IEEE Eastern North Carolina Section (ENCS) Industrial Electronics Society (IES) Chapter Seminar

RSVP: ragupta@ncsu.edu before October 13, 2008.

Mr. Simon Cobb, NCCAR Chief Operating Officer

October 16, 2008, 5:00 – 6:00 pm

Room 2040, EB2 (Engineering Building 2, ADAC Lab), North Carolina State University

890 Oval Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606

Direction: http://www.adac.ncsu.edu/Directions/Direction.htm

Abstract

The DARPA Urban Challenge proved decisively that advanced vehicle control technologies are mature enough to move towards real world operation in controlled environments.  However, there will be a considerable scope for cascading technologies to move into the commercial market place.  This presentation will describe the arduous tasks that are required to get new technology into modern automobiles.  It is frequently under-estimated how complex a car or truck is beneath the familiar surface.  When promising technologies emerge, it is usually frustrating how long it takes to reach the automotive marketplace (e.g. the Chevy Volt, voice commands, MP3 hook up etc.), especially when compared to other market sectors such as mobile phones or financial products.

NCSU, NJIT, Lotus Engineering and NCCAR are starting a new three year NSF GOALI program that will advance many of the above technology sets to help impaired drivers avoid accidents and dangerous situations.  This worthy cause has considerable social and commercial benefits.  Just imagine a reduction in the $215 billion costs of road accident related injuries and potential insurance premium reductions. This GOALI program will have two very tangible products:

1.         Robust and elegant recognition and data-handling software

2.         Exceptionally well trained technical engineers ready for the marketplace.

This presentation will use the Goali project as an example to provide a “road map” of how we will approach the industry and marketplace.

Biography

Simon Cobb is an honors degree qualified mechanical engineer (Nottingham University, UK) who has worked in the automotive industry for the past 31 years.  This has included development engineer roles at Perkins Diesels and Ford Motor Company (UK & USA) and most recently 22 years at Lotus Engineering in both UK and USA.  He was appointed as North Carolina Center for Automotive Research Chief Operating Officer on April 1st, 2008.

Areas of technical work experience have included electro-hydraulic suspension, engine valve control and control “by-wire” technologies; base engine development (gasoline & diesel); electronic engine calibration; future powertrain concepts and high volume production programs.  His responsibilities have included project team leadership; project management; technical sales: strategic planning, business development and organizational leadership Simon is married to Joan and has three teenage boys and lives in Wake Forest, NC.