Taiwan Manufacturers Take a Leading Role in the Development of Advanced Auto Security Systems

Backed by a strong electronics industry, Taiwan plays a major role in the global auto security market

Driverless vehicles are expected to be on the roads within 10 years, thanks to technological innovation, their computerized brains smart enough to use satellite signals to navigate. Auto security systems, by then, should be mature enough to help cars negotiate streets and highways, spot obstacles, and avoid collisions—all without human intervention.

Taiwan is playing a major role in the world's market for autonomous auto security, thanks to the banking of its strong electronics industry.

Tech-Cast
Tech-Cast Mfg. Co., one of Taiwan's top suppliers of auto security products, was established 23 years ago and since then has gradually shifted its business model from after-market sales to OEM production. This change reflects the trend toward security devices becoming standard equipment in transportation vehicles.

The company recently signed contracts with Japan's Nissan and Toyota for the OEM production of auto security devices for the next three years, and with several Chinese brands including FAW-VW, Chery, and Xiali. “OEM production now accounts for 50-60% of our business,” reported Jessica Chou, the company's vice president.

“Tech-Cast started setting up China-based production lines in 1994,” Chou noted, “and our China business has quickly expanded with the fast-growing market there.” In her eyes, China's auto makers are keen to adopt new technology products, and this seems to promise plenty of business opportunities for producers of the auto security products that consumers will increasingly demand.

“The market is very strict about the safety standards of auto security products,” she said. “All of our products should pass international safety testing, and a non-certified auto security product can hardly win the trust of consumers.”

Tech-Cast provides a full line of auto security products including central lockers, DVR surveillance, parking sensors, and lane departure warming systems. The company's new monitor model, an all-angle monitoring system designed especially for use on big trucks, helps to avoid collisions or sideswipes with vehicles in the next lane. With four camera sets on the front, rear, right, and left sides, the all-angle monitoring system is a great help to truck driver by reducing the difficulty of observing adjacent vehicles in the “dead zones.”

To keep fully abreast of new technology and know-how, Chou sometimes joins the company's R&D staff in carrying out product design. One fruit of their labors is the DVR Sak with embedded GPS; featuring a Swiss knife-shaped recorder, the DVR SAK supports up to four cameras and has a recording capacity of 5 hours.

Vision Automobile Electronics
The Vision Automobile Electronics Industrial Co., established in 1983, is one of the leading auto security device makers in Taiwan. President Wan Tien-bou founded the company because he saw great potential for the development of the market for auto security products and believed that his company could grow along with the market.

Growing out of a manufacturer of home security devices, Vision Automobile applied its security technology and experience to the development of a wide range of auto security products including wireless rearview camera system,, lane departure warning systems, parking assist systems, daytime running lights, vehicle reversing sensors, GSM alarm systems, two-way pagers, keypad immobilizers, power windows, central door locking systems, electronic mirrors, power trunk release devices, keyless entry systems, and immobilizers.

The company's VAE-730 Wireless Rearview Camera System uses 2.4 GHz digital transmission technology to transfer the rear image to the car's monitor when the driver is backing up. “It's easy and takes little time to install in the car, without interfering the car's electronics systems,” said Sara Wan, Vision's deputy manager. “It's suitable for all types of vehicles such as sedans, buses, trucks, trailers, and container trucks.”

The VAE-730 features a wide-angle IR camera which is able to provide perfect vision even on a dark night. Equipped with 2.4GHz wireless digital transmission, the system offers a real-time rear view within a transmission range of up to 100 meters.

The Lane Departure Warning System is another of the company's hot sellers, according to the deputy manager. This is a device designed to warn a driver when the vehicle begins to swerve out of its lane (unless a turn signal is on), minimizing accidents by addressing the main causes of collisions: driver error, distraction, and drowsiness.

“Some countries,” Ms. Wan comments, “have been thinking about making lane departure warning systems mandatory for all transportation vehicles because of safety concerns.”

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), for example, has begun studying the possibility of requiring lane departure warning systems, along with frontal collision warning systems, on all automobiles.

To help users simplify the installation of electronic security devices, Vision Automobile has introduced several combination models which integrate the functions of different devices into a single product. The VAE-760, for example, is a 3-in-1 device combining the functions of LDWS (lane departure warning systems), FCWS (forward collision warning systems), and PGS (parking guide systems). This device, Wan noted, “…not only provides a convenient choice (in terms of installation), but also offers a more economical solution.”

Vision Automobile is currently planning to relocate its facilities to the Tainan Science Park at the end of this year, where it will expand its production base to an area of 4,000 pings (one ping equals 3.3 square meters).

Tesor Plus

Founded in 1987, the ISO 9001- and ISO/TS 16949-certified Tesor Plus Corp. specializes in designing, developing and manufacturing car security alarms and many other advanced security system products. The firm's “Tesor”-branded quality products are popular with customers worldwide for their high quality, durability, and advanced functionality.

The company's quality products pass key international safety and quality standards, such as CE, e13, FCC, 3C, etc.

With strong R&D capability in-house, the company offers wide-ranging products, including the most advanced smartphone tracking and security system, smartphone home automation and security, smartphone garage remote control, touch-screen two-way remote alarm/starter, LCD display two-way alarms, dialog two-way alarms, frequency jumping two-way alarms, wireless camera parking system, wireless relay immobilizers, proximity immobilizers, Bluetooth proximity alarm, wireless fingerprint immobilizers, D.I.Y. alarms, two-way D.I.Y. alarms, and many others.

The company says that it spends one to six months on developing a new product system model. Each year, Tesor's experienced R&D team develops over 100 new items.

Tesor claims that it is diligently engaged in developing the latest technologies for its products, as well as manufacturing innovative items so as to keep creating new market niches. The company stresses that it owns the most advanced facilities, including 10 high-speed surface-mounting technology (SMT) production lines, dual inline package (DIP) and assembly production lines, as well as advanced testing equipment for RF and digital signals, high-low temperature, EMC-EMI magnetic, noise interference, high-voltage and static electricity, reliability and much more.

Tesor's new SM200 smartphone tracking and security system has many outstanding features and advantages: locating and showing where the vehicle is by using Google Map on the handheld device; lock/unlock function; receiving alarm alerts; conducting status check; activating engine safety cut; remotely starting/stopping the engine from anywhere in the world by using Apple's iPhone, RIM's Blackberry, as well as other Android-based or Window Mobile-platform smartphone models.

The company's other innovative products include the SG10, which can allow you to use smartphone to remotely open and close the garage door; while the Smartphone Home Automation & Security can let you use smartphone and iPad to remotely control the house Lighting /AC Power/ Air Conditioner/ Curtain /Stereo /TV /Door /Camera /Arm Stay /Arm Away /Disarm/SOS /Trigger Alert /Fire Alert etc.