IBM Unveils Automotive Diagnostic Services

DETROIT – IBM Corp. unveils its Parametric Analysis Center (PAC), an advanced automotive repair data management service, here at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress.

The new on-demand service is designed to aid in the diagnosis of electronic-based problems in vehicles by analyzing and storing signal data output from in-car electronic diagnostic equipment. It is based on technologies developed by IBM Research and now is available through IBM Business Consulting Services.

Studies show that more than one-third of vehicle breakdowns are electronics systems-related, and system failures are expected to rise as vehicles become increasingly more complex.

“Today much of the data that we capture at the repair shop to diagnose problems with a particular vehicle is lost once the vehicle is repaired,” Nathaniel Mills, IBM researcher and inventor of the PAC technology, says in a statement.

“With an approach like this, data can be preserved and used to develop automated analysis routines to help all mechanics correctly diagnose the same type of problem as well as to assist an early warning system intended to identify major issues affecting many vehicles.”

PAC operates by using information building blocks to interpret vehicle data, which means all groups involved in a vehicle’s lifecycle management can develop reports and services to understand how a vehicle is performing or if a trend is developing across a group of vehicles.

This means that research and development data later can be used to confirm fleet performance, or to aid service technicians in diagnosing vehicle failures.

PAC also allows OEMs to deliver parametric and diagnostic data to IBM, which then analyzes the data and creates recommendations and reports addressing specific vehicle or fleet issues. IBM also will offer ongoing consulting services and services support.

IBM first tested its new technology with the U.S. Army’s National Automotive Center, which currently is evaluating the system for potential application to its fleet of vehicles.

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