MaxBrunamonti
During the Futurmotive event on December 10th, companies and university researchers analyzed the changes that await the world of auto repair shops
That the evolution of automotive technologies determines the development of new equipment for garages is as obvious as it is recurrent. But that the current scenario of profound changes both technological and socio/behavioral finds the manufacturers of automotive equipment not only ready but also, in their opinion, precursors of the change, is positively striking. This is what Prof. Silvano Guelfi, of the Department of Management and Production Engineering of the Polytechnic of Turin, noted during the workshop on artificial intelligence applied to the automotive sector that took place at Futurmotive of Autopromotec last December 10. The workshop, which saw the participation of some of the major manufacturers of automotive equipment, focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on the sector in general and on automotive equipment in particular. Guelfi himself, in his prologue, described very well the potential of the new technology as a tool for a better use of resources but, at the same time, emphasized the need to resolve some major issues related to it such as the ethical and legal ones.
The workshop participants highlighted the various innovative aspects that future (but not very) equipment will present. The enormous amount of data processed today on board cars, Domenico Ferrara of Hella Gutmann points out, requires new algorithms that manufacturers are already implementing on their equipment to offer more efficient services.
In addition to equipment, the business model for car repair is also changing: the customer is increasingly becoming a user of the car, and assistance is transforming into behavior simulation; all of this, emphasizes Luciano Marton of Texa, requires digital native equipment. Added to this is the fact that the migration of the car from an asset to a pure mobility tool, as Carlo Rocchi of Mahle points out, will cause the migration of assistance from pure repair to breakdown prevention. Scheduled maintenance: and this requires, in addition to a new way of designing equipment, complete availability of maintenance and repair information by car manufacturers. Technical repair and maintenance data and information: a long-standing problem for the entire sector that has long had to deal with a proliferation of different and incompatible data formats, protocols, and communication standards. Artificial intelligence, with its machine learning technologies, can lend a big hand in this, says Roberto Nicolini of Nexion, helping the development of connected equipment and thus evolving and qualifying the service. The interconnection between equipment, workshop, car, customer and manufacturer, also according to Marco Codeluppi of Beissbarth, is the key to obtaining renewed and more efficient car repair services in a free competition scenario.
A topic of primary importance for all participants was that of road safety which, absurdly, the more advanced the car, the more vital it becomes to ensure it. It was noted that new tests for verifying electronic safety systems must now be urgently introduced in vehicle inspections. Unfortunately, however, in this we are witnessing a serious delay by the legislator. The results of studies and experiments of new tests based on existing technologies are already available in Europe but, to ensure that these new generation tests are adopted, political awareness and renewed collaboration by car manufacturers are necessary.
The overall scenario that emerges, as Guelfi concludes, is that of an extremely reactive industry made up of companies that seem to anticipate the future. However, a lot of work needs to be done on common standards and rules for the economic system to protect free competition and the safety of both professionals and citizens.
The workshop participants highlighted the various innovative aspects that future (but not very) equipment will present. The enormous amount of data processed today on board cars, Domenico Ferrara of Hella Gutmann points out, requires new algorithms that manufacturers are already implementing on their equipment to offer more efficient services.
In addition to equipment, the business model for car repair is also changing: the customer is increasingly becoming a user of the car, and assistance is transforming into behavior simulation; all of this, emphasizes Luciano Marton of Texa, requires digital native equipment. Added to this is the fact that the migration of the car from an asset to a pure mobility tool, as Carlo Rocchi of Mahle points out, will cause the migration of assistance from pure repair to breakdown prevention. Scheduled maintenance: and this requires, in addition to a new way of designing equipment, complete availability of maintenance and repair information by car manufacturers. Technical repair and maintenance data and information: a long-standing problem for the entire sector that has long had to deal with a proliferation of different and incompatible data formats, protocols, and communication standards. Artificial intelligence, with its machine learning technologies, can lend a big hand in this, says Roberto Nicolini of Nexion, helping the development of connected equipment and thus evolving and qualifying the service. The interconnection between equipment, workshop, car, customer and manufacturer, also according to Marco Codeluppi of Beissbarth, is the key to obtaining renewed and more efficient car repair services in a free competition scenario.
A topic of primary importance for all participants was that of road safety which, absurdly, the more advanced the car, the more vital it becomes to ensure it. It was noted that new tests for verifying electronic safety systems must now be urgently introduced in vehicle inspections. Unfortunately, however, in this we are witnessing a serious delay by the legislator. The results of studies and experiments of new tests based on existing technologies are already available in Europe but, to ensure that these new generation tests are adopted, political awareness and renewed collaboration by car manufacturers are necessary.
The overall scenario that emerges, as Guelfi concludes, is that of an extremely reactive industry made up of companies that seem to anticipate the future. However, a lot of work needs to be done on common standards and rules for the economic system to protect free competition and the safety of both professionals and citizens.
