Taiwan Automotive Research Consortium (TARC) showcase AEV achievements

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.