SEMA and AAPEX Show

2018 SEMA REPORT OUT

2018 SEMA show was disappointed as there was limited technology features on display. SEMA 2018 key target market seems to be Chassis, Power Train and Suspension upgrades for aftermarket off road enthusiasts only. The other area was tools and vehicle repair / paint shop products. Even the New Products Showcase had essentially upgraded standard products.

There seemed to be very little or no features showcased for the 150 million current vehicle owners with vehicles under 5 years old who want to integrate comfort convenience and IoT features into their vehicles. Technology emphasis on upgraded interior products was almost nil.

Few examples of product enhancement showcased could be upgraded through technology innovations that can become true differentiators.

Design HMI will try to work with these product suppliers next 12 months, if of interest to them.

Contact designhmi@gmail.com if you need technology support. Design HMI uses the core knowledge accumulated to help complete application design for your Interiors Innovation with business case which the OE / Tier 1 can take forward to production design and validation.

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2017 SEMA/APPEX REPORT OUT

The 2017 SEMA show showcased limited to no technology innovations on display for Automotive Interiors and next generation Autonomous Vehicles mind set. The concentration was entirely on standard vehicle upgrades for rims, wheels, chassis and high-performance engine upgrades. There was also vehicle repair and workshop related displays.

The important point to note that these were all traditional products overall indistinguishable from 2016 or earlier years. Beautifully updated vehicles as is the case in all SEMA shows – again no real difference or basically repeat of earlier years shows.

Even the displays by major NA OE’s was undisguisable from earlier years. What was disappointing that both GM and Ford accessory products were minimal to nil – and no real value add for the car buyer. In today’s world of innovation SEMA was a contradiction with minimal to no innovation.

It was essentially a trade show to sell or find buyers for 2015 level products.

Below are a few which have potential but need major additions to make them truly value add for car owners globally.

All the products listed show promise to integrate electronics and feature content that can enhance value for customer.

Car Tablet Holder: Mountable to most headrest poles with 360-degree rotation or tilt up and down adjusts to the comfortable angle.

                                                                                                                               Rear Seat Folding Table: Folding table for rear seat with height and angle adjustment, fold-out drinks holder with an elegant chrome ring. Can load up to max. 5 KGS and with extend support holder, is easy to install on the car backseat.

Keyless Entry: A keyless entry system that operates through electro-static touch technology that uses its own microprocessors for added security. They are designed to operate in temperatures ranging from -22 degrees to 176 degrees. Best is that it is easily installed on the interior side of your windshield, yet can be accessed from the outside.

 

Car Camera: With upgrades could be ideal for autonomous cars as security upgrade and in taxis and cabs.

 

High Mount / HUD Displays: While these are slowing being integrated into NA Vehicles high-quality HUD’s were on display. Again, lighting intensity must be 1000 Nits or higher to have value during morning hours.

High End Digital Cluster Displays: Supports Can Bus interface (for vehicle diagnostics), 2D/3D OpenGL 2.0 hardware acceleration, IPS (in-plane-switching) wide viewing angle, TFT technology, and LVDS Video input and other feature adds.

New OE Fit Radios with 12.1-inch screens for Ford and Dodge Trucks

Connected Car Technology: Connects your smart phone to your car and your car to the Cloud. Plug and play system set up in under two minutes. Also allows a user to lock/unlock car doors, detect malfunctions, send alerts to other drivers, and increases your car’s security and fuel efficiency.

 

Hand Free Bluetooth Speaker: Designed for aftermarket allowing you to talk on the cell phone.

Has built-in high intelligent microphone with DSP echo cancellation delivers crystal clear sound and rechargeable 1000mA Lithium Battery, up to 20 hours talk time and standby 6 weeks

Support iPhone Siri function with built-in motion sensor for Auto On & Off, when device is not in use to save battery life.

Hand Crafted Steering Wheel: The Patent Pending ergonomically shaped to give full control of the wheel for all types of drivers. Ideal for adding feature content.

BLU TPMS Will monitor both the Pressure and Temperature of vehicle tires with external (D.I.Y.) IP Addressable O.E.M. Grade Low Energy Blue Tooth Sensors. All this information is then reported in the free App for IOS or Android devices, including push notifications that tire pressure is low or temp out of parameters, no dedicated display required.

Wireless Back-up Camera & Sensor System: Again, a feature that is almost common on all new cars. However, the wireless adaptation allows you to add more back up cameras linking them to LCD screen rear view mirror that is power adjusted. Device can be calibrated and with adjustable camera angle with automatic activation when in reverse and comes with waterproof license plate holder including long lasting replaceable battery life of up to 4 years

For more information contact designhmi@gmail.com

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2016 SEMA/APPEX REPORT OUT

As always the SEMA and AAPEX show was impressive though like last years and before the emphasis was more on performance cars, upgrading engine performance, vehicle exteriors, auto body repair & exterior enhancements and body shop repair technology.

There were a few innovations in HMI Products for Interiors and Exterior as mentioned below.

Wireless Charging: MITO FLI Charge being crowd funder through Indiegogo campaign is a wireless charging system for cars and other transportation vehicles.

It is designed to charge multiple devices simultaneously. Design HMI is working on wireless charging concept integrated into rear seat arm rest based on different technology using multiple charging coils to charge multiple devices.

Another version for Wireless Charging is from SFORAUTO and FCA US are also shown below.

Interior Chrome Finish Door Pulls like the ones from GOOLSBY that can be substantially improved with electronic controls and sensors.

Other accessories for exterior like from King Accessories were very impressive but these are still static decorative accessories only. With technology, we can add feature to these beautiful accessories to bring greater value to the owners.

Composites also are enhancing feature content so making this into smart surfaces should be the next challenge.

Another common interior value add are decorative carpets like the one shown below from Lloyd Mats for both Ford and Cadillac.

Again, adding feature content to these decorative mats would be great – though smart mats will need to go little beyond just adding lighting. Again, technology feature adds needs to be protected from dirt and water ingress that is always a challenge in that area.

Sondpex Sun visor Bluetooth Speaker Phone wirelessly connects to smart phone with A2DP function, play music or GPS instructions from your mobile phones. It comes with built-in high intelligent microphone and powerful speaker and noise and echo suppression. It comes with rechargeable battery. This innovation can be integrated into other areas in the vehicle like rear seats.

Another interesting product was the SnapRest® patented armrest and others for more enjoyable driving by providing ideally positioned cushioning to rest your arm. Installs in seconds without use of tools. Again, Nano Heating can be added to this with PCM cooling.

Another interesting product at AAPEX Innovation section was the Hopkins Endurance Easy-Pull trailer tow connector.

In the AAPEX new products section motion actuated Striker TRiLIGHT for your garage lighting was also a great new product capable of 3000 lumens of light and as easy to install as a light bulb.

This innovation was also funded through crowdfunding sight – Kickstarter.

There are few hundred global suppliers of TPMS Sensors and they all essentially exhibit same basic product at all Auto Expos. Surprisingly none so far has made use of energy harvesting TPMS technology that have found to eliminate the battery and extend sensor product life.

Some technologies like piezoelectric effect are being looked at the progress is very slow and does not seem to have much OE interest. Interesting work done by Infineon, SINTEF and Vestfold University has had some success. You may contact Thomas.Herndl@infineon.com for more information on this.

Design HMI LLC had also done some development work with CYMBET in 2015 but as there was no traction with automotive OE like Ford the exercise was stopped.

A typical TPMS system consists of a battery powered wireless sensor, as part of the tire, and a remote receiver to collect sensor data, such as pressure and temperature. Advantages of incorporating energy harvesting are substantial.

Omnivue®360 Passenger configured system offering the safety of a surround view to any regular shaped, single chassis vehicle. The virtual ‘bird’s-eye’ image is displayed alongside the view from one of the individual cameras, as determined by the maneuver being executed.

Powerful mini car jump starters like the one from GULEN were also on display. It is a small emergency charger features 400 peak amps and even more and includes clamps and cable. The Compact jump starter also has a 12V outlet to power 12V appliances. It can serve as a mobile power bank for quick charging for various electronic devices like laptop (19V), cellphone (5V), Camera, 12-volt portable appliance and so on and come with Convenient USB port, 4 LED indicators and High efficiency of power conversion rate.

PROTRULY VISION night vision safety systems was another interesting innovation display. Similar ones are going to be standard features in more car lines in the years to come.

It incorporates low-light imaging technology to increase driver’s perception and visual distance in low light conditions far beyond the reach of the vehicle’s headlights. System designed to give drivers more time to take action on any potential danger and makes driving at night much safer.

Designed with APP control to view, record and control with your smartphone.