Chief Technology Officers Urge Collaboration Inside and Outside Industry

DETROIT – Chief technology officers from major auto makers and suppliers agree cooperation is needed to ensure the steady convergence between vehicles and advanced technology, but they offer up differing opinions on the challenges and opportunities the future holds.

Speaking at the Society of Automotive Engineers Convergence conference here, Ford CTO Paul Mascarenas says the auto maker continues to monitor macro-societal and economic data for emerging trends that can help the company develop its technology strategy.

Any technologies Ford offers in its future vehicles must be economically friendly, safe and of the highest quality, he says.

While Ford considers itself a leader in advanced technologies such as its MyFord Touch infotainment system, Mascarenas says a rapidly growing population is one of the greatest challenges facing the industry, and technology could be instrumental in addressing problems associated with that growth.

“With the increase (in population), personal-vehicle ownership will continue, but there will be more vehicle-sharing, so we’re developing or expanding our business models,” he says, citing Ford’s increasing involvement with car-sharing service Zipcar.

Vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure technology also is of interest to Ford. The auto maker currently has V2V and V2I test beds at its Dearborn, MI, engineering campus.

But for the technology to be widely implemented, industry and government cooperation is needed, Mascarenas says. “I’d love to say we could do it on our own, but we` cannot. We recognize there is no one-size-fits-all (solution), but harmonization on technologies gives us the best chance of meeting future mobility needs.”

General Motors CTO Jon Lauckner says in addition to forming partnerships with other auto makers and suppliers, the industry should secure outside partners to ensure a smooth integration of vehicles and technology.

“New technologies lead us to work with non-auto suppliers to unlock the value of new technology for our customers,” he says. “Over the next several years, there are a couple of key questions to be answered,” such as “what technologies hold the most potential for customers and society.”

GM has identified five technologies that are ripe for breakthroughs, Lauckner says, including advanced-hybrid systems, connected vehicles, advanced materials, advanced safety systems and manufacturing.

Referring to an earlier panel discussion on autonomous vehicles, he agrees there are benefits, such as reduced congestion and increased safety, but there also are obstacles that must be overcome before driverless vehicles can become viable.

There are “challenges around sensing, redundant systems, costs and packaging, the ability to override (the autonomous system), standardization and legal responsibility,” Lauckner says. “It will take collaboration between auto makers, suppliers, universities and government to speed the commercialization of breakthrough technologies.”

Justin Rattner, CTO of tech-giant Intel, sees great promise in technology that keeps cars connected to the Internet at all times. “Connectivity is likely to change the in-vehicle experience as much as anything in today’s infotainment systems. But there are bound to be runs, hits and plenty of errors en route.”

The benefits a connected car can bring are many, he says, while stressing that consumers ultimately decide what features will be offered.

To determine what technologies would be truly beneficial to drivers, Rattner says Intel has turned to the study of ethnography and anthropology to “make sure our products are not just features engineers decide are cool.”

“(Intel wants to) “deliver systems that evoke deep degrees of passion, which is increasingly important and a decision factor for many people.”

Keeping personal information brought into the vehicle private is essential, he says, but memorizing passwords is a thing of the past. Intel has been working in the field of biometrics in an effort to eliminate the need for passwords, and Rattner says the technology is promising.

“We demonstrated a system at Intel that uses the pattern of blood vessels in the hand, which could be used to authenticate,” he says.

Implementing advanced technologies safely is essential, as many systems have been criticized for leading to distracted driving, which has become a major problem that has drawn government scrutiny.

Joseph Carra, associate administrator for vehicle safety research-U.S. Department of Transportation, reiterates the government agency has concerns about distractions caused by in-vehicle technology. But he admits that, utilized properly, the technology can lead to safer U.S. roadways.

Despite driver-education programs, safety awareness campaigns, airbags and the widespread use of seatbelts, 30,000 traffic fatalities still occur in the U.S. every year, he says.

“But we see great promise in crash-avoidance technology that could help us reduce these numbers dramatically, especially when you’re talking about connected vehicles and automated vehicles.”

But they can be detrimental if used the wrong way.

“Even (technologies) aimed at crash avoidance can create driver overload,” Carra says. “We must be careful as we strive, and strive we should, to achieve the greatest crash-avoidance protection possible.”

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