MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is the FORCIOT® printed stretchable electronics solution sustainable
Printed electronics enable a sustainable future. Sensor solution is manufactured of materials that generate the lowest strain level possible to the environment. Stretchable electronics often use less energy compared to traditional electronics. Solutions can be fitted in smaller spaces and are more lightweight than heavier rigid solutions.
The production process is additive and greenhouse gas emissions are very low. The majority of the emissions come from raw materials. This is significantly less than the emissions from raw materials of a more traditional product for a similar purpose. As an example, greenhouse gas emissions for Forciot’s logistics product FORCIOT®SKID were estimated by using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and due to the use of Plywood, the global warming potential (GWP) of the product is negative.
What material is the sensor made of?
The sensor is formed from very thin layers of stretchable and conformable materials each having different and optimized electromechanical characteristics. The core of the sensor technology is based on printing conductive material into thin stretchable sheets. Material expertise is one of the R&D key competences at Forciot.
What are the key benefits of stretchable electronics?
Forciot’s highly advanced stretchable electronics solution has been built with years of R&D and Forciot has several patents on it. There are several benefits in stretchable printed electronics such as sensing area scalability, stretchability, and thinness.
Compared to conventional electronics, stretchable electronics have advanced scalability, sensors are reprogrammable and there can be multiple sensing areas and different functionalities in one sensor. Typically, the data generated is more extensive and accurate and can serve more functionality. This creates added value with advanced functionality and cost savings through less interfaces and less electronics.
How can we integrate FORCIOT® sensor solution into our own product?
In automotive industry Forciot follows the Advanced Product Quality Planning Process (APQP). Development project starts with planning, and requirement review. Based on the requirement specification a Proof of concept (PoC) design and prototype building starts. Customized prototype ensures the product integration is optimal for mass manufacturing. Forciot has automotive standard (IATF 16949) verified supply chain partners for manufacturing and operates by licensing model in mass manufacturing.
How is the energy management handled and how much energy is consumed?
Energy management can be handled in various alternative ways, depending on the customer application: with external power supply, replaceable batteries, or rechargeable batteries by using either wireless or USB charging. Energy harvesting can be designed as a parallel option for limited applications. Stretchable electronics use often less energy compared to traditional electronics.
Can the software be embedded into our own system?
Forciot’s algorithm SW package can be integrated into the customer’s embedded system if required. Data interfaces are designed so that data can be easily transferred into customer-specific applications, 3rd party clouds or mobile applications, etc.
INDUSTRY KEY TERMS
ADAS
Advanced Driver Assistance System is any of a group of technologies that are designed to increase the safety of driving a vehicle through several assisted driving and parking functions. Existing systems in the example are Adaptive Cruise Control, Anti-lock Brakes, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, etc.
ALKS
Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS). ALKS is a system whereby the activated system is in primary control of the vehicle. In this SAE Level 3 autonomous driving the driver must be able to respond and take over the driving task when required.
CONNECTED CAR
A connected car is a vehicle which can access the internet through an inbuilt connectivity system. The car shares data with other devices both inside and outside the vehicle. Connected cars have features such as remote operation of vehicle functions and advanced security features.
HMI
Short for Human-Machine Interface, refer to dashboards or user interfaces that allow users to interact with a device. HMI can come in various forms. In automotive, it reduces and replaces physical buttons and mechanical switches with touch controllers on smart surfaces like steering wheels (rim, center console, side panels, spokes), doors, panels, and so on to bring a smoother user experience and increased safety. The Forciot technology turns surfaces into interactive HMI touch solutions that are responding to gestures and can replace buttons, not just in rigid but also in elastic environments.
HoD
Hands-On / Off Detection is an advanced sensing feature on the steering wheel to detect whether the driver has both or one hand, and/or good grip on the wheel while driving.
HUD
Head-up display is a technology that projects an image onto the windshield or a panel just beneath the driver's line of sight. The information displayed can include such things as navigation instructions, speed, and road conditions. It's a safety feature because it gives drivers access to information without requiring them to take their eyes off the road.
IoT
Internet of Things is a system of devices that exchange data and share information with other devices through a connection to the internet.
LKAS
Lane Keeping Assist Systems (LKAS) are a key component of automated driving functions, allowing for more comfortable driving on highways or in traffic jams. In this SAE Level 2 partial driving automation the driver is required to be holding the steering wheel.
SENSOR FUSION
Sensor fusion is the process of combining data from multiple sensor types such as radars, lidars, cameras, and touch force inside the vehicle and in the environment around the vehicle. The resulting information from sensor fusion is more accurate as it balances the strengths of all sensors and has less uncertainty than the result from using each type of sensor individually.
APQP
Advanced product quality planning (APQP) is a framework of procedures and techniques used to develop products in the automotive industry.
DMS
Driver Monitoring System is a vehicle safety feature to assess the driver's alertness and distraction and give warnings or alerts to the driver if needed. As a result of regulatory and safety requirements, driver-monitoring systems (DMS) are expected to become standard equipment in new cars. The European Union has mandated DMS for inclusion in all new vehicle models starting in 2024, and the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) currently grants vehicle points toward a 5-star rating for including DMS.
GSR
General Safety Requirements/ Regulations are a range of mandatory advanced driver assistant systems issued by the European Union to improve road safety and established the legal framework for the approval of automated and fully driverless vehicles in the EU. For example, for cars and vans, the new measures of safety features to assist the driver include lane-keeping systems and automated braking, intelligent speed assistance, or driver drowsiness and distraction warnings.
IATF 16949
IATF 16949 is the Quality Management Systems standard for the automotive industry.
SAE
Standards from SAE International are used to advance mobility engineering. SAE Levels of Driving Automation™, are the automotive industry’s most-cited source for driving automation. SAE Levels of Driving Automation™ describes vehicle driving automation systems that perform part or all of the dynamic driving task (DDT) on a sustained basis. It provides a taxonomy with detailed definitions for six levels of driving automation, ranging from no driving automation (Level 0) to full driving automation (Level 5).
UNECE R79
The Regulation No 79 of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UN/ECE) on steering equipment is to add some technical requirements to LKAS to address driver misuse related safety concerns. Applicable to all new production vehicles from April 1 st 2021 on, R79 requires LKAS-equipped vehicles to have hands on detection (HoD) to indicate that the driver is holding the steering control.
UNECE R157
UNECE Regulation No 157 is for cars equipped with Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS). SAE Level 3 cars equipped with Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) must be able to detect if the driver is available and in an appropriate driving position to respond to a transition demand by monitoring the driver. Vehicle must be able to detect that the driver is available to take over the driving task when the ALKS is activated and is in primary control of the vehicle. The driver shall be deemed to be unavailable unless at least two availability criteria (e.g. input to driver-exclusive vehicle control, eye blinking, eye closure, conscious head or body movement) have individually determined that the driver is available in the last 30 seconds.
VMI
The idea in Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) is that the supplier of the goods takes full responsibility for maintaining an agreed inventory. Traditionally, consignment inventory management has revolved around a supplier and customer working together and sharing information.
JIT
The just-in-time (JIT) inventory system is a management strategy that minimizes inventory and increases efficiency. JIT in supply chain is an inventory management method in which goods or raw materials are received from suppliers only when they are needed.
CONSIGNMENT STOCK
Consignment inventory is a supply chain model in which a product is warehoused at the point of sales, but ownership is retained by the supplier until the product has been sold. Unsold products can be returned.
INDUSTRY 4.0
Industry 4.0. is powered by the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT). Digitalization of logistics and automating manually gained data transforms the operational process’. Industry 4.0 technology helps optimizing supply chains. IoT gives access to real-time data and insights to make smarter and faster business decisions, which can improve operational efficiency and even profitability.
SCM
Supply Chain Management (SCM) is about handling the flow of goods or materials from production to the point of sales. Procurement, warehousing, and delivering are the core functions of supply chain management. Transportation and logistics have significant role in successful supply chain management.