Our week in Detroit was as tiring as ever – bringing two events together really was the right decision, but it’s nearly twice as much work! But it was totally worth it, the feedback we received across the board justified the decision, and with the growing team as Sense Media we had enough people to make it all happen.
There were so many highlights, from the DAVG-led workshop for schoolchildren, the latest IEEE-SA P2020 meeting as the standard approaches publication, the inaugural discussions of IEEE-SA P3377 on in-cabin sensing, and the Lynred afterparty on the riverfront… However these are my three key takeaways:
1. Thermal imaging is coming – you better be prepared. Mandated safety requirements for night-time operation, and the performance enhancements that thermal imaging can provide mean this is a space to watch over the coming years. Not to replace existing sensing, but recent innovations in thermal technologies to make them more affordable and suitable for automotive applications mean it’s hard to see how they won’t be a core part of the sensor array in the near future. And as highlighted in our closing panel discussion featuring Kristin White, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, thermal imaging doesn’t discriminate based on skin color or disability – we all glow just the same on a thermal camera.
2. Engineers love to get hands on with our Demos – we had more demos than ever in Detroit 2024, with full vehicles, buck demos, sensor rigs, and more, the audience at AutoSens really love to see the technology up close, and all our exhibitors send highly knowledgeable FAEs and sales engineers to get into the details of their latest innovations. 2024 set a new standard, and we’ll continue to bring even more demos in the future, building on those we saw this year from Valeo, ADASKY, Gentex, VSI Labs, OMNIVISION, Autoware Foundation and Samsung.
3. Detroit is THRIVING! Fresh from hosting the NFL draft in April, and so much investment over the recent years, it was a real eye-opener to see how smart the downtown area has become. It’s a real transformation since 2014 when I came to the Motor City for the first time. Built on local investment, energy, and passion for this mighty metropolis, Detroit is currently a vibrant, bright and bustling travel destination for either business or pleasure. Right at the heart of that is the automotive industry, which has its challenges just like all sectors in the post-pandemic world, but there is so much transformative innovation going on across safety, powertrain, and infotainment, the energy here was on another level and we can’t wait to come back in another 12 months and see what else is new!
Massive thanks to EVERYONE who made the even possible, from our sponsors and exhibitors including OMNIVISION, Samsung and Sheba Microsystems, our speakers and advisory board, the over 800 attendees(!) and the amazing Sense Media team for making this truly an event to remember.
