All courses in composites are electives, and although students often have little room
in their schedules for additional courses, composites remain attractive options. That is especially true for forward-thinking students who see the importance of building a broad foundation that can be useful in many engineering careers, Drzal says, noting that students with a composites background are simply more marketable. “If you meet with people in industry where the topic is composites for structural applications, the big question that comes up is, ‘Where am I going to get properly trained employees to do this work?’ That is why this concentration is important for the education of our undergraduate and graduate students, and also for retraining engineers in the workplace,” says Drzal. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Beyond the classroom, graduate students and some talented undergraduate students also join one of two-dozen active, faculty-led com-
posites-research groups associated with the Composite Materials and Structures Center. “One of the major emerging directions is the increased emphasis on integrating modeling and simulation with composite materials. This will enable design and manufacturing processes to be accomplished much faster in the near future,” says Drzal. In the example of bonding a composite to aluminum, for instance, researchers might develop and use a computer model to predict whether a particular option would be successful, rather than conducting fabrication and testing with actual materials in the laboratory, which can be quite time-consuming. “To do that, we have to develop the model, then verify the model with experiments, and continue to refine the model until we have one that works well,” Drzal says. “There’s a lot of effort going on in that direction and we have many students involved.” Students in the research groups >> X-OLOGY • SPRING 2016
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PATRICIA MROCZEK
educationkaleidoscope
WHAT ARE COMPOSITES?
Lawrence T. Drzal, Ph.D., director of the Michigan State University Composite Materials and Structures Center. Photo courtesy of Michigan State University.
>> also
learn about state-of-the-art equipment. The Composite Materials and Structures Center and its affiliated laboratories occupy about 7,500 square feet in the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Institute for Materials Research. Much of that expanse is laboratory space, filled with high-tech equipment, including: • Characterization equipment. Examples include a scanning electron microscope integrated with a dual-focused ion beam and energy-dispersive detector; an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer for measuring the surface chemistry and composition of materials; a specialized atomic force microscopy (AFM)-scanning probe microscope for imaging materials at the atomic level; an ultraviolet–visible spectrometer; Raman spectrometer with three lasers; and two contact angle goniometers for wettability studies. • Composite-processing equipment. Examples include multiple ball mills and cryogrinders for size reduction; ultrasonicinators for dispersion of nanomaterials in solutions; a three-roll mill for blending nanomaterials in resins; ultraviolet light modules for photo-initiated reaction and surface modification; and ultraviolet ozone treatment systems for surface oxygenation of fibers and polymers. 18
• Infrastructure equipment. Facilities include a structural test bay; structural fire laboratory; hydraulic loading equipment; dynamic and non-dynamic actuators; and a large-scale pendulum impact tester. By taking part in research projects, students get hands-on experience with the advanced equipment. In addition, many of the courses integrate laboratory demonstrations so students who aren’t part of the research teams can gain an understanding of equipment capabilities. PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE Between the equipment, active research projects and courses, Drzal feels MSU’s Composite Materials and Structures Center is helping to build the engineering force of the future. Composite materials is a rapidly expanding field that is already touching nearly every industry, he says, and that is precisely why there is a growing need for engineers with a broad foundation that includes composites. “What we want to do with our composites concentration is to expose our students to a breadth and depth that has applications in many different areas, and that’s exactly what I think we are doing,” Drzal says. “We are preparing our students for the career opportunities of the future.”
If ever something fit the concept of “the whole is more than the sum of its parts,” it is a composite material. Composites are made from two — sometimes more — very different constituent materials that are combined to create a material with new characteristics. Fiberglass, for instance, is a composite of plastic reinforced with glass fibers. Fiberglass has been around for decades, but today’s demand for new composite materials has never been higher. “A major direction currently driving the need for composites is the improvement of vehicle efficiency,” says Lawrence Drzal, director of the MSU Composite Materials and Structures Center. He points to new greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards stipulating that cars and light trucks get 55 miles per gallon by 2025. “To achieve that, we are going to have to reduce the weight of the vehicle. The real advantage of composites is that they provide equivalent structural performance at a much lower weight, leading to large increases in fuel economy.” Lightweight, stiffness and strength must go hand in hand with cost effectiveness, he says. “Studies are already showing that we can replace a steel structure with a carbon-fiber/epoxy structure and reduce the weight by 60 percent, but if we did that for a vehicle, nobody would be able to afford to buy it because of the high cost of aerospace-grade carbon fibers. There is a large effort under way to reduce the cost of carbon fibers to take advantage of their attractive properties.” The benefits of composites go well beyond cars. Drzal gives the example of a bridge that weighs 500 tons when made of traditional materials, such as steel and concrete, versus a composite-made bridge that weighs 300 tons. “It might not seem like a big difference, but when that bridge needs to be repaired or replaced, we can manufacture a composite bridge in a few components off-site, transport it to the site because it’s much lighter, and actually load it into position, causing minimal disruption in traffic. Plus, if we use polymer composites instead of concrete in making that bridge, the polymer composites provide a much more durable structure,” he says. This increasing interest in composites from multiple industries underscores the need for the MSU Composite Materials and Structures Center, as well as its sister Composite Vehicle Research Center, the Civil Infrastructure Laboratory and the new-in-2015 Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, Drzal says. “The composite-materials field is a highly interdisciplinary one that has aspects involving chemical, civil, mechanical, materials and electrical engineering. The composite materials knowledge present in these MSU centers creates a critical concentration to address the growing need for these new and important materials.”
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newsmakers
According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 16 percent of high school students are interested in STEAM careers. According to Henry Wells III, Westside Christian Academy principal, the program is critical for all students: “It’s more important than ever for our youth to be equipped with the skills they need to solve realworld problems.”
FitDesks give students a two-for-one advantage LTU President and CEO Virinder Moudgil and Focus: HOPE CEO William Jones, Jr., sign an agreement to offer LTU’s new associate of science degree in mechanical and manufacturing engineering technology at Focus: HOPE’s training facility in Detroit.
Lawrence Tech partners with Focus: HOPE Lawrence Technological University (LTU) in Southfield, MI, is offering a new associate’s degree in mechanical and manufacturing engineering technology at Focus: HOPE’s training facility in Detroit. Sixteen students enrolled in the inaugural class, which began in January. Upon completing the program, they will be among the more than 115 students who have earned Lawrence Tech college degrees since LTU and Focus: HOPE launched their partnership in the early 1990s. Students will also have the opportunity to transfer to LTU’s bachelor’s program after completing their associate degrees. Focus: HOPE, an organization dedicated to creating solutions to such problems as hunger, inadequate education and racial divisiveness, also partners with Wayne State University (Detroit), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Oakland University (Rochester) and the University of Detroit-Mercy.
Students at Oakland University in Rochester, MI, can now work out while doing homework, thanks to the addition of desks that double as exercise bikes at the university’s Kresge Library. Students can choose the exercise function to read, study or use their laptop computers on a platform mounted on the bike’s handlebars. Stephen P. Weiter, dean of Oakland University Libraries, says staff decided to experiment with FitDesks after reading about their success at other libraries across the country. OU is one of the first academic institutions in Michigan to offer the desks as a study and exercise platform in a library. According to Weiter, the goal of the experiment is to offer multiple types of seating and a diverse study environment to meet student needs for studying as well as for health and well-being.
Sharing the STEAM In an effort to engage students more deeply in the fields of science, design and technology, Westside Christian Academy in Detroit is partnering with Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, MI, to enrich the school’s current curriculum. STEAM is a curriculum focused on educating students in five specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. Rather than teach the five disciplines as separate subjects, STEAM integrates them into a cohesive learning paradigm based on real-world applications. Dr. Kenneth Hall, superintendent of Westside Christian Academy, is enthusiastic about the program, saying, “We have begun this series to enrich our students’ understanding of real-world career opportunities that exist in the STEAM fields and ignite their passion to pursue further study.” Although the United States has historically been a leader in these fields, fewer students have been focusing on these topics recently. 20
Oakland University students try out the school’s new FitDesks.
According to InsideHigherEd.com, South Carolina’s Clemson University — an early adopter of FitDesks — observed that students who used the bikes showed improved sleep patterns. InsideHigherEd.com also indicates that other modern desks, such as standing desks or treadmill desks, have the same positive health effects. OU students have been testing the FitDesks since January. “We’re excited about the potential here, and hope students will see this as a valuable addition to the library,” Weiter says.
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M1 Concourse performance track named Federal-Mogul Motorparts, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation, recently announced the new name and logo of the performance track at M1 Concourse, a $40 million-plus development being built on an 87-acre former General Motors plant site in Pontiac, MI. The state-of-the-art, 1.5-mile automotive performance track, scheduled to open in June, will be known as Champion Motor Speedway. “The Champion auto parts brand is synonymous with motorsports around the world,” says Brad Oleshansky, founder and CEO or M1 Concourse. “Adding the Champion name to the performance track at M1 Concourse is a significant milestone in the development of this exciting destination for automotive enthusiasts. We are thrilled to be moving forward in our partnership with Federal-Mogul Motorparts, and we’re grateful for their support.” The M1 Concourse will also include a community of more than 250 private garages, a public restaurant and retail. The Champion Motor Speedway will be available to the automotive industry for testing, training and marketing events. M1 Concourse will also offer public events such as driving schools, open track days and autocross. www.m1concourse.com
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peopleprofile
“If we really do our jobs well, we shouldn’t plan for the next three to five years; we should plan for the next 10 to 15 years.”
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Swamy Kotagiri Chief Technology Officer, Magna International WOW FACTOR “Magna’s philosophy reflects my belief that people should not be compartmentalized and trapped inside a specific role. As such, I have been given the chance to build my own path and now I am able to extend the opportunity to other people.” Now Kotagiri encourages young engineers by inviting them to meetings, moving them from one discipline to another and keeping the door open for them to build their own paths. PASSION FOR INDUSTRY When Kotagiri was named VP of engineering for R&D in 2006, he became a peer of his mentor. Then, when he was named executive VP of Magna’s Cosma International Group in 2008, he ultimately became boss to his former boss. “In true succession planning, you try to grow somebody who will hopefully continue what you started. The two gentlemen are still with us here. One of the gentlemen is chief engineer of Magna. The other gentleman retired, but still works at least three days advising, mentoring and doing projects. That couldn’t have been done if there wasn’t the relationship and understanding of the company’s vision. “If we really do our jobs well, we shouldn’t plan for the next three to five years; we should plan for the next 10 to 15 years. I shouldn’t be hanging onto my job if someone else is capable of taking my vision, my thought process, my baby to the next step.” VIEW FROM THE TOP “How do we make vehicles smarter, cleaner, safer, lighter and keep them affordable?” This is the question that drives innovation at Magna, says Kotagiri. “I think it’s a short way of saying what we want our product portfolio to be. How do we make sure that the product is evolving to change with the future in the auto industry? “There’s a lot of discussion of how cars are going to look or how they’re going to be used. For example, is the carsharing economy going to grow and what is the impact? These are some of the key points. My personal opinion is there’s going to be more impact on the transition for how the cars will be powered. Fully autonomous driving is further
away than we think. But, the technology that will make it happen will come sooner while the regulations and the legalities are going to take some time.” CORPORATE CLIMB “When I came from General Motors to Magna (Cosma), I was a structural engineer. My job was to create mathematical models of different systems in the car and see how they would behave in a certain physical environment, with vibrations (for example), or in a crash. Then, Magna started a program where I was responsible not only for modeling, but also for physical testing and validation, which in a typical environment would not have been possible. It enriched my ability to take my experience back to the computational model.” When Kotagiri expressed an interest in R&D on parts joining technology, management assigned him to run the program, where he gained experience building prototypes. When management thought he needed operations experience, he was assigned to Magna’s international operations and launched new plants in Thailand and India. “Having that widespread experience is extremely useful.” CREDENTIALS • Bachelor’s degree, mechanical engineering, Karnataka University, India • Master’s degree, mechanical engineering, Oklahoma State University • Holder of several patents VOICE OF EXPERIENCE “We are optimizing components and systems to make them lighter. For instance, Magna delivered multiple product innovations that have either debuted or are coming soon in Cadillac vehicles, including carbon fiber hoods, which are 72 percent lighter than steel hoods, and 13 high-pressure aluminum die-cast components for the body and chassis of the Cadillac CT6. These weight-saving components contribute to the overall mass reduction of the CT6, making it more agile, efficient and lighter than competitive offerings.” – Interviewed by Ilene Wolff X-OLOGY • SPRING 2016
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businessprofile
hella north america On track with automotive safety tech BY ILENE WOLFF
Steve Lietaert, President, HELLA Corporate Center USA, Inc.
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orld War II was both a boon and a hindrance to the German company Hella, parent of automotive lighting and electronics supplier Hella North America. The company, which had grown to 1,000 employees in 1937 since its founding in 1899, had dwindled to just 45 by the end of the war. But also during World War II, Germany and several other countries developed radar (see sidebar on page 26), the technology on which the company’s modern sensors are based. Since then, the family-run company has put those sensors and other technology, including energy-efficient LED lighting, to use. Hella — the world’s 35th largest automotive suppliers, ranked by Automotive News — has annual sales of about $6.5 billion, 21 percent of which is generated in the Americas, where the company has 4,500 employees. In the United States, where it established operations in 1978, Hella has three locations: a manufacturing facility in Flora, IL, and offices in Peachtree City, GA, and Plymouth, MI. Some 320 employees work in the Plymouth office, in design and development, sales, marketing, engineering, program management, purchasing, accounting and human resources. The local site expanded in June 2015, and currently includes 61,000 square feet of offices and a 25,000-square-foot test lab. The Plymouth office is Hella’s Center of Competence for fuel control modules and memory seat modules, and houses its lighting design and development center. Other product development in Plymouth includes work on body control modules, vacuum pump controllers and contactless position sensors. The company writes annual paychecks totaling $28 million to its Michigan employees. In addition to the Americas, Hella has locations in Africa, Asia and Europe in addition to its headquarters in Lippstadt, Germany. The company spent about $612 million in research and development in 2015. Some of that money poured into Hella’s develop-
ment center for electronics in Lippstadt, Germany, which opened in 2013 and is lit with the company’s own LEDs. The $16-million, 151,000-square-foot research center is home to 700 of the company’s 32,000 global employees. Researchers in Lippstadt focus on the company’s four product lines: driver assistance systems and energy management, steering, components and body electronics. In 2008, the company diversified its product line to include customers outside the automotive industry in order to strategically broaden its business. Its first non-automotive product offering was LED lighting for roads, airports and buildings.
drivers via an audible or light-based alert to cross traffic they may not be aware of.
SAFETY WITH SENSORS With more than 10 years’ experience with radar-based safety systems, and more than 9 million radar-based sensors in use on 125 models from 11 automakers, Hella is a major supplier of 24GHz sensor solutions in the international car market. The company started U.S. production in June 2015 at its plant in Flora, IL, on a new generation of its radarbased driver-assistance technology. In addition to blind spot detection, lane change assistance, rear cross-traffic alert and rear pre-crash functions, Hella’s new system added an exit alert function to ensure the safety of all road users — pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles — when a driver or passengers exit a car. The lane-change warning system monitors vehicles in the driver’s blind spot and alerts the driver to an unseen vehicle by a flashing symbol in the side mirror along with a slight vibration of the steering wheel. Hella also manufactures sensors that turn on a car’s windshield wipers and headlights if it starts to rain, and an intelligent battery sensor that monitors HELLA Corporate Center USA, Inc., and HELLA Electronics Corporation in Plymouth, MI. a battery’s charge. The battery sensor enables the engine to Even though Hella is a family-run com- turn off when a car is stopped at a light, as pany, it’s listed on the Frankfurt Stock Ex- hybrids do, if there’s enough juice in the batchange, where shares were traded for the tery to turn it back on. first time on Nov. 11, 2014. “In general, we have a focus on fuel econX-OLOGY recently talked to Steve Lietaert, omy,” says Lietaert. president of Hella Corporate Center USA, “We have taken a scalable approach with and Robert Hurley, product line director our third-generation driver-assistance prodof driver assistance systems in the United ucts, giving automakers the flexibility to offer States, about technology. Hella had just a variety of driver safety packages to their made a strong showing at the North Ameri- customers, depending on the vehicle segcan International Auto Show, with a futuristic ments involved,” adds Hurley. front-of-car radar safety system that will alert “Automotive safety systems based >> X-OLOGY • SPRING 2016
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businessprofile
Lane change assistant is one of the many functions HELLA’s 24GHz radar sensors offer. Further functions include blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, rear precrash and vehicle exit alert.
>> on the 24GHz narrow-band frequency can be used almost anywhere in the world and primarily support medium-range, rearward-facing applications,” Hurley says. “That’s why this bandwidth produces good results for standard applications involving lane change assist, blind spot detection and exiting a parking spot.” He points out that Hella’s radar-based driver safety systems, which operate on the 24GHz frequency, are developed in a costeffective manner, making advanced driver assistance systems more accessible for highvolume vehicle segments (in addition to luxury cars) and supporting global efforts to reduce traffic accidents. Hella, a European market leader for rearradar systems, is also gaining market share in North America, with global demand for rear-radar applications forecasted to reach 11 million systems by 2019, compared with four million in 2014, according to Strategy Analytics. Since its first generation system was introduced in 2005, major updates have followed. “We feel very good about the way our radar-
WHAT IS RADAR? Radar, the object detection system that uses radio waves to determine the range, angle or velocity of objects, owes its development in part to scientists in the same country where the Hella company (see main article) originated – Germany. As early as 1886, 13 years before Hella’s founding in 1899, German physicist Heinrich Hertz determined that physi-
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based, driver-assist packages are being refined, expanded and improved by our engineers and research teams,” Hurley says. “OEM and consumer acceptance of each new generation of radarbased, driver-assist system tells us we are on the right track with safety technology.” J.D. Power & Associates 2015 U.S. Tech Choice Study supports the importance of safetyrelated, driver-assistance features to consumers. The study found that three of the top five technologies consumers would most prefer in their next vehicle are related to collision avoidance. The report says auto consumers express the most interest in such technologies as blind-spot detection, night vision and enhanced collision-mitigation systems. LIGHT CARPETS AND MORE If safety-related features are most desired by consumers, how much further down the list is eliminating the necessity to switch back and forth from low beams to high beams at night during highway driving? Hella thought of that, too, and developed the first headlight system that automatically adjusts high-beam lighting for oncoming traffic. The company’s Matrix LED headlight system uses cameras that help create glare-free tunnels, allowing drivers to keep their high beams on without blinding oncoming drivers. Each headlight uses 25 electronically con-
cal objects reflect radio waves. Hertz was also first to prove the existence of electromagnetic waves. The measurement used to describe the length of an individual electromagnetic wave was named in his honor. In 1904, German inventor Christian Hulsmeyer demonstrated with his “telemobiloscope” that he could detect a ship in dense fog using radio waves, but not how far it was from his transmitter. He’s
trolled LEDs that make it possible to create two or more dark zones, or tunnels, for oncoming traffic to maximize both safety and visibility. For example, if there are two oncoming vehicles, Hella’s matrix headlamps will mask the approaching vehicles, while maintaining high-beam lighting between the two cars, as well as to the right and left of each one. In addition to creating glare-free traffic zones, Hella’s matrix high beams also adjust to provide maximum lighting along bends and curves in the road. Federal motor vehicle safety standards don’t allow the use of MATRIX lights in the United States, but Lietaert says Hella is involved in an industry consortium to get the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to change the standard. Another industry first for Hella is a light carpet that illuminates a vehicle’s side areas in the dark. The feature lights the ground more than 12 feet on both sides of a vehicle, making it easy to locate a car with the press of a button on a key fob. Unlike earlier systems that were installed in an outside mirror or the underside of the driver’s door, Hella’s LED modules are mounted in the rocker panels behind the car’s front wheels. Each lens is crafted from a number of micro lenses. A single lens generates a very weak strip of light due to its small size, but combining a large number of small lights creates a brighter light pattern. This also proves helpful if dirt covers portions of the LED, because other lenses will be pointed at the area to be illuminated.
often credited with developing radar by mistake; because his apparatus couldn’t tell the operator how far an object is, it wasn’t a true radar system. Today, in addition to the sensors Hella uses for driver safety and convenience, as well as energy conservation, radar is used in air traffic control, meteorology, geology, public health, military applications, ocean exploration, space travel, machine learning and more.
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Visionary Systems Visionary Systems For Smarter Automobiles For Smarter Automobiles
At HELLA, we are proud to be a leading manufacturer of At HELLA, lighting we are and proud to be a leading automotive electronics systemsmanufacturer for safer, moreof convenient HELLA is developing systemsfor that will more automotivedriving. lighting and electronics systems safer, allow cars todriving. perceive,HELLA process, and even interact with that theirwill convenient is developing systems environment products such as: allow cars tousing perceive, process, and even interact with their
environment using products such as:
- Intelligent radar functions for driver assistance systems - Innovative electronics for energy management - Intelligent radar functions for driver assistance systems - Smart fuel and thermal management systems - Innovative electronics for energy management - Matrix LED and HD systems Smart fuel and thermal management systems -- Ingenious designs for signal lighting
- Matrix LED and HD systems - Ingenious designs for signal lighting
HELLA Corporate Center USA, Inc. Marketing Original Equipment 43811 Plymouth Center Oaks Blvd. HELLA Corporate USA, Inc. Plymouth, MI 48170-2539 Marketing Original Equipment www.hellausa.com 43811 Plymouth Oaks Blvd.
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Technology with Vision
Technology with Vision
3/24/16 3:31 PM
focusontech
COMPUTERS ON WHEELS BY MICHAEL WAYLAND
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F
orget everything you know about Henry Ford’s auto industry with its oil changes, fossil fuels and even steering wheels. The auto industry of the future is taking shape and it looks more like an industry suited for Steve Jobs than the founding father of the assembly line.
Engines, transmissions and miles per gallon are taking a backseat to connectivity, automated features and zero-emission powertrains. Automakers are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on new technologies and partnering with Silicon Valley tech companies in an attempt to transform the auto industry into a mobility hotbed. “The scale and breadth of the changes of the industry are so broad,” says 2016 Society of Automotive and Aerospace Engineers President Cuneyt L. Oge. “It’s the way we power our vehicles, the way we drive our vehicles, the way we own our vehicles and perhaps even the way we are going to make our vehicles.” Total R&D spending among global automotive companies rose 5 percent in 2015 to a record-setting $110 billion globally, according to a comprehensive study from Price Waterhouse Coopers. That spending doesn’t include investments from tech pioneers such as Apple Inc. and Google Inc. that have been making waves in the auto industry. The fruition of that spending is center stage at events such as Detroit’s North American International Auto Show and the increasingly important International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas — an event that has become a must for automakers and wannabe-auto companies to show off their latest and greatest technologies. “Autonomous vehicles and many other things — content, electronics, fuel efficiency — all these things are forcing people to spend more money to create new generations of product,” says Barry Jaruzelski, leading practitioner in technology and innovation strategy for Strategy&, Price Waterhouse Coopers’ strategy consulting group. “Whether it’s competition or it’s regulation, the bar keeps going up.” >> X-OLOGY • SPRING 2016
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focusontech
“At CES people were talking about a car eventually becoming a device. Who would have thought that five years ago?” — AKSHAY ANAND, SENIOR ANALYST, KELLEY BLUE BOOK
>>
The traditional purpose of cars to get people from point A to point B will remain, but there’s expected to be a fundamental shift in the way we travel and think of the horseless carriage. Today, we have cars that can detect and avoid a crash before it happens, turn a vehicle into a mobile Internet hotspot and ultimately drive and park by itself in certain circumstances. In the coming years, we’re expected to add cars that can adapt and learn driving habits, even be fully autonomous, remind you when you’re low on milk when passing a grocery store and other technologies that we can currently only dream of. “We are moving from an industry that, for 100 years, has relied on vehicles that are stand-alone, mechanically controlled and petroleum-fueled to ones that will soon be interconnected, electronically controlled and fueled by a range of energy sources,” General Motors Co. CEO and Chairman Mary Barra has said. “I believe the auto industry will change more in the next five to 10 years than it has in the last 50, and this gives us the opportunity to make cars more capable, more sustainable and more exciting than ever before.” CONNECTED INTERIORS The most noticeable changes consumers should expect when hopping into a new car or truck are in-vehicle technologies that resemble features of a smartphone more than a car’s traditional radio dashboard. “It’s about more than just getting little bits of data into the car or getting a telephone call, it’s how do we really touch every part of the car in order to give a significant improvement in what we can do?” says Tejas Desai, Continental AG head of North America Interior Electronics Solutions. “When I look at my cell phone, that’s really what’s happened. I’ve been able to transform that one device into so much more. That’s what we want to do with the car.” Continental’s solution, called eHorizon, is a holistic systematic roadmap that eventually leads to a vehicle being able to communicate and analyze its surroundings. In its most advanced phase, known as “dynamic eHorizon,” the car receives updates based on data from other vehicles’ sensors and from other sources in real time. This enables the system to factor in changes to the route such as traffic jams, accidents, weather conditions and other relevant information. But before we get to essentially humanizing vehi30
cles, companies — including Denso Corp. and Visteon Corp. — at CES are advancing in-vehicle technologies that enhance the way people interact with their vehicles, and the way vehicles interact with us — also known as human-machine interface (HMI). Denso showcased a concept dashboard that utilizes software that can track a driver’s eyes to detect what part of the display they are looking at and assigns control to that function. Visteon demonstrated a high-end configuration called SmartCore, with two fully digital 12.3-inch color thin film transistor (TFT) displays and an additional head-up display, all driven from a single integrated unit. “SmartCore is a game-changing technology that offers significant and unique advantages over traditionally separated and non-connected infotainment systems, instrument clusters and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) controllers,” says Visteon President and CEO Sachin Lawande. ON THE MOVE WITH EVS Although electrified vehicles haven’t caught on as quickly as most thought they would, automakers are offering the vehicles to significantly boost fuel economy and meet federal fuel economy requirements. The vehicles feature some of the most advanced powertrains and technologies available on roadways today. “As an engineer, you can’t help but be driven toward electric powertrains, and I don’t mean only battery-electric, necessarily,” SAE’s Oge says, adding that it could be plug-in hybrids, fuel cell electric vehicles and even some day solar powered vehicles. “Today, the battery electrics are really taking off as battery costs are decreasing sharply.” Oge says with a traditional internal combustion engine, you only get about 20-25 percent of the energy in the gas tank delivered to power the vehicle’s wheels. With electric powertrain vehicles, it’s upwards of 95 percent. Every auto brand — from Ferrari and Aston Martin to Chevrolet and Ford — are developing their firstor next-generation of electrified vehicles. GM, shortly after unveiling its new 200-mile, all-electric Chevrolet Bolt, even changed the name of the department that designs, engineers and manufactures engines, transmissions, castings and components for its >>
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LAT USA
No. 12 Verizon Team Penske driver Will Power and race engineer David Faustino
RACING TIES THAT BIND Crossing the finish line first at more than
that can mean the difference between
if you’re able to find that advantage, it
200 miles per hour as the black and
winning and losing, according to Power
can make a huge difference.”
white checkered flag waves is a sensa-
and his race engineer, David Faustino.
tion all Verizon IndyCar Series drivers want to experience at every race.
“Relationship and work ethic go a
And the relationship between the drivers and crew chiefs has evolved
long way here,” Faustino says. “We have
over the years, as data analytics and
such high expectations for ourselves.
analysis have entered IndyCar. A race-
of hard work and dedication on the part
Every time we’re at the racetrack we
car can have hundreds of sensors that
of the driver and the entire racing team.
expect to win. And when we don’t, it’s
create gigabytes of data every race
But one team member who particularly
tough.”
weekend.
It’s a culmination of countless hours
shares that unique feeling of accomplishment with the driver is the race engineer.
Power and Faustino have been
“We generate massive amounts of
together since 2007, excluding the 2009
data off and on the track that we have
season. They won the 2014 Verizon
to be able to reduce to use in a timely
engineer has been compared to a mar-
IndyCar Series Championship for Team
manner on the race weekend,” says
riage — a delicate relationship based
Penske and pulled off a victory at the
Diuguid, adding that gut feelings remain
The partnership between driver and
on trust, respect and admiration. The two
2014 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand
an important part of racing. “It’s still
spend a lot of time together both at the
Prix’s Dual in Detroit — a feat they hope
50/50 because the conditions of the
track and away from it, as they strive to
to repeat when IndyCar racing returns
racetrack change so drastically.
win a championship.
to the Motor City June 3-5.
“Your relationship with your engi-
But they’ll have to outrace and out-
“You can make very informed decisions, but a lot of the guess work has
neer is everything because you really
communicate fellow Team Penske driver
have to understand each other’s lan-
Helio Castroneves (No. 3) and race engi-
guage,” says No. 12 Verizon Team
neer Jonathan Diuguid. Both also believe
tionships and unique lingos drive their
Penske driver Will Power. “After a few
teamwork is key to their victories,
teams to victory not only on Belle Isle
years, you have your own lingo.”
including a win in the second race of the
but also to an IndyCar championship.
That common language helps assess
Chevrolet Dual in Detroit in 2014.
been taken out of it.” Both teams say they hope their rela-
“We’ve been close to winning a
issues and make changes effectively
“These days, everybody has the
championship,” Castroneves says. “And I
during the course of a race weekend
same equipment,” Castroneves says. “So
feel that we’re going to get it this year.”
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focusontech
>>
vehicles from “GM Powertrain” to “GM Global Propulsion Systems.” “The new name is another step on our journey to redefine transportation and mobility,” says GM Executive Vice President of Global Product Development Mark Reuss. “Global Propulsion Systems better conveys what we are developing and offering to our customers: an incredibly broad, diverse lineup — ranging from high-tech three-cylinder gasoline engines to fuel cells, V8 diesel engines to battery electric systems and 6-, 7-, 8-, 9- and 10-speed to continuously variable transmissions.” Although electric charging infrastructure is still needed in states across the country, battery technology is significantly improving and costs are falling. Tesla Motors Inc. has done the best job of drumming up hype for its $70,000-plus, all-electric Model S sedan. The California-based electric vehicle manufacturer has made moves by updating major aspects of its vehicles wirelessly. Telsa’s 7.0 software update allowed the car to use its unique combination of cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors and data to automatically steer down the highway, change lanes and adjust speed in response to traffic. It can scan for a parking space and parallel park at the driver’s command. But Tesla isn’t the only new auto company looking to drive an electric revolution. Faraday Future (FF), a California-based electric carmaker that’s financially backed by Chinese billionaire Ding Lei T, unveiled a futuristic-looking, 1,000-horsepower electric concept racecar at CES, which it referred to as a “car of concepts” rather than a concept car. “The FFZERO1 Concept is an amplified version of the design and engineering philosophies informing FF’s forthcoming production vehicles,” says head of design Richard Kim. The car includes a carbon fiber shell, “soon-to-be signature ‘UFO line’” that runs around the center of the vehicle and a phone dock in the steering wheel. Conceptually, the company says, the steering wheel setup could enable the smartphone to serve as the interface between the vehicle and the driver in — and outside of — the car. Kelley Blue Book senior analyst Akshay Anand, says Faraday Future as well as several other automakers really
32
pushed the idea of user-centric features that seamlessly connect drivers to everything their phones do and more. “At CES people were talking about a car eventually becoming a device. Who would have thought that five years ago?” he says. “The concept Volkswagen (VW) showed, which I thought was really striking, was basically a device.” VW unveiled its BUDD-e microbus concept at CES, calling it the “new gateway to the future.” The allelectric vehicle is capable of communicating with a person’s smart home or office functions from the car while driving — everything from a smart fridge that tells you what groceries you may be low on to automatically turning on lights in and around the house through home net automation. “Completely and thoroughly networked, BUDD-e is a mobile interface which connects the vehicle with the world around it,” the company says. “With the BUDDe, Volkswagen has developed a vehicle that is more thoroughly connected with its surroundings than any car before it.” DETROIT 3 MOBILITY Outside of companies such as Tesla and Faraday Future, so-called ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft are changing the way automakers look at the future of the automotive industry. GM appears to be at the forefront of the ride-hailing and ride-sharing game in the United States. The Detroit automaker invested $500 million in Lyft and launched its own personal mobility brand, Maven, which includes a new citywide car-sharing program in Ann Arbor, MI. The Detroit automaker also purchased assets of Sidecar Technologies Inc., a ride-hailing company that ceased operations in December 2015. Others, including Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV CEO Sergio Marchionne, are a bit more pessimistic of automakers becoming mobility companies. ‘’This industry in its current state is not in a position to withstand the capital requirements associated with running the business. It just can’t,” Marchionne said during the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. “I am very weary of all this incredibly enthusiastic view of the world of the fact that we’re transitioning a car business into a transportation business.”
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“As smart homes and smart cars continue to evolve, SYNC technology makes it easy to implement features that will make life better and more convenient for our customers.” — DON BUTLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CONNECTED VEHICLE AND SERVICES, FORD MOTOR CO.
Marchionne has said automakers will not magically become mobility companies that can become Silicon Valley, despite what Barra and other rivals continue to tout. Ford Motor Co. has been speaking about personal mobility for years, including announcing a host of new initiatives at CES: increasing the company’s driverless car fleet to 30 Fusions, which are being tested in California, Arizona and Michigan; exploring the use of drones with its F-150 pickups; and partnering with Amazon.com to connect home and car using its SYNC infotainment system. The initiative with Amazon involves linking smart devices like Amazon Echo and Wink to its vehicles to allow consumers to control lights, thermostats, security systems and other features of their homes from their car, and to stop, start, lock, unlock and check their vehicle’s fuel range from the comforts of their couch. “Connecting homes and cars is all about making life easier and convenient for our customers,” says Ford Executive Director of Connected Vehicle and Services Don Butler. “As smart homes and smart cars continue to evolve, SYNC technology makes it easy to implement features that will make life better and more convenient for our customers.” AUTONOMOUS AS THE END-GOAL The end-goal for all of the auto industry’s emerging technologies is self-driving vehicles that make the roadways safer, more efficient and allow so-called “drivers” and passengers to get from one place to another. Autonomous vehicles use intricate systems of radars, cameras, sensors and advanced LIDARs (laser radar that measures distance by illuminating a target with a laser and analyzing the reflected light) to continuously provide data about the vehicle’s surroundings to processing systems with complex algorithms — essentially super computers on wheels. And those super computers could even be considered “drivers.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration U.S. vehicle safety regulator earlier this year said the artificial intelligence system piloting a self-driving Google car could be considered the driver under federal law. However there is a litany of other legal, legislative and safety matters to work out before bringing selfdriving vehicles to the masses.
“Are there going to be glitches along the way? Are we going to work through that from a legal perspective and legislative perspective? Absolutely,” says attorney James Giszczak, McDonald Hopkins vice chair of the Litigation Department and chair of the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group. Cybersecurity is an emerging issue for the auto industry. It was especially brought to the public’s attention in 2015 when a 2014 Jeep Cherokee was remotely hacked. “No matter what you do or how much you secure your home, there’s still going to be somebody who wants to break into it,” FBI Detroit Division’s Cyber Squad Supervisor Tom Winterhalter told a group of journalists in Detroit. Security researchers Chris Valasek and Charlie Miller, who shared their information for months with Fiat Chrysler, conducted the hack of the Jeep. This enabled the company to release a fix to close the door to other hackers. The men manipulated the vehicle through a vulnerability in a chip that provides a wireless and a cellular network connection. That allowed access to another component for the vehicle’s Uconnect 8.4-inch infotainment system and allowed them to rewrite the car’s firmware and send commands through the car’s internal computer network — everything from controlling interior features to disabling the SUV’s engine functions. “When we start talking about connectivity, we’re talking about more than in-vehicle tech connectivity,” says Elaina Farnsworth, CEO of Troy-based Mobile Comply, an international leader in Connected and Autonomous Vehicle certification and training. “We’re talking vehicle to infrastructure (V2I), we’re talking about vehicles to vehicles. The experts disagree on when autonomous vehicles will be available to consumers. Depending on who you speak with, predictions range from the next few years to mid-century, even if the technologies are available today. But there’s one thing industry insiders can agree on: The auto industry is driving on a new connected road with no exact road map just yet. “The world as we know it is changing,” says Kelley Blue Book’s Anand. “Where’s it going to be in 10 years? There are going to be things that I don’t think you or I could imagine.” X-OLOGY • SPRING 2016
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lifestyle DETROIT GREENWAYS COALITION
More and more Detroiters are putting down their car keys and picking up their bike helmets.
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pedal pushing in the mitten state Join the club and make bike-riding part of your daily routine BY JEANINE MATLOW
I
f you haven’t hopped on a bicycle since you were a kid, now’s the time to get back in the saddle. Even avid riders will have a hard time keeping up with the activities for cyclists in Metro Detroit and beyond. As the interest in this refreshingly old-fashioned pastime continues to climb, the number of trails, clubs and events are not far behind. Here’s a look at what’s happening in the enticing world of two-wheelers.
GET UP AND GO As a manager of KLM Bike & Fitness in Birmingham, MI, Ricardo Benavides knows a thing or two about bikes. In fact, he encourages others to get out and ride regardless of skill level. “There’s always somebody at the same pace,” he says. “People are just having more fun now and riding for fun.” They’re also riding more often. It might be something as simple as a neighborhood event that gets everyone going. “It’s not always competitive,” says Benavides. Even sponsored bike rides can be casual with many
being more social in nature than competitive, like the weekly Slow Roll in Downtown Detroit that attracts a few thousand participants. Pedaling for a purpose is all the rage. “Almost all of us know somebody who’s going or has gone on group rides,” says Benavides. Some join special clubs like Clinton River Riders in Mt. Clemens or The Wolverines Sports Club in Royal Oak. Though many attract intermediate level and up, most do not discourage novice riders. People even design their own riding routes to work based on safety, traveling through quieter >>
X-OLOGY • SPRING 2016
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lifestyle MICHIGAN TRAILS AND GREENWAYS ALLIANCE
Michigan bike riders enjoy miles and miles of recreational trails, including the Clinton River Trail, Paint Creek Trail, West Bloomfield Trail and Island Lake Recreation Area.
>> neighborhoods versus busy streets whenever feasible. “It may not be the faster route, but it can be a lot safer,” says Benavides who often rides his bike to work. Because rules can vary by city, it’s important to check for any special regulations before you head out. “People are definitely riding more,” Benavides says. “The local trails are well maintained and there are a lot more people out riding them.” WHAT AND WHERE WILL YOU RIDE? Though bike styles are as varied as the territories they cover, with options ranging from racing bikes to road bikes, nothing fancy is required for recreational trails. Some of the popular options, says Benavides, include the Clinton River Trail in Oakland County, Paint Creek Trail in Rochester, the West Bloomfield Trail and Island Lake Recreation Area in Brighton. The network of trails in the area even features Iron Belle Trail, which goes from Belle Isle in Detroit all the way up to Mackinaw. Other desirable spots to try are Pontiac Lake Highland Recreation Bike Trail in White Lake and Maybury State Park in Northville. According to Benavides, new products are always in the works, like safer helmets and the vintage-style bikes that are hot right now. For those who simply want to do an average bike ride around the block, hybrid styles can go everywhere that’s walkable, he says. Others who are after a specific niche can get anything from a rail bike to 36
a super-fast mountain bike, capable of dodging tree roots and rocks. Competitive bikes, cruiser bikes and classic beach bikes are among the many options. Whatever you choose, fit is crucial when selecting the right bike. “It really depends what you want to do,” says Benavides. KLM, which has a second location in Rochester Hills, has a fit studio where a certified professional fitter does a consultation to best determine your goals and needs. “Many people put more miles on their bikes than they do on their cars,” he says, which explains the variety of aftermarket accessories such as bags. “When it’s 90 degrees, a backpack gets heavy and hot and you can get really uncomfortable. The bags take the weight off you and put it onto your bike.” klmfitness.com CITY RIDING Detroit may be known as the Motor City, but there’s a shift with the invasion of bikes and trails. Todd Scott, executive director for Detroit Greenways Coalition, a non-profit organization that builds biking and walking trails that will connect the entire city, says they started with around 13 miles of trails, bike lanes and bike routes, and they’re currently closer to 200 miles and counting. Scott says the most popular place to bike in Detroit is the Dequindre Cut, which was converted from former railroad tracks. As he points
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DETROIT GREENWAYS COALITION
Detroit’s Dequindre Cut, which connects to destinations such as Eastern Market and Whole Foods, is a popular bike-riding route.
THE BENEFITS OF BIKE RIDING out, the reasons for riding include recreational and practical motives, from enjoying the sights, fresh air and exercise, to making a grocery run. The trail conveniently connects to places like Eastern Market and Whole Foods in Midtown. Events like the Slow Roll are another big draw. “It started a few years ago with just a few folks and it’s now the second largest weekly bike ride in the U.S.,” Scott says of the seasonal ride held on Mondays. “Seeing the diversity of people there and the diversity of bicycles is part of the fun. Detroit is very vibrant in the doit-yourself bike scene with people decorating their bikes with lights, and music and more people are building their own custom bikes.” Now, the organization is working on the Inner Circle Greenway with the city and others to create a 26-mile biking and walking trail around Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck and Dearborn, bringing a 26-mile non-motorized pathway to life by turning former railroad tracks into trails and managing them for future use. Based on current trends, it is expected to attract many users. “It’s amazing to see how many people are out biking every day,” Scott says. detroitgreenways.org
“There are so many destinations within a two-mile radius of where you live that can absolutely be carried out on a bike,” says Nancy Krupiarz, executive director for Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance. “It gets you in touch with your community; you can see things on a bike that you can’t see in your car because you have full vision and you’re moving at a slower pace.” Cycling shows people how to savor each day. “You definitely smell the roses. You can stop at a moment’s notice and feel the elements like the sun and the breeze, and you can look at the sights,” she says. Biking is also great for the heart and gentle on your joints, says Krupiarz, “It just puts you in great shape and you become close to your community because you know every inch of it.” Cost efficiency is another bonus. “You don’t have to pay parking fees. You just have your bike to take care of and you can learn how to do a lot of repairs yourself,” she says. “If you work in town, realistically you might be able to see yourself giving up your car.” It does take some planning and practice to bike to work, says Krupiarz, who rides to work as much as possible.
PEDALING FOR A GOOD CAUSE Some like to take their cycling to a different level by participating in various charity rides that can be found throughout the state. >>
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“The first few times you might forget things, but you just have to get your routines figured out,” she says. “Slowly but surely, you’ll find the best way to do that.”
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lifestyle
The Detroit Greenways Coalition network has built nearly 200 miles of walking trails, bike lanes and bike routes that connect the city.
DETROIT GREENWAYS COALITION
>> Bike MS is one such ride. Tammy Willis, vice president of special events for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, says the organization sponsors several two-day rides in Michigan that include such destinations as Holland in June, Lansing in July and Frankenmuth in September, all to raise money for the fight against multiple sclerosis. “When we first started the MS 150-mile, riders were at a high skill level,” says Willis. “We realized that many people cared about MS and wanted to participate, so we changed some rides to 30, 50, 75 and 100 miles.” These rides attract novice cyclists all the way up to advanced riders, and a large percentage come from Metro Detroit. Though there are other reputable sponsored rides in the state, many use the MS event as a training ride. “We have a minimum of $250 that you need to raise to participate, which is a pretty low start. People realize how easy it can be to raise money with the tools we offer and the multiple events,” says Willis. Participants must be at least 12 years old and, because safety is a top priority, rural routes are chosen whenever possible. Willis 38
says the League of Michigan Bicyclists is a great source for safety information (lmb.org). Because Willis works at the regional events, she and her husband travel the country to participate in other MS rides. Though they typically drive to their destinations, bikes can be shipped or easily disassembled and packed in a suitcase. So far, they’ve been to events in Indiana, Florida, Tennessee, Connecticut and Virginia. “It’s really great. What sets us apart is the level of support riders have with rest stops, mechanical support, medical support that includes volunteer EMTs and nurses and Support and Gear (SAG) vehicle support if you break down or get tired,” Willis says. Lastly, Willis says Bike MS is the largest organized fundraising event in the country. “For anybody who’s interested in cycling, we’ve got something to offer.” nationalmssociety.org MILES OF TRAILS According to Nancy Krupiarz, executive director for Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance in Lansing, Michigan has more miles of multiuse trails than any other state in the
nation (our closest competition comes from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania) due to the number of converted railroads. She says we once had 10,000 miles of railroad tracks and close to 2,400 have since become trails. As she explains, the multifaceted organization provides technical assistance to communities that want to build multiuse trails for biking and walking; some can accommodate equestrian activities and winter sports. The Alliance also serves as the statewide voice for all non-motorized trails in Michigan and helps the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Held at the end of September, the group’s Trail Towns Tour (also known as Triple T) lets people get their feet wet with a day ride that covers approximately 35 miles between South Lyon, Wixom and Milford. “The event demonstrates an interconnected trail system,” says Krupiarz. “The trails not only link across the state, but try to get communities to link up on a regional or local level.” “There is a big population in Southeast Michigan and these trails go through wonderful parks and small towns. People can just have a blast riding their bikes,” she adds. A $35 entry fee covers the fundraiser for the organization and includes cider and doughnuts and a small after-party. “It’s a loop. They can go as far as they want. It’s very family friendly and we have a starting point with a parking lot and rest stops all along the way,” Krupiarz says. This year will mark the 25th anniversary of the Michigander Bicycle Tour in July, Bikes, Brews & Beaches, which takes place in West Michigan. There are a number of scenic routes and tours from which to choose, but the experience is what counts. “It’s all about just slowing down — not your body, but your mind — and being close to the lake. It’s very carefree,” says Krupiarz. michigantrails.org
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expertoutlook
Utilities on the forefront of environmental stewardship BY JOE BENNETT
A
transmission network in the last ll across Michigan, our daily year alone, including circuit breakeconomy and quality of life ers, transformers and other metals. depend on the public inDecommissioned cedar transmisfrastructure around us, including sion poles have been repurposed to those big electrical towers and support wildlife restoration efforts, wires you see in urban and rural becoming nesting platforms in the corridors and along highways. Huron River Watershed. These societal assets are part of Our commitment to the environthe backbone power transmission JOE BENNETT ment extends to the workplace, grid that carries safe and reliable with waste reduction efforts under electricity into our communities, way at several ITC facilities in Michserving our homes, businesses, igan. By removing wood, cardboard, paper hospitals, plants and schools. Since this power infrastructure is largely and plastic from general waste streams and outside, utility companies face the challenge recycling these materials, we have reduced of being in harmony with the natural world the average volume of material sent from our through four seasons. Power lines, particular- warehouses to landfills by 50 percent over ly the high-voltage lines that transmit mas- the past few years. sive amounts of electricity across the country, can be found in all environments. As Michi- SAFE AND RELIABLE OPERATIONS gan’s largest electrical transmission pro- Remember the Northeast Blackout of 2003? vider, ITC Holdings takes our environmental That event, which impacted 50 million peostewardship role very seriously, from initial ple across eight states and Ontario, was planning of a transmission line through the triggered when a high-voltage power line in Ohio brushed against a tree. To prevent operation of it. such catastrophic events, vegetation management is a key component of any utility’s PLANNING AND SITING LINES When planning transmission projects, we operations and maintenance program. Forinclude environmental assessments for wet- esters and other trained field staff routinely lands, threatened and endangered species inspect transmission corridors, identify both and other sensitive habitats. By including appropriate and incompatible species on a these factors at the start of a transmission site-by-site basis and recommend suitable line route analysis, ITC can adjust the place- management methods in the greenways. ment of the line and structures to avoid or RESTORING NATURAL HABITATS limit environmental impact. In addition to maintaining safe and reliable service, responsible vegetation management CONSTRUCTION AND RECYCLING Rebuilding hundreds of miles of old trans- can result in diverse, stable greenways under mission infrastructure poses the challenge of and adjacent to transmission corridors with less how to properly handle retired components. environmental disturbance. For example, ITC ITC decommissioned and recycled an estimat- partners with Stony Creek Metropark in Shelby ed 5.3 million pounds of metal in the electric Township, MI, to manage the removal of inva40
sive woody and herbaceous species, and the re-establishment and seeding of native prairie grasses and wildflowers in the transmission corridor passing through the park. ITC also partners with The Nature Conservancy to restore Lakeplain prairie lands in Southeast Michigan. Restoration involves eliminating invasive plant species that crowd out the original prairie and are detrimental to wildlife. This effort helps restore ecosystem functions, improve and increase habitat for rare insects, plants and animals and increase flora and fauna diversity. CONTINUING TO MODERNIZE THE GRID Here in Michigan, ITC has made significant strides in rebuilding the transmission infrastructure. Today, the system ranks among the top in the nation in reliability. Our focus remains ensuring that all of Michigan is supported by a modern power grid that can meet the state’s energy needs in the 21st century and beyond.
Joe Bennett is vice president, engineering for ITC Holdings Corp. He oversees the asset management, design and project engineering functions as they support the capital and maintenance programs for ITC’s operating entities. Mr. Bennett holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering with a concentration in energy systems from Michigan Technological University.
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in Oakland County
Do you see it?
Energy. Excitement. Limitless opportunities. A place with a global footprint few states can match. What county in America has nearly 1,000 international firms from 38 countries? Which county employs more life science and health care workers than the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic combined? Where can you find some of the most innovative and sophisticated manufactured products in the world? Now you see it? It’s Michigan’s business address: Oakland County.
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makingthescene
AUTOMATION ALLEY’S TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
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ALEX MINKIN, WWW.ALEXMINKIN.COM
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Automation Alley’s Technology Industry Outlook, held Feb. 22 at the Detroit Institute of Arts, attracted more than 300 Southeast Michigan tech industry professionals for a presentation of the technology business association’s annual Technology Industry Report. Automation Alley Executive Director Ken Rogers gave opening remarks while COO and Director of Entrepreneurship Tom Kelly provided an overview of the report. Event panelists included: • Jeff Green, moderator, Detroit bureau chief, Bloomberg News • Louay Chamra, Ph.D., dean, Oakland University School of Engineering and Computer Science • Tom Kelly, COO and director of entrepreneurship, Automation Alley • Irene Spanos, director, Economic Development and Community Affairs, Oakland County • Elaina Farnsworth, CEO, Mobile Comply The Technology Industry Report is a combination of two studies including a technology industry data collection and analysis, along with an online survey of 150 senior executives who are working in the tech industry in either metro Detroit or Silicon Valley. (For more about the Technology Industry Report, see page 6). 1. Reinhard Lemke of AmCham Germany, David Darbyshire of DASI Solutions, Anthony Cuneo of Booz Allen Hamilton and Sharon Blumeno of Automation Alley. 2. Amir Akroush and Fadi Saadeh of the Arab American and Chaldean Council. 3. Students from the International Technology Academy in Pontiac. 4. Attendees gather in the Great Hall at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
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ARAS CORPORATION’S ACE 2016 Aras Corporation’s ACE 2016 celebrated “Innovation Without Limitation,” March 14-17 at Detroit’s Renaissance Center. The four-day conference featured industry experts, product innovators and technology leaders. Nearly 500 global product development leaders attended the annual Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) community event to learn about enterprise technology platforms that help manage growing product complexity, rapidly increasing product cycle times and the demands that come with connected components and products. Keynote presentations, manufacturing case studies, breakout sessions and community forums showcased the passion, process and performance under way at the world’s most innovative manufacturing facilities — from aerospace, automotive, high tech electronics and industrial, to medical device, food processing and consumer products. As the developer of the PLM technology platform Aras Innovator, used worldwide, the Aras community event brought together business and technology professionals from across many continents. Sessions addressed enterprise process challenges, systems engineering complexity, technology integration and the flexibility and resilience today’s manufacturers require from PLM technology solutions. 42
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1. Peter Schroer, Aras Corporation founder and CEO. 2. Vincent Soumier, Airbus head of Connectivity and Access Management. 3. Global product development leaders from a range of industries gathered in Detroit for ACE 2016. 5. Kalle Hagstrom, head of Information Systems, Platforms and Services, BAE Systems of Sweden. 5. Nearly 500 people from around the world attended ACE 2016.
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