NEXTEER AUTOMOTIVE
a lot of software and they control crucial functions of car control ,” says Rodriguez . “ From that perspective , it ’ s very important that we protect our product and manufacturing process to ensure that no one could compromise our system . Therefore , when we talk about the tools and solutions that Industry 4.0 can offer , we are keen to approach new innovation with the utmost care and precaution . As we go beyond the four walls of Nexteer Automotive , we want to make sure that we are fully protected .”
Driverless cars have four stages of development : feet off , hands off , eyes off and , finally , brain off . “ All of the technology is available to make driverless cars a reality ,” notes Rodriguez . “ The automotive industry is becoming more intuitive , more autonomous and in our field , we are at the heart of this shift . As technology evolves , the challenge that we see is that regulation needs to adapt to cope with those changes and also needs to be consistent from country to country . For instance , we can see that in China , they are already modifying the laws to push autonomous driving and electric cars . While this requires a shift in laws and regulation there also has to be a change in the infrastructure and the cultural norms .”
We are currently at the cusp of a new industrial revolution and as a result , driverless cars seem an ever-closer reality . But in this evolving industry , what does the road ahead look like for Nexteer Automotive ? “ The future is bright ,” reflects Rodriguez . “ We have grown significantly over the past few years . We are currently the number three steering solution supplier globally and we are hoping to close this gap to become number one in the near future . We want to really make our mark in the Asia-Pacific market , particularly the Chinese automotive market . Right now , when we ’ re the partner of choice for OEM ’ s and there ’ s increasing investment in the industry , our vision of becoming a leader in intuitive motion control is more relevant than ever .” 110 November 2017