TARC Showcases 21+1 Heavy-weight Autonomous & EV R&D Achievements in 2017 TAIPEI AMPA/AutoTronics Taipei Show
Major Exhibiting Themes--Intelligent & Electrified--are among focuses of these new technologies

One highlight in the 2017 TAIPEI AMPA / AutoTronics Taipei, the largest auto-parts show in Taiwan and a leading one of its kind in Asia, held from April 19-22, 2017 in Taipei, is the eye-catching technology R&D achievements showcased by Taiwan Automotive Research Consortium (TARC). This year, the major exhibiting themes of the “TARC Pavilion”, a 20-booth special zone located at L0618, 4F, Nangang Exhibition Center, are “Intelligent & Electrified”.

TARC, the most-important automotive-technology R&D platform in Taiwan, exhibited a total of 21 new technologies/products; plus the “Experiencing Autonomous Technology” reality demo, in the annual show. The “Experiencing Autonomous Technology” lets the general public on-site experience an autonomous vehicle equipped with homegrown ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) technologies onboard passing through 10 automated-driving circumstances. The Experiencing activity is hosted at the Nangang Exhibition Center MRT Station Exit, next to the show venue, during the full show period. The 10 ADAS technologies demonstrated is an clear indicator of the last mile before Taiwan’s mature capability in autonomous vehicle to be put on-road.

Eye-catching Exhibits to Draw Int’l Attentions

Statistics compiled by market research firm IHS showed that there will be a boom for autonomous vehicles in the period between 2025 and 2035, when annual global sales of such vehicles are forecasted to top some 21 million units.

TARC well-planned this year’s exhibiting themes, Intelligent & Electrified, for the TARC Pavilion, anticipating showcasing the “21+1” latest R&D achievements developed by consortium members, including Automotive Research and Testing Center (ARTC), Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC), Mechanical and System Research Laboratories (MSL) of Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Material and Chemical Research Laboratories (MCL) of ITRI, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), and their private-company partners.

Among these advanced technologies and products, several highlights draw intensive attentions from international visitors, such as the Vision Based Forward Object Detection System; Cooperative Vehicle Positioning System; Driver Simulator; Long-distance Floating Multi-screen HUD; Belt Starter Generator; Demonstration of Practical Operation of Cloud Real-Time Management Technology to Electric Vehicles; Lightweight Modular Vehicle Frame etc. In addition, the heavy-weight experiencing activity organized by ARTC is the first of its kind in Taiwan, letting the general public practically experience various homegrown ADAS technologies on an evolutionary-version autonomous vehicle.

TARC’s Vital Role
Joe Huang, TARC’s committee chairman and president of ARTC, notes that in conjunction with the rapid development and advancement of sensor fusion, deep neural networks for image recognition, connected vehicle etc. technologies, various electronics and assist systems are counting for an increasing higher share in a vehicle’s overall cost. Through the support from the Technology Development Program of Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT), Ministry of Economic Affairs, Huang continued, TARC has been devoting into promoting Taiwan’s vehicle-industry development and upgrading.

The automotive-technology R&D platform, he adds, has also been continuously integrating available resources in the government, academia, research institutes, and industry to promote related technology advancement; as well as striving to help local companies grab more lucrative business opportunities in the international market through technical/technological transfer (to private makers) and TARC’s global connections to the industry.

Huang stresses that he welcomes all global visitors to pay a visit to the TARC Pavilion for witnessing latest, heavy-weight R&D achievements developed by the industry alliance.

Must-see R&D Achievements at TARC Pavilion

At the TARC Pavilion, international visitors are invited to witness the latest intelligent and electrified technologies, including several highlighted exhibits below:

“Experiencing Autonomous Technology”
“Experiencing Autonomous Technology” is not a single exhibit, but a reality demo of Taiwan’s ongoing development of various autonomous-driving technologies. Sitting on an electric golf cart running at the demo ground, you can experience 10 circumstances of an autonomous vehicle, including: auto picking, lane following, intelligent human-machine interface, mobile-phone wireless charging, pedestrian detecting & autonomous emergency braking, lane changing, traffic-sign detecting, object detecting, auto parking and EV wireless charging.

Vision Based Forward Object Detection System
The vision (camera)-based Forward Object Detection System real-time detects front pedestrians, motorcycles and bicycles, other vehicles, and various types of obstacles etc.

Cooperative Vehicle Positioning System
A novel vehicle positioning system that integrates multiple positioning-enhancing systems to constitute the cooperative vehicle positioning technology, which can provide high-precision (within-30cm accuracy) and –stability information of different sensors to meet requirements from autonomous vehicles.

Driver Simulator
The simulator builds up the needed test circumstances and scenes for ADAS, including vehicle physics model and simulated signals of related interfaces, simulated control algorithms and models etc.; effectively shortening development time by 30% to 50%, as well as reducing costs for vehicle makers, while upgrading product-design reliability.

Long-distance Floating Multi-screen HUD
With the core laser micro projection technology and the innovative long-distance floating light-path design, all traffic information can be projected in front of the car windshield 2 meters away, reducing the risk of driver’s eye fatigue and distraction. The triple display of navigation map, AVM, and driving information can let the driver get all traffic information under the safeties condition.

Belt Starter Generator (BSG)
The BSG replaces the traditional engine alternator with an electric motor that serves as a generator and a starter motor; can simultaneously have the stop-start and power-assist functions and help cut 20% emission than traditional combustion-engine vehicles.

Demonstration of Practical Operation Of Cloud Real-Time Management Technology to Electric Vehicles
The technology is applied to real-time monitor in-operation medium- and low-speed EVs powered by used lithium batteries; indicating each in-operation EV’s battery-pack healthiness, residual mileage, location, system conditions, accumulated mileage etc.

Lightweight Modular Vehicle Frame
The aluminum-alloy light-weight platform structure can effectively cut vehicle weight and extend cruise range by 15% or more. It also features modularized design, slip joint concept etc. advanced advantages, and can be applied to the development of various types of vehicles.

All the above-mentioned exhibits in static or interactive demonstration, as well as many others, will be showcased under one roof once at the TARC Pavilion during the 2017 TAIPEI AMPA/AutoTronics Taipei show period. Don’t miss the chance to experience the coming of autonomous vehicle technologies!

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About Taiwan Automotive Research Consortium (TARC)

To promote Taiwan’s automotive industry development and strengthen international exchanges and cooperation, the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) urged four research institutes to establish the TARC in mid-2005. Currently, six members of the consortium are: Automotive Research and Testing Center (ARTC), Mechanical and System Research Laboratories (MSL) of Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Material and Chemical Research Laboratories (MCL) of ITRI, Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC), the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), and Hua-chuang Automobile Information Technical Center Co. Ltd. (HAITEC).

The TARC aims to establish an integrated platform for automotive technological R&D; help the domestic industry to set up concurrent engineering design platform through international cooperation and technology transfer; and work with local universities to train personnel to set up a platform for innovative research. In recent years, the TARC has been integrating major industrial research institutes and technologies to develop EVs and key systems, as well as advanced automotive-electronic systems.
 

The opening ceremony of the TARC Pavilion in the 2017 TAIPEI AMPA/AutoTronics Taipei show was attended by many VIPs, including this year’s host Joe Huang (fifth from right), TARC committee chairman and president of ARTC. (photo from TARC)

Lo Ta-sheng (second from left), Deputy Director General of DoIT, thumbs up to the homegrown autonomous vehicle developed by ARTC after on-site experiencing various autonomous-driving technologies onboard. (Photo from ARTC)

ARTC-developed Vision Based Forward Object Detection System can real-time detect front pedestrians, various vehicles, and types of obstacles for precisely grabbing the braking timing. (photo from ARTC)

The Cooperative Vehicle Positioning System can provide high-precision (within-30cm accuracy) and –stability information of different sensors to meet requirements from autonomous vehicles; as well as effectively analyze vehicle operation conditions. (photo from ARTC)

The Driver Simulator developed by ARTC can effectively shorten development time by 30% to 50%, as well as reduce costs for vehicle makers; while upgrading product-design reliability.
 

2017 TARC Achievement Showcase Video: