OJ-- I thought this may help- semis have far bigger role in economy.
Copyright 1998 Chicago Tribune Company
Chicago Tribune
March 22, 1998 Sunday
COMPUTERS ARE PUTTING THE FUNCTION AND FUN IN AUTOS
By Jon Bigness, Tribune Staff Writer
ÿ In a popular TV commercial, an elderly couple bickers over whether to roll their car's windows up or down. But when a toddler in the back seat raises a stink, quite literally, the couple agree to keep the windows open. That's a simple, effective, low-tech solution to the problem. But before the turn of the century, one of the options available to car buyers could be an electronic odor detector that would react to foul smells by rolling down the windows and opening the vents. It also could dilute unpleasant outside odors.ÿ
ÿ "In the next two years, you can safely say they'll be on cars," assures Randy Frank, who follows such trends as the marketing manager for Motorola Inc.'s Transportation Systems Group. Thanks to the growing number of electronic components in today's cars, drivers can expect next-generation vehicles with all kinds of innovations to increase safety, efficiency and comforts--at a reasonable price.
ÿ While the average car has only about 10 microcontrollers--the "brains" behind electronic devices--some luxury vehicles can have as many as 80 on-board computers. That's more than twice the computing power of the average PC. And the dollar growth of semiconductor content per vehicle has nearly doubled, to $1,100 for a top-of-the-line model in 1995 (the most recent year available) from $540 in 1985. Motorola expects that figure to hit $3,000 for luxury cars in 2006.
ÿ With all this electronic wizardry on board, cars could soon roll off the assembly lines with some features you never thought you'd need. That electronic nose, for example. At least three ventures are trying to develop a "nose-on-a-chip" detection device that would kick start a deodorizer, though its more noble purpose is to help law-enforcement agents sniff out bombs and drugs.
ÿ Scientists at International Business Machines Corp.'s Zurich Research Laboratory have successfully tested such a device. Johnson & Johnson Co. is backing similar development by Caltech's Center for Neuromorphic Systems. And Auburn University's Institute for Biological Detection Systems predicts it will have workable sensors ready for use within five years.
ÿ Another device that will surely be handy as it comes into more widespread use could be called the drip chip. Engineers in Germany are developing electronic sensors that turn on your windshield wipers when it starts raining--in case you didn't notice or your free hand was holding your nose because your car didn't have a nose chip. "I think the Germans have too much free time on their hands," Frank sniffs.
ÿ Even the oil dipstick is becoming electronic, using sensors to check the oil level from inside the vehicle, Frank says. Operating or repairing today's cars doesn't require a degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but familiarity with electronic engineering and computer science is a plus.
ÿ Because in the future, the technician will be able to hook the vehicle up to a computer, punch up the World Wide Web and download software that will make the engine and transmission perform like a Formula 1 race car, according to C.D. Tam, senior vice president of Motorola's Transportation Systems Group. When the teenager wants to borrow the wheels, the engine can be programmed to act more like a family car. Then again, maybe the kid will be the only one who can figure it out.
ÿ But the price for this software--expected to be several thousand dollars--will have to come down, Tam says. And the engine will have to be capable of performing like a race car, so you can't become the next Emerson Fittipaldi with a computer, Internet access and an old Yugo.
ÿ Internet availability in cars may become as ubiquitous as AM-FM radio. Microsoft Corp. recently announced it's coming out with a personal computer platform that brings new meaning to its advertisement tagline "Where do you want to go today?"
ÿ Called the AutoPC, the device will allow drivers to use voice commands to access personal information and driving directions, as well as e-mail, paging and traffic alerts. It also will allow hands-free operation of a digital audio system, AM-FM radio and a compact-disc player. Interactive speech technology will become a common way for people to interact with their cars, said Craig Mundle, senior vice president of Microsoft's consumer platforms division.
ÿ If that's not enough, AutoPC allows for a variety of upgrades, such as cellular phone integration and enhanced navigation, wireless data and vehicle diagnostics. Microsoft said it will begin delivering the devices to original equipment manufacturers in July.
ÿ The platform, based on Microsoft's Windows CE operating system and Intel Corp.'s microprocessors, is supported by a slew of electronics vendors and automakers, including Ford Motor Co., Nissan Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG.
ÿ Daimler-Benz AG, parent of Mercedes-Benz, also has developed a car that within 10 years would fully integrate the Internet, multimedia, wireless communications and speech recognition. This would allow drivers to check on traffic conditions, stock quotes and sports scores and use in-vehicle navigation services.
ÿ The Mercedes E420 concept car wouldn't leave out passengers, either. With multimedia screens in the backs of the front headrests, passengers would be able to play video games and cruise the Net. In addition, the center armrest in front has a slot for a personal device like an electronic organizer or smart card to let the driver bring in personal information and preferences, such as electronic calendars and bookmarks for Internet services. From the car, information can be updated and synchronized with the home or office.
ÿ Daimler envisions the day when ".car" becomes an Internet domain name, similar to ".com" or ".gov." But if you have a problem with all those people who gab on their cellular telephones while driving, you may not want to think about what will happen when drivers start surfing the Internet while barreling down the highway at 80 miles per hour.
ÿ The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which recently confirmed suspicions that drivers gabbing on cellular phones can cause accidents, is worried about what will happen when the information superhighway hits the road.
ÿ "A number of intelligent transportation system initiatives intended to improve the highway safety and efficiency, are, in fact, focusing on increasing such information availability," NHTSA said in its report on wireless communications in vehicles. But the report adds that leaves NHTSA concerned that this may overload the driver.
ÿ Baloney, say proponents of high-tech cars. "The technology available--radar, in-vehicle navigation systems, sensors--could reduce the cost of traffic accidents by about 17 percent, or $26 billion a year," says Harry Voccola, chairman of Washington, D.C.-based ITS America (which is overseeing intelligent vehicle projects) and senior vice president of Navigation Technologies Inc. in Rosemont.
ÿ A good navigation system, for example, could increase safety by allowing the driver to keep her eyes on the road instead of looking at a map, says Paul Mehring, director and president of Daimler-Benz Research and Technology Center, a unit of Daimler-Benz North America Corp.in Palo Alto, Calif.
ÿ Once everything is electronically connected, power, safety, comfort and multimedia components will be able to "talk" to each other. Computerized cars will be so intelligent, they'll be able to correct drivers' mistakes, to automatically slow down on turns or when following another car too closely, Mehring says.
ÿ "The car of the future is a fully programmed beast," says Mehring. "People aren't aware how much these microcontrollers are doing for them. If we were to switch them off, you're back to the physical frame and motor."
ÿ Other semiconductor applications coming on line in the next few years promise to improve safety, increase performance and relieve many of the traffic flow and environmental problems often associated with the transportation infrastructure.
ÿ Texas Instruments Inc. in Dallas expects electronics to replace hydraulic steering and braking systems in the next five years. That would increase fuel economy by as much as 10 percent, make steering and brake systems more reliable and eliminate the environmental problem of trying to dispose of hydraulic fluid, says Rod Trautman, Texas Instruments' worldwide automotive marketing manager.
ÿ Powering these systems are digital signal processors, or DSP, chips. These are high-speed chips that process audio, video and complex math equations more efficiently than general-purpose microprocessors. DSPs are also the "brains" behind computer modems, digital videodisc players, cellular phones and other communications devices.
ÿ "They haven't been able to do this in the past, because they didn't have the signal processors to do complex motor control," says Trautman. "We're enabling them to do the controls that make the whole system more cost effective than a hydraulic system."
ÿ Texas Instruments, the leading maker of DSP chips, also is heavily involved in developing the next generation of anti-lock brakes. In addition to stopping a car in a straight line, this technology will provide vehicle stability when the car is spinning out. ABS II will be introduced on high-end vehicles in Europe next year and should make it on U.S. cars a year or so later, Trautman says.
ÿ OK, safety features are great. But what about comfort? As technology and automotive integration increases, it's possible that sometime in the early 21st Century, cars will drive themselves and people can just surf the Internet, teleconference or play Doom. Better yet, maybe folks can just take a nap until they arrive at their destinations. Road rage will become a thing of the past.
ÿ Schaumburg-based Motorola, the leading provider of semiconductor products to the global automotive industry, sees voice recognition and digital audio broadcast technologies bringing together many high-tech solutions like in-vehicle navigation to turn cars into interactive multimedia systems in three to five years. While the car is an extension of lifestyles, it's becoming even more personalized.
ÿ Europeans have embraced digital audio broadcast technology, which allows drivers to use their radios to get up-to-the-minute traffic conditions, download maps and customize their stereos to subscribe to radio stations from other parts of the country. For example, a classical music fan could program his radio to pick up stations playing Bach, Beethoven and Brahms from thousands of miles away.
GRAPHIC: Computing on the go; The average car has about 10 computers: Air bags (1-2), radio (1-2),instrument cluster (1), powertrain (1-2), cruise control (1), anti-lock brakes (1-2) and body control (1). A high-end vehicle can have up to 80 computers. Electronically controlled automotive systems are increasing every year. With every safety and comfort need there is a computer to apply the solution. Listed below are some examples for computer applications today and tomorrow.; -Driver information; -Powertrain; -Body control; -Chassis; -Suspension system; -Anti-lock brakes; -Voice command; -Safety/security |
