Haley Carson
3DExperience on the Cloud Addresses Automotive Challenges
What’s the best way to predict future technological advances? By creating it.
That is precisely what AKKA Technologies, an international engineering and technology consulting group, did when it designed the Link & Go, its dual-mode, connected electric car. According to the project manager with AKKA Research, the dedicated research center of AKKA Technologies, the concept of the car was created by looking 20 years into the future of automatic and autonomous cars. Equipped with sensors, lasers and cameras on the roof and rear; seats that revolve to allow the driver to face away from the road; a retractable steering for fully autonomous capabilities; a wide touch-screen for entertainment and work; and automatic charging station, it’s safe to say it’s the engineers and designers behind the innovation succeeded in creating a futuristic-looking vehicle.
Beyond the aesthetics of the car, however, is a vehicle with practical implications for drivers everywhere. For one, a fully autonomous vehicle is able to get its driver and passengers to their final destination safely. According to Philippe Obry, chief innovation officer at AKKA Technologies, the infrastructure of this technology — the cutting-edge sensors and cameras — inherently includes other cars, public transportation, cyclists and pedestrians. “They all function in concert to bring people from point A to point B safely, at minimal cost and with the lowest possible carbon footprint,” he explained.
It also enhances the experience of driving through convenience. The driver has the option of eliminating the driving altogether, allowing them the luxury of spending their time doing as they please: catching up on work, reading a book or even surfing the Internet. Beyond this, the embedded social media features help to provide a door-to-door solution by enhancing today’s car share experience. A driver can schedule and pay for this service and the Link & Go, relying on real-time traffic, will get them to their final destination before parking itself.
Of course, innovations of this magnitude are incredibly complex, requiring the efforts of dozens of engineers and project participants. One of AKKA Technologies’ greatest challenges was streamlining the collaboration of the dedicated teams across borders: The 40 dedicated engineers were working from both the France and Germany offices. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud made this work run smoothly and was key to managing a multi-site project. Centralized access to data means that information is available on-demand, without relying on an IT department for system administration, searching for storing information or having to transfer files back and forth. According to Obry, the software allows for “true digital continuity and full compatibility from ideation to vehicle design.” The 3DEXPERIENCE on the cloud makes it as if project contributors are working out of the same office.
Technology will always present creative solutions to problems. The Link & Go, with its potential to transform the world of driving as we know it, is no exception. While the best way to predict future technology may be by innovating it, such creations are only possible when they are supported by software solutions that address the innovator’s challenges.
