Special Feature

February 15, 2006
Gear yourself up for the race

Ujjwal K Dey

NEW DELHI -- In this day and age, we need an automobile that will act as a second office/home when required. IT has been playing a pivotal role in fulfilling the same, and contributing toward the communication part of the automobile segment, which allows the user to remain in touch with the office and home while he is on the move. This also helps in ensuring the safety of passengers while in an emergency through the global positioning system (GPS), which, when activated, helps the automobile to get tracked.

The users can also benefit from the convergence of voice, video and data while on move and can do business as usual. There are experts who have expressed their opinions on various issues pertaining to the contribution being made and still done by the IT-enabled services.

K.U. Subbaiah, managing director, Tyco electronics, while expressing his views on the role played by IT in the automotive segment, said: “ In recent times, the role was vital as most automotive systems and sub-systems were controlled by electronics to achieve optimum performance, greater safety levels, enhance telematics and diagnostic (identification of faulty sub-systems).”

Commenting on the OEMs position, Mike Frichol, vice president of global industry, marketing for Discrete Manufacturing Group, Infor, said: “As OEMs demand ever greater efficiencies from suppliers, these manufacturers must rely on technology to automate their processes, increase reliability of shipments, avoid maintaining excess inventory, reduce cost and make the entire supply chain visible through electronic and online communications.”

Commenting on the contributions made by IT in the automotive segment, Atul Arora, president, ARM Embedded Technologies India, added: “T he application of IT has moved beyond just computing. The automotive segment has been helped greatly by the application of IT at different stages of design and development of the automobile. Ever since IT has been adopted in the automotive segment, it has helped immensely in advancing the safety parameters and providing better comfort and overall passenger experience.”

He also stated: “The CAD-CAM systems have helped in designing cars with low drag coefficient, thereby reducing fuel consumption. Automotive electronics has been a key factor in boosting auto sales in the developed countries.”

“IT-enabled solutions play a key role in the product development process in the automotive industry, IT-enabled solutions have enabled a paradigm shift from a physical product development process to virtual product development process shortening the development cycle time, improving time-to-market and drastically reducing development cost. Technologies (IT-enabled solutions) like CAD, CAM and CAE are the key enablers for virtual product development process,” pointed out Nelson Dias, managing director, Altair Engineering, South-East Asia.

“Whether the company is an OEM, a production supplier or part of the automotive aftermarket, IT has played a pivotal role in maintaining competitive edge in a world of demanding customers and multiple makes, models, components and parts. IT has enabled players in the automobile industry to differentiate their business in four critical areas: time to market, value chain visibility and collaboration, lean manufacturing and flexibility,” said Alok Tandon , c ountry manager, SSA Global Technologies.

Hi-tech for luxury, general category

Talking about various IT-enabled services,Subbaiah said: “P roducts range from satellite radio, GPS for navigation and pinpoint car's location, road traffic broadcasts, wireless voice and data communication, cruise control, parking/back-up warning and pre-crash warning. Currently, most of these systems are used only in high-end models. However, systems like automatic transmission using sensors technologies, engine performance control modules, fuel level/consumption rates and safety systems including airbags and ABS have been incorporated in the general category.” 

“In automotive production, we are turning to the Web and service-oriented architecture to give managers access to every step in the production and delivery process from anywhere in the world at any time. Information is being shared along the supply chain through Web-based solutions, and managers receive up-to-the-second data on the performance of their facilities by using applications that operate through the Internet,” added Frichol.

“Wi th the use of high performance computing for CAE applications, workload management and grid computing solutions have come into to the picture to effectively manage CAE applications and computer servers. T hese solutions are meant to improve efficiency and reduce cost and are used by all categories”, said Dias while commenting on some of the latest developments in the IT-enabled solutions for automotive.

Depending on artificial intelligence

Subbaiah put forward his point of view and also supplemented it with an example. “In critical applications where output from a system is fed, as inputs to other systems, there are redundant electronic circuits, which ensure backup. For example, brake switch sensor signals are used for functions like tail lamp, engine management system, ABS system, etc. Here the electronic circuits are built with redundancy. In a few systems, the basic function is granted at all times with display mentioning that the system is not functioning at optimum level.”

“We are focused on providing business intelligence to our customers, arming them with the real-time data they need to make much faster business decisions to meet changing demands of the marketplace. With our solutions, they can quickly analyse opportunities and challenges through graphical displays and “dashboards” that provide a customised look at production data it is collected,” said Frichol.

“The brakes market is currently moving from standard ABS to integrated electronic braking system with ABS, ESP and brake assist functionalities. These systems are further evolving into a vehicle dynamics controller. Automotive safety systems are likely to be one of the fastest growing segments of the years to come. Using highly evolved IT-based body design tools, the automotive industry has gone over to designing the front end of the cars such that incase of an accident, the injury to pedestrians is as low as physically possible,” commented Arora.

Mobile phone while mobile

“In most countries, hands-free has become mandatory for the use of cell phone from within the car while driving. The speakers of the infotainment system are used for the call while an additional direction- microphone is positioned in the vicinity of the head of the driver/speaker. The mobile phones offer Dictaphone functionality and the GPS makes map reading redundant,” stated Arora.

Commenting on the security as well as quality of signals, Arora said: “The signals are as secure as the network of the mobile service provider. Since the tunnels and basements contain huge amounts of reinforced steel-concrete, they are impervious to radio signals. If the service providers integrate their system cells in these environments, the communication works well, else it breaks down. The longer tunnels have repeater cells placed at regular distances to maintain the signal strength. Mobile phones generally work well in basements.”

“With convergence, the user has one interface for multi-functions. This makes the system compact and easy.  Bluetooth is used in cars and is accessible on move,” said Subbaiah.

Fighting challenges finding opportunities

Dwelling upon the challenges and opportunities for the automotive sectorin India as well as globally, Subbaiah said: “To cover the technology gap between western automotives and current Indian vehicles is both a challenge as well as an opportunity for India. Integration of technology will need establishment of adequate testing and validation facilities. Also to facilitate advance communication technologies, infrastructure will be needed.”

Frichol believes that the automotive manufacturers must operate globally to be competitive. India is a burgeoning market and a valuable resource for everything from help desks to Web services. The greatest challenge is for India to work with outsourcing companies to avoid backlash from the domestic labor force that could sway legislators and public opinion.

“This is a challenge and an opportunity in at the same time. Obviously, there is plenty scope for innovation and growth in this space. The Indian automobile industry is on a fast track, 2004 saw India surpassing the one million figure in passenger vehicles with exports touching US $1 billion. With greater application of IT and a growing demand for a richer infotainment and safer travel experience in automobiles, we see good opportunity in the Indian automotive segment for growth – both in terms of quantity and quality”, elaborated Arora.

The awareness and acceptance level is much higher in the developed countries as compared to India. Diaspointed out that this is one the challenges currently faced, however this is fast changing and gaining acceptance. “IT-enabled product development process has opened up a whole new opportunity in the form of engineering outsourcing to cost effective countries like India.”

Rolling down the street: India vis-à-vis the world

Indian automakers are growing fast in terms of knowledge and implementation of technology. The increasing market potential of export, combined with the entry of global players in India, provided an impetus to this movement. Subbaiah pointed out: “We must concede that as compared to global high-end vehicles, we still have a distance to cover. This is mainly due to the fact that the high-end market segment is still limited in India. As the volume of such segment grows, we will definitely see an upswing in technology present in automotives manufactured in India.”

“India is squarely in the center of the global economy, and the Indian automobile community has every opportunity to leverage some of the world’s most sophisticated technology and accelerate the adoption of best practices. The next few years for this industry in India will be crucial to solidifying its position in the worldwide automotive marketplace, and its penchant for rapidly adopting technology is a good foundation for its future”, believes Frichol.

“In areas such as pollution control, even the small Indian cars have MPFI systems to help control the Co 2 and NOX contents of the exhaust. However, the much larger two and three wheeler segment could do much more than it has done up till this point in time to help control pollution. In other areas such as body and chassis control, infotainment and safety systems, Indian companies are a few steps behind the global companies,” stated Arora.

IT-enabled future for automotive sector

Subbaiah seemed optimistic on the future of the IT-enabled services in the automotive sector. He commented: “Future for embedded software’s, communications and various IT-enabled electronics products in automotive is looking bright. The main growth in the future will come through these areas as the norms will become stringent and also the driver comfort and convenience will gain importance.”

Frichol believes that the automobiles are becoming entertainment centers and living rooms. “They already are heavily equipped with wired and wireless technology. Future systems already under develop ensure technology in vehicles will evolve to even more wireless capability, multiple streams of information, new methods of display, GPS systems that also serve as media players and traffic advisers, drive-by-wire systems, and other advanced capabilities.”

“As the computing power of embedded systems grows in the electronics content, the automotive industry will set to take off to the next level. Drive-by-wire system will replace the heavy mechanical steering system, replacing it with electronic-controlled electro-motors”, pointed out Arora.