Taipei AMPA, AutoTronics Innovation Awards Highlight Market Trends

The Innovation Awards are always one of the key activities associated with the annual Taipei International Auto Parts & Accessories Show (Taipei AMPA) and Taipei International Automobile Electronics Show (AutoTronics Taipei), a dual-format event that has become one of the world's most important trade fairs for the automotive components industry.

Winners of the Taipei AMPA Innovation Awards and the AutoTronics Taipei Innovation Awards are selected by a jury made up of key industry experts.

According to Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), which organizes both the shows and the awards contest, the 2010 AMPA Innovation Awards received 56 entries from which six winners--three each for the car component and car accessory categories-were chosen. In the car components segment, both Just Auto Accessories Co. and Big Time Auto Parts Mfg. Co. were awarded for their innovative designs of daytime running lights.

The three winners of 2010 AutoTronics Innovation Awards beat out fierce competition. ALViS Technologies' Laser Scanning heads-up display (HUD) and Funtoro's media-on-demand (MOD) BUS infotainment system won awards in the end-product category; in the car components category, the winner was Fujitsu Microelectronics Pacific Asia's Graphic Display Controller (GDC) Ruby MB86298.

Winners of 2010 Taipei AMPA & AutoTronics Innovation Awards
Award	Category	Winner	Product
AutoTronics Innovation Award	Components	Just Auto	TOYOTA YARIS LED Daytime running light
		Chu Hung Oil Seal	e-Barrier
		Big Time	BT-420 daytime running/position light
	Accessories	Defend Group	Electromechanical Anti-theft System
		Chuan Jiing	Manual Extract/Discharge Pump
		ABEO	Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror
AMPA Innovation Award	Finished Product	ALViS	Laser Scanning Head-Up Display
		Funtoro	MOD BUS
	Component	Fujitsu Microelectronics Pacific Asia Ltd., Taiwan Branch	GDC (Graphic Display Controller) Ruby MB86298

AMPA Innovation Awards

Energy-saving LED DRL for Toyota Yaris

The Just Auto Accessories Co.'s energy-saving LED DRL for the Toyota Yaris sub-compact car uses 0.07W LEDs as its lighting source and consumes just 6W of power. Compared to traditional DRLs that consume an average of about 55W, Just Auto's product provides an energy saving of up to 90% of energy while lasting as long as 10,000 hours.

Just Auto reports that the local assembler of Toyota cars in Taiwan will begin using its DRLs on the 2010 New Yaris, and that more DRLs for other Toyota models will be launched in the future.

BT-420 Daytime Running/Indicator Light

Big Time's BT-420 Daytime Running/Indicator Light serves a two-fold purpose, acting as a DRL and/or position-indicating light. The DRL function is turned on automatically when a car's engine is started, as a warning to pedestrians and vehicles to avoid accidents. At night the brightness of the LED automatically dims to one-tenth compared to the daytime brightness, and the light turns into a position indicator. The BT-420 is also very energy-efficient, using super-white 1W 6,000k high-power LEDs.

Next-generation Truck/Trailer Wheel-hub Oil Seal

The Chu Hung Oil Seals Industrial Co. (CHO) won for its new-generation wheel-hub oil seal model for truck and trailer applications. The company explains that the new product features a multiple-labyrinth anti-dust design that innovatively and effectively prevents dust and mud from entering wheel hubs. The low-resistance design provides very easy installation; bare hands alone will suffice. The low-wear spacer not only lowers oil consumption but also extends product life.

Electromechanical Anti-theft System

In the auto-accessory category, the Defend Group Co. took the honors for its electromechanical anti-theft system which combines a mechanical gear lock with radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor switch.

Once activated, the mechanical structure prevents gears from being shifted. The system housing is made of aluminum alloy, and the "stealthy installation" of the system takes up little space and requires no hole drilling. Once the lock is activated, the gear box will be locked up to make gear shifting impossible despite any application of brute force, power loss, or electric shock.

Manual Extract/Discharge Pump

The Chuan Jiing Enterprise Co.'s innovative manual extract/discharge pump doesn't run on electricity but uses a positive/negative vacuum-pressure mechanism to take on the task of extracting and discharging oil/fluid. The product is equipped with a two-way pressure meter and is capable of automatically venting pressure for safety reasons. The pipe recoil design with pull rings and turn wheels enables the product to work in all kinds of environments.

Anti-Glare Rear-View Mirror

The anti-glare rear-view mirror specialist ABEO Technology Co. uses the most advanced liquid crystal display (LCD) technology to wipe out glare literally in a split second--0.5 seconds, to be exact, which is 10 times faster than other products currently on the market. The award-winning ADM-100C has a smart circuit control system that enables it to change the reflection rate according to how strong the glare is. Drivers who have different needs can also adjust it manually.

AutoTronics Innovation Awards

Innovative Head-up Display (HUD)

ALViS Technologies Inc.'s Head-up Display (HUD) system can show high-definition moving pictures on transparent materials. By integrating all sorts of on-the-road information and projecting it onto the windshield, this innovative product enable drivers to keep their heads up and eyes on the road as they scan real-time information. The great features of this product have won over brand-name carmakers in Europe and Japan, as well as auto-electronics distributors in the U.S., who are preceding with a series of cooperative development plans with ALViS.

Mounted Multiple-Screen Multi-Media-on-Demand Interactive Entertainment System

Funtoro Inc., a subsidiary of information technology (IT) leader Micro-Star International Co. (MSI), was honored for its car-mounted multiple-screen multi-media-on-demand interactive entertainment system, dubbed the MOD BUS. One main unit supports up to 54 car-mounted screens, so each passenger can enjoy the privacy of having his or her own choice of audio-visual entertainment ranging from satellite TV, video footage, and games to DVD/VCD/CD; if necessary the choice can be expanded to include such value-added application services as advertising elements, e-commerce, and market surveys. The touch-control screen design, intuitive visual control of all functions, and ability to allow video users to fast-forward, back up, pause, and playback, make the product very popular among European and Japanese tour-bus operators.

All New Graphic Display Controller (GDC)

Fujitsu Microelectronics Pacific Asia was recognized with an award for its all-new MB86298 all Graphic Display Controller (GDC) for use with such new-generation telematics entertainment products as navigation systems and digital dashboards.

As the number of electronic devices found in a car keeps rising, demand is also rising for multiple-image displays. The MB86298 can process up to four input video streaming and output videos for four display units. It can also process, on a real-time basis, content transmitted by four cameras installed around the car perimeter and have the images synthesized. To support the auto-navigation 3D mapping function, the MB86298 offers image resolution of up to 1600 x 600 pixels, allowing for richer and more accurate renderings of roads, structures, and landscapes. The MB86298 comes with a built-in OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration function, making it easier to set up an in-car entertainment environment. (May 2010)