2013 TAIPEI AMPA & AutoTronics Taipei Innovation Awards Announces Final Winners
Manufacturers with excellent hardware and software R&D capabilities granted an opportunity to raise their profile
2013/09/25 | By Quincy LiangThe Innovation Awards is a key event during the annual Taipei International Auto Parts & Accessories Show (Taipei AMPA) and Taipei International Automobile Electronics Show (AutoTronics Taipei): a two-in-one show that is one of the world's most important trade fairs for the automotive components industry.
While most auto parts makers in Taiwan focus mainly on aftermarket parts production and sales, a small group sees potential in innovation and improving on existing technology. These are the creative minds who vie for attention at the Innovation Awards, with products that enhance the comfort, convenience, styling, and functions of vehicles.
TAIPEI AMPA Innovation Awards
According to Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), which organizes both the shows and the award contest, the 2013 AMPA Innovation Awards received dozens of entries from which eight winners—three for the “Auto Parts” and five for the “Auto Accessory” categories—were chosen by industry experts.
The jury based its decisions on four criteria: Innovation (40% of score), Energy Efficiency (20%), Safety (20%), and Marketability (20%). Products cited by major international design awards as the iF Product Design Award and Red Dot Design Award of Germany, G-Mark of Japan or Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA) of the United States also had an advantage in the scoring.
AutoTronics Taipei Innovation Awards
According to TAITRA, the AutoTronics Innovation Awards provides an opportunity for manufacturers with excellent hardware and software R&D capabilities to raise their profile. This year, the four winners of the Finished Electronic Products are Holux Technology Inc.'s Hypo-vigilance (HPV)/ Fatigue Detector DFD-100B; E-Lead Electronic Co., Ltd.'s Car Navigation with Flat surface (EL-918C); Jet Optoelectronics Co., Ltd.'s Car Entertainment System (Android Flip-Down Monitor); and Mobiletron Electronics Co., Ltd.'s Economy, High Sensitivity, Anti-glare Night Vision Camera.
The award presentation to winner of TAIPEI AMPA and AutoTronics Taipei Innovation Awards was held on the opening day April 10, and all the award-winning products were displayed in the “Innovation Awards Display” section close to the entrance of TWTC Nangang Exhibition Center, the main show venue for the two shows.
The following is the introduction of this year's award-winning items.
Winner of the “2012 Taiwan Excellence Award.”
| Category | Winner | Product |
| Auto Parts | TYC Brother Industrial Co., Ltd. | Adaptive Front Lighting System(AFS) Headlamp | TYC Brother Industrial Co., Ltd. | Full LED Tail Lamp |
| Nankang Rubber Tire Corp. | ECO-2 Tire | |
| Auto Accessories | Zung Sung Enterprise Co., Ltd. | Non Polar Jump Starter |
| ATBS Technology Co., Ltd. | iOBD2 TPMS | |
| Whetron Electronics Co., Ltd. | Forward Safety Warning System | |
| Cub Elecparts Inc. | TPMS(Tire Pressure Monitor System) | |
| Red Heart Enterprise Co. | Common Vehicle Seat Slider Rail | |
| Source: TAITRA | ||
2013 TAIPEI AMPA Innovation Awards Winners
Auto Parts
AFS Aftermarket Headlamp (TYC)
- Intelligent adaptive system with HID bulbs
- Automatic adaptive mechanism, software, circuit design, and communications interface
- Software controlled motors direct headlights to an optimal horizontal angle of 15 degrees to help driver see while driving in a curves; the light's also have optimal intensity and coverage to aid nighttime driving on curved roads.
- The AFS meets SAE regulations and is patented for headlight turning mechanism.
Winner of the “2012 Taiwan Excellence Award.”
Full LED Tail Lamp(TYC)
This eye-catching LED tail lamp boasts a number of innovative features:
- Advanced light-guide techniques to optimize LED multi-reflection technology
Eagle's eye design concept and starfish shape to stylistically differentiate the lamp from other original equipment (OE) products.
- Energy efficient and made with recyclable materials, including ABS, PMMA, PA and non-toxic heavy metals.
- Meets stringent environmental and reliability tests for temperature range (35 to minus 30 degrees centigrade), continuous operation (1,000 hours), and humidity and corrosion resistance.
- Designed for the performance market and can be easily installed by customers with basic mechanical skills.
- Patented secondary total internal reflection (TIR) optical technology and direct LED diffusing technology.
Winner of the “2013 Taiwan Excellence Award.”
New ECO-2 Tire
(Nankang Rubber Tire)
This tire is made of eco-friendly synthetic rubber with lateral grooves especially designed for passenger cars. The tire offers superior water expulsion and reduces fuel consumption on both wet and dry roads. The ECO-2 has a compact design that minimizes sectional width and narrows its tread. This reduces material usage by about 5% to 8%, cutting production cost and reducing the tire's drag coefficient. The ECO-2 uses a filler compound with high rigidity to increase sidewall stiffness and decrease tire failures from deformation.
Auto Accessories
Non-Polar Jump Starter(Zung Sung)
This smart foolproof jump starter can be connected to either pole of a battery to jump start a vehicle. The starter's non-polar feature prevents damage to vehicle ignition systems, parts, and electronics when jump-starting a car. The starter is patented in the United States and Taiwan.
(ATBS Technology)The iOBD2 tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) integrates a vehicle's OBD2 data with TPMS external sensors and has a Bluetooth interface, making it most compact and versatile mini OBD2 decoder in the world. It is not only compatible with the iOS operating system, but also supports Android mobile devices. Smartphones with the company's app can serve as a diagnostic tool, black box, or safety system. The iOBD2 TPMS also feature easy DIY installation. Drivers can monitor vehicle conditions in real time and track tire status for safer driving.
(Whetron Electronics)
The forward safety warning (FSW) system, designed by major automotive-electronic supplier Whetron Electronics Co., Ltd., integrates lane departure warning (LDWS), front collision warning, and drive recording functions and is available in passenger car and truck versions. The safety system is based on a single embedded hardware platform to facilitate installation. The system detects lane markings and vehicles ahead, giving drivers early warning of unintentional lane departure and possible rear-end collisions.
(CUB Elecparts)
Developed by OEM and aftermarket automotive electronic parts supplier CUB Elecparts Inc., the Programmable Universal Replacement (PUR) tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) won the Innovation Awards this year by merit of its patented programming technology. The maker claims that the system works on 95% of the cars in North America. Other outstanding features include:
- Over five-year product life and minimal battery drain when sensor is not activated.
- Meets the strict SAE J2657 and GMW 15752 standards of reliability based on tests conducted by Smithers Rapra and Taiwan's Automotive Research & Testing Center (ARTC).
- FCC, CE and IC certified.
- Can be used to replace most TPMS models on the market.
(Red Heart)
This vehicle seat slider is designed to improve vehicle accessibility for seniors and handicapped persons. The slider mechanism can match the tracks for a broad range of traditional seats, handicapped seats and medium-and-large-sized bus seats. The slider enables users to quickly, easily and conveniently adjust seats to optimize cabin space to preferences and needs. The innovative mechanism also makes it easy to remove and replace seats in a vehicle.
| 2013 AutoTronics Taipei Innovation Awards Winners (Finished Electronic Products) | |
| Company | Product |
| Holux Technology Inc. | Hypo-vigilance (HPV)/ Fatigue Detector DFD-100B |
| E-Lead Electronic Co., Ltd. | Car Navigation with Flat surface (EL-918C) |
| Jet Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. | Car Entertainment System (Android Flip-Down Monitor) |
| Mobiletron Electronics Co., Ltd. | Economy, High Sensitivity, Anti-glare Night Vision Camera |
| Source: TAITRA | |
(Holux Technology)
Automotive-electronic specialist Holux Technology, Inc. bills its DFD-100B as the world's first high-tech hypovigilance (HPV)/fatigue detector. The auxiliary driving safety device identifies heart rate patterns to determine a driver's HPV/fatigue status with patented wireless heart-rate sensor technology. The detector issues an alert when a driver's vigilance level drops below the preset limit (with 90% accuracy and 3 to 5-minute advance warning). The device is fitted to the driver's seatbelt and is activated with the seatbelt is fastened. No electrode patches are required, making it suitable for all body types. The device is paired to an Android App that allows users to choose alert settings on their phone, as well as display heart rate and drowsiness level in real time on the handset screen. Warning messages can be sent by SMS to designated numbers. The device is a convenient and low-cost solution that can help companies to improve fleet management.
(E-Lead)
E-Lead Electronic Co., Ltd., a major automotive infotainment system supplier to global automakers, has pioneered new ground with the debut of its multifunctional EL-918C infotainment system. Among the device's many unique features are a capacitive touch screen and 3D Gyro support in Navi. The 3D gyro function can provide guidance even when the vehicle is passing through a tunnel, showing a car's position in a viaduct or on the ground. Finger swipe zoom in/out navigation functionality helps the driver to focus on the road. The EL-918C can also be connected to a head-up display (HUD) and driving recorder (DVR). The E-Lead DVR simultaneously records GPS/Gyro/G sensor data. The EL-918C is certified by Toyota Taiwan. E-Lead is promoting the system in cooperation with domestic carmakers and agents, as well as exploring OE opportunities with overseas carmakers.
(JET Optoelectronics)
JET Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. is a pioneer in the in-car infotainment field. The award winning 10-inch overhead flip-down monitor has an ingenious exterior and environmentally friendly design. The monitor's panel, unlike the traditional flip-down monitor's panel, faces outward to double as a dome light when the panel closes. The monitor uses Gorilla Glass and other cutting-edge materials to minimize weight and thickness, cut power consumption, and maximize safety for passengers. With an internet connection, the system can run any Android application, including streaming a video, playing games, and chatting with friends.
(Mobiletron)
This economical, high sensitivity, anti-glare night vision camera was developed by Mobiletron Electronics Co., a major automotive-electronic parts supplier. The firm says it developed the device to make the functionality of typically expensive high-tech night vision systems more affordable for mainstream users. The camera features include:
- Built-in compact lens to eliminate glare from oncoming cars at night.
- Upgradeable to include pedestrian recognition.
- Compatible with near IR auxiliary light to increase visual range.
- High sensitivity sensor can operate at a low light environment (0.01LUX).
- Enhanced visible distance (more than 150m) to give drivers more reaction time.