Key Takeaways
- The mobility industry is facing a shortage of skilled personnel, hindering sustainable product development and the management of complex software and hardware designs.
- Toyota and Fujitsu have collaborated to automate the ECU development process, leveraging Toyota’s design standards, Toyota Systems’ CAE analysis expertise, and Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer and AI technology.
- The automation of the connector pin placement design process has significantly reduced design review times and reliance on individual expertise.
- The partnership between Toyota, Toyota Systems, and Fujitsu demonstrates the potential for industry collaboration and technology integration to address complex challenges in the mobility industry.
Introduction to the Mobility Industry’s Challenges
The mobility industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the need for sustainable product development and the increasing complexity of software and hardware designs. However, this transformation is being hindered by a severe shortage of skilled personnel, which is affecting the industry’s ability to innovate and meet the demands of a rapidly changing market. The industry requires a significant number of skilled engineers and technicians to design, develop, and manufacture complex systems, including electronic control units (ECUs), which are a critical component of modern vehicles. The ECU development process involves a range of complex tasks, including the design of connector pin placement, which can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process.
The Challenge of Connector Pin Placement Design
In the ECU development process at Toyota, the connector pin placement design for a 100-pin terminal array involves a vast number of combinations, approximately 9.3 x 10^157. This complexity led to prolonged design review times and a heavy reliance on individual expertise, which can be a significant bottleneck in the development process. The reliance on individual expertise can also lead to inconsistencies and errors, which can have significant consequences in terms of cost, quality, and safety. To address these issues, Toyota recognized the need to automate the connector pin placement design process, leveraging technology and expertise from across the industry.
Collaboration and Technology Integration
To address the challenges of connector pin placement design, Toyota Systems and Fujitsu, in collaboration with Toyota, attempted to automate the process. This collaboration brought together Toyota’s design standards and expertise, Toyota Systems’ operational and infrastructure knowledge in Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) analysis, and Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer, a core component of Fujitsu Computing as a Service, and its AI technology. The Digital Annealer is a quantum-inspired computer that can quickly solve complex optimization problems, making it an ideal solution for the connector pin placement design challenge. By integrating these technologies and expertise, the partners aimed to reduce design review times, improve consistency, and minimize the reliance on individual expertise.
The Benefits of Automation
The automation of the connector pin placement design process has significant benefits for the mobility industry. By leveraging technology and expertise from across the industry, companies like Toyota can reduce design review times, improve consistency, and minimize the reliance on individual expertise. This can lead to faster time-to-market, improved quality, and reduced costs. Additionally, the automation of complex design tasks can help to address the shortage of skilled personnel, by freeing up experienced engineers and technicians to focus on higher-value tasks. The partnership between Toyota, Toyota Systems, and Fujitsu demonstrates the potential for industry collaboration and technology integration to address complex challenges in the mobility industry.
The Future of ECU Development
The automation of the connector pin placement design process is just the beginning of a larger transformation in the ECU development process. As the mobility industry continues to evolve, companies like Toyota will need to leverage technology and expertise from across the industry to address the increasing complexity of software and hardware designs. This will require significant investments in research and development, as well as collaboration between industry partners, academia, and government. By working together, the industry can develop new technologies and processes that can help to address the shortage of skilled personnel, improve sustainability, and drive innovation. The partnership between Toyota, Toyota Systems, and Fujitsu is an important step in this direction, and demonstrates the potential for collaboration and technology integration to drive positive change in the mobility industry.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the mobility industry is facing significant challenges, including a shortage of skilled personnel and the increasing complexity of software and hardware designs. However, through collaboration and technology integration, companies like Toyota, Toyota Systems, and Fujitsu are developing new solutions to address these challenges. The automation of the connector pin placement design process is just one example of how technology can be leveraged to improve efficiency, consistency, and quality in the ECU development process. As the industry continues to evolve, it is likely that we will see more examples of collaboration and technology integration, driving innovation and positive change in the mobility industry. By working together, companies, academia, and government can help to address the complex challenges facing the industry, and create a more sustainable and innovative future for mobility.
