Dec 29
Le Sommeil (Salvador Dali, 1937)

Propping Up PLM

By PLM No Comments

Why Are Companies Creating Uber-PLM Environments?

“Engineering Cockpit”, “Product Development Dashboard”, “Product Management Environment”, these are but a few actual names of integrated product lifecycle management environments developed by product companies on top of their standard off-the-shelf PLM software. Typically, these are a blend of customizations, integrations, and software add-ons, touted as a better and more comprehensive way to give design engineers a complete view of product information.

Is something wrong here? Isn’t a complete and up to date view of a design information the promise of PLM? Weren’t we told that the PLM system is THE system of record and represent the only version of the truth? Read More

Dec 24
Connected Car Challenge

Connected Car Enthusiast? Inventor? Hacker? We’ve Got a Challenge for You!

By Automotive, Autonomous, Connected, Electric, Shared Vehicles One Comment

We’ve Got a Challenge (and $10,000) for You

SAE International is the world’s largest professional association of over 128,000 automotive and aerospace engineers worldwide.

The Vehicle IoT Committee of SAE is inviting you to participate in a Connected Car Challenge.

During the Challenge, participants will propose, build and demonstrate an innovative connected-vehicle device, system, or application that demonstrates how vehicle connectivity can contribute to improving mobility, quality of life of individuals and communities, and the environment.

Finalists will be invited to present their innovation at WCX: an annual gathering of over 12,000 automotive executives and practitioners in Detroit, MI, on April 12, 2018. The winners will be selected by a panel of judges and will receive substantial cash awards:

  • First Prize: $10,000 cash award
  • Second Prize: $5,000 cash award
  • Third Prize: $3,000 cash award

Read More

Dec 22
Doctor and Boy Looking at Thermometer (Norman Rockwell, 1954)

Your Car Is Not your Wallet; And It Isn’t Your Health Monitor Either

By Automotive, Autonomous, Connected, Electric, Shared Vehicles, Telematics No Comments

From time to time I review technical papers on mobility topics that range from artificial intelligence in autonomous driving to future mobility models.

Earlier today, I reviewed a paper describing a driver health monitoring system. The concept has been proposed in the past in various forms of sensors built into the steering wheel, the seat cushion or the back rest to monitor the driver’s vital signs and detect signs of stress or an impending heart attack or a stroke.

Setting aside the technical challenges in implementing such a system—which are numerous—my view of a health monitoring system built into car is similar to my point of view expressed in a previous blog post, in which I discuss vehicle-based payment applications. Read More

Dec 19
Dollar Sign (Andy Warhol, 1982)

Automakers are Wrong: Your Car Is NOT Your Wallet

By Automotive, Autonomous, Connected, Electric, Shared Vehicles, Internet of Things (IoT), Telematics One Comment

A  Forbes article titled Your Car Is Your Wallet: Connected Cars And The Future Of Fintech describes a not-so-distant future in which you zip through toll booths, refuel—or recharge, as the case may be—your car, pick up an order at your favorite drive-through restaurant, or park your car, all without having to rummage through your wallet for cash or a credit card.

These and copious other conveniences offered by connected cars are quickly becoming a reality. Automakers incorporate a growing number of payment applications directly in the car’s infotainment system, offering simplicity, convenience, and added safety of mobile payments directly from the vehicle.

Automakers and fintech pundits alike use the phrase “your car is your wallet” to describe this idea. It is intriguing and convincing, for sure. But it’s also out of alignment with consumer habits and expectations. Read More