DIRECT CONTACT
Mitchell 1’s new MessageCenter texting app that allows shop owners to text message customers directly, is now available in Canada.With MessageCenter auto repair shops can reach out to their customers right away with two-way text messaging directly from inside the Manager SE shop management system. This app eliminates roadblocks such as calls going to voicemail or emails that go to an address that the customer may not check on a daily basis. The MessageCenter app is an optional add-on to the Manager SE system.
NEW SENSOR
Tesla is seeking approval for a new sensor that will prevent children from becoming trapped in hot cars by implementing a new vehicle sensor that could also be used for theft-prevention, Reuters reported. The automaker has requested the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approve the use of unlicensed millimeter-wave sensors which would operate at higher power levels than existing rules allow.
The short-range motion-sensing interactive devices would use four transmit and three receive antennas, along with radar that would provide a number of benefits over camera-based or existing occupant detection systems.Tesla says the radar in the sensor provides depth perception and can see through soft materials, such as a blanket covering a child. To help prevent false alarms, the automaker says it can differentiate between a child and an object, as well as detect breathing rates and heart patterns.
‘TOUCHLESS’ TOUCHSCREENS
Touchscreens are a “new normal” in new cars, as auto manufacturers shift from traditional dials and buttons to a more technology-based way of controlling a vehicle. Now, however, a new technology developed by Jaguar Land Rover and the University of Cambridge may mean physically touching a display could also become a thing of the past.
The technology called ‘predictive touch’, allows for contactless interaction with a vehicle’s touchscreen, as a series of sensors and artificial intelligence will predict your hand movements towards the display. Jaguar Land Rover says that ‘predictive touch’ can reduce touchscreen use by up to 50%, keeping the driver’s eyes on the road for longer. There are not yet studies as to how well this technology works, as similar technology has appeared in smartphones, but none of them have proved more effective than simply physically touching the display.
UBER CHARGES
A Phoenix, Arizona woman has been charged with negligent homicide as a result of a fatal collision involving her autonomous vehicle while she was driving for Uber. Rafaela Vasquez pleaded not guilty to the charge that has found her to be criminally responsible for the death of 52-year-old Elaine Herzberg from Tempe, Arizona.
Data provided by Hulu showed that Vasquez had been watching TV instead of monitoring the course of her self-driving car just minutes before the incident that claimed Herzberg’s life.Uber was able to reach a settlement with the victim’s family in 2018, avoiding any criminal liability on the company’s part.
I-CAR’S ADAS LIBRARY
I-CAR’s U.S. branch has created an online free library in order to provide collision repair professionals with up to date information on topics, trends and industry insights. I-CAR’s advanced driver-assistance systems resource (ADAS) library will provide a “Crash Course,” in ADAS growth, “Business Tools and Tips,” a “Driving the Conversation” panel: How ADAS is affecting the collision repair industry today and tomorrow, and much, much more.
This new library will provide the industry with information on any rapid changes as well as providing exclusive insights and solutions. “The resource is another way I-CAR can share its expertise in ADAS collision repair, and its neutrality in bringing together voices from OEMs, suppliers, insurers, and others within the inter-industry, to tackle the challenges of today’s ADAS repair while preparing us for what’s ahead,” wrote Jerry Peevy, I-CAR U.S. vice president of technical products, programs and services.
TACTILE TRAFFIC
Tactile Mobility and BMW have announced that software from Israel’s Tactile Mobility will be included in BMW’s next generation of vehicles beginning in 2021. The idea behind the collaboration is to equip vehicles with the ability to analyze the road surface attributes under their tires, enabling detection of road conditions. Tactile Mobility is known for its software that uses vehicle’s non-visual sensors such as wheel speed, wheel angle, RPM and gear position to assist smart and autonomous vehicles to pick up on road dynamics and conditions.
Tactile Mobility extracts data from existing built-in sensors, such as wheel speed, brakes paddle position and additional systems, and utilizes the data to create a new unified signal that represents the state of the road and vehicle. For example, when driving over an icy road, a car camera does not detect the ice, as the black ice resembles the road. The virtual sensor cleans up the background noise, and by using signal-processing techniques, applying its proprietary algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI), it enables the representation of the ground as it is.
