Peter Palmer: Detroit Event Aims To Connect Engineers Working On Vehicle Perception Technology

Next Monday in Detroit, Michigan, AutoSens will kick off a 4-day event dedicated to autonomous driving and vehicle perception technology. The occasion will serve as a meeting point for engineers, connecting them to one another in a setting that showcases the latest academic research, industrial R&D, and OEM insights.

AutoSens is not about marketing a certain product, but rather about getting to the core of the challenges facing autonomous technology. The idea is that engineers must first be connected before cars can be.

“What we want to create is a community catered to the engineers who are working on advanced driver assistance systems, and other solutions to autonomous vehicles that will be integrated over the coming years,” explained Robert Stead, Sense Media’s Managing Director, when we spoke with him in March.

Hands-On Experience

AutoSens is taking place at the M1 Concourse, an ideal location with its 1.5-mile racetrack and showroom facilities. On Tuesday, May 23rd, attendees can actually demo a fully autonomous vehicle, and speak to the engineers who designed and implemented the technology. It’s an opportunity to see how an autonomous car works and reacts, and better understand the practical applications of such technology.

Dataspeed has converted a Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ with a full array of sensor technology to run laps around the track. Paul Fleck, Dataspeed’s President, is on the distinguished panel of speakers, and will host a session on building an autonomous car on Thursday, May 25th.

Photo: Ford Motor Company.

Vital Resources

The panel of speakers is something worth its weight in gold for attendees. Each speaker is diverse in their experience with extensive backgrounds relating to autonomous driving, advanced driver assistance systems, and vehicle perception technology.

Speakers include Cary Bryczek, Principal Solutions Architect for Jama Software. Bryczek will share over 15 years of experience as an engineer in a workshop called Collaborative Approaches to Improving Traceability and Compliance, which will focus on how to improve product quality, decrease defects, and shorten delivery cycles. Phil Magney, Founder of Vision Systems Intelligence, will host a session on key component technology trends in the autonomous space; Thomas Wilson, Product Line Manager, NXP Semiconductors, will explain the role of and recent advancements with radar; and Joel Gibson, Vice President, Product Line and Program Management, Magna Electronics, will cover the technical challenges related to imagining technology.

“For engineers who are working in this space, it’s an opportunity to come and hear about some of the things that are happening,” Stead said. “AutoSens is meant to help them to understand what is going on in the wider industry.”

AutoSens roundtable discussion in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Sense Media.

Info & Registration

AutoSens begins Monday, May 22nd at the M1 Concourse in Detroit and runs through May 25th. The event will feature 23 keynote-style presentations, multiple panel discussions, and extensive networking sessions. During the week, AutoSens will host 330 delegates, 45 speakers, 20 advisors, and 4 keynotes, with nearly 12 hours worth of networking opportunities.

A technology exhibition will have 30 displays; classic, sport, and exotic rides will also be displayed. On May 24th, attendees will be treated to the Vintage Evening Reception with food and drinks at the Henry Ford Museum. The evening consists of guided tours around Greenfield Village in Ford Model T cars.

For more information on AutoSens and to register, visit their website.

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.