|
U of M College of Engineering Control Seminar Series Sponsored by Eaton, Ford, General Motors, Toyota and Whirlpool |
Two Control
Research Activitities at the Toyota Technical Center
by
Kenneth P.
Laberteaux and Ken Butts
TOYOTA TECHNICAL
CENTER
Intelligent Driver Assistants:
Vehicular collisions are a
leading cause of death and injury in many countries around the world: in the
United States alone, on an average day, auto accidents kill 116 and injure over
7900, with an annual economic impact of around $200 billion; Governments and
automotive companies are responding by making the reduction of vehicular
fatalities a top priority. Key to
reducing auto collisions is improving driversÕ recognition and response behaviors,
technology often described as an Intelligent Driver Assistant (IDA). This talk will discuss two key
constituent IDA technologies: safety-quality, inter-vehicle wireless
communications; and computationally-efficient collision avoidance decision algorithms.
Kenneth P. Laberteaux earned a B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering (summa cum
laude) from the University of Michigan in 1992. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Tellabs Research Center
(South Bend, IN), where he investigated equalization, echo cancellation, data
networking protocols, call admission control, and congestion control. While at Tellabs, he earned his M.S.
and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Notre Dame in 1996 and 2000,
respectively. In 2002, Dr.
Laberteaux joined the Toyota Technical Center (Ann Arbor, MI). His current research focus is on
wireless communication and intelligent vehicular safety systems. In 2004, he proposed and co-chaired the
First Workshop on Vehicular Adhoc Networks (VANET 2004), and will continue as
co-chair for VANET 2005. Dr.
Laberteaux holds five patents, with eight additional patents pending.
Towards a Concurrent
Engine System Design Methodology:
Today's
hyper-competitive automotive marketplace places very stringent quality and
productivity demands on the industry's manufacturers and thus dictates an
investment in new engineering processes and methods. In this talk, an engine
design and development process based on Toyota's process improvement vision
will be presented. The process requires the development and deployment of a
Model-based Concurrent Engine System Design Methodology. Model based
engineering has the potential to enable engineers to investigate design
alternatives, system sensitivities, and component integration compatibility
prior to building and testing physical prototypes. These benefits could be
further magnified by engineering concurrency between the various teams involved
in engine system development. Tools and methods needed to implement the vision
are discussed.
Ken
Butts received a Bachelor of
Electrical Engineering from General Motors Institute (now Kettering University)
in 1980, a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the
University of Illinois in 1982, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical
Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1993. Dr. Butts has worked
throughout his career to improve automotive engine and transmission control
systems. He has worked at General Motors CorporationÕs Advanced Engineering
Staff, Ford Motor CompanyÕs Research Laboratory, and his current position
(since December 2003) is Executive Engineer at the Toyota Technical Center,
U.S.A. in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Butts enjoys family life with his wife and
their four children.
3:30 – 4:30 p.m.