The other day my 20-something son asked me how to wire up a connection for his iPhone so he could listen to it through the sound system in his car. As we were talking, I made some typical “old man” comment about how much things have changed since I was his age. I started reminiscing about when an automotive sound system was an AM radio blasting through a single dashboard mounted speaker. He wasn’t impressed.
Technology has profoundly changed and reshaped many aspects of the automotive business. I have always looked forward to and even enjoyed “keeping up” on developments on every front, from new vehicular systems to business and commerce automation. But recently, I was so profoundly blown away by exposure to new developments, that I was as close to intimidated as I have even been in my career by technology.
The source of my techno-shock came from a tour of the new “SEMA Garage.” It's a state-of-the-art technology center that recently opened in a building adjacent to the SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar, Calif. The building was purpose-built 10 years ago with a full dyno lab. Its mission was to measure emissions output for compliance with California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations. Jointly operated by SEMA and the Auto Club, it has provided SEMA members for the last decade with low-cost testing and CARB certifications for new products.
When the building’s major tenant recently decided to relocate, SEMA was faced with a decision of curtailing the emissions testing service, or stepping up. Stepping up meant the association making a serious investment in technology and equipment to provide its members with the ability to continue to create cutting-edge performance and appearance products that comply with the ever-burgeoning legislative and regulatory mandates that are coming out of Washington. Thankfully, the decision was made to step up.
Mike Spagnola, a stalwart of the performance industry as everything from a racer to manufacturer to SEMA Director, was hired to run the operation.
“It's great to have this fantastic facility for emissions testing and dyno services. But we are really psyched about where we can go from here,” said Spagnola.
“We want this service to give our members easier access to more sophisticated testing and development technology. Much of what is needed has historically only been available to the OEMs or giant multi-national companies,” he said.
This easier access may be the only way that the small entrepreneurial concerns that have historically been the backbone of SEMA can survive and prosper.
But it was some of that “where we can go from here” that blew my mind.
Mike took me into a photo bay where I watched as a yet-to-be-introduced model of a sport crossover was being scanned. A technician maneuvered a scanning device mounted on a tripod with rollers around the vehicle. In a matter of a few hours, a complete map of the vehicle was available to view on a CAD program.
I remember old “measuring sessions” where aftermarket engineers would beg steal or sometimes literally rent a new OEM vehicle so they could get dimensional information for aftermarket parts and accessories. Now I am witnessing creation of an incredibly accurate, digitized, three-dimensional CAD display of a vehicle.
It will go into a SEMA electronic filing system and be made available to its members for a very modest fee, often before the vehicle is even available to the public. That information enables SEMA companies to have parts available when OEMs release a new vehicle. Aftermarket products ranging from wiper blades and bug shields to custom grills and spoilers can be in stock and ready to buy the same day new vehicles hit the showrooms floor.
This is but one example of technology that is being developed and improved quietly every day. It holds promise for many industries, but especially ours. In our world it may enable us to meet ever-increasing consumer expectations for "same-day service." It is moving so quickly that I am convinced it will affect all of us in some powerful ways. I plan to devote my next column to an even more mind-blowing technology that is as different as an AM radio is from an iPod. Stay tuned.
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