Tactile Mobility was also shortlisted at the event for the ‘Best ADAS or Autonomous Product/Service’ category as well as ‘Best Data/AI Product/Service.’
- About the award: The TU-Automotive Awards are the most prestigious awards ceremony for the connected car industry.
The hottest awards show of the year commenced on the evening of June 4, 2019. Bringing together the best, most innovative and most accomplished OEMs, Tier 1s, startups and more, the annual TU-Automotive Awards party marks the official kick-off to TU-Automotive Detroit, the premier event highlighting and dissecting the evolution of mobility.
Attendees were immediately treated to themed cocktails, such as the E-Mobilitini. They also came face to face with a unique spectacle of blue, Tron-inspired visuals that included flashing, LED-wrapped glasses, glowing wristbands, flickering balloons and accented up-lighting.
One stage performer – dressed in a black jumpsuit that would’ve been right at home in the popular movie franchise – juggled glowing bowling pins. Another spun a hula-hoop for a sublime display of lights. Later, cover band Weekend ComeBack performed a number of pop and classic rock hits.
But more than the drinks, food and entertainment, the TU-Automotive Awards were about honoring those who dared to think outside the box. They were about the many industry players that accepted the challenge to excel and greatly exceeded all expectations.
“We won an award for implementing the world’s first fully connected intersection, located in Marysville, Ohio,” said Sue Bai, principal engineer at Honda R&D America. Honda beat out MDGo, Xevo, Harman (a Samsung company) and iNAGO inc. to take home the award for Best Connected Product/Service.
“We did something I don’t think anyone else did: connect unequipped vehicles and road users to connected vehicles for the protection of pedestrians,” Bai added. “We even allowed emergency vehicles to travel faster.”
This is the kind of project that captivates Bai while inspiring others to break new ground.
“We’re showing people that this is the future that is coming instead of waiting years when it finally comes,” she said. “We now have a vision of what it looks like.” And with that vision others can design and implement applications – and come up with original ideas all their own – based on this real-world example of the days ahead.
Honda hopes to expand this concept to other intersections, improving safety while providing others with a glimpse of what’s possible. It won’t happen overnight, however.
“That’s a big corner to turn,” said Bai, noting that there are other smart deployments in Japan and the United States, as well as Europe. “But it’s not as far as you would think.”
Rising star
Jillian Goldberg, VP of marketing and investor relations for GuardKnox, a cyber-security solutions provider, was excited to take home the Rising Star of the Year award. The company recently raised $21 million in a Series A led by Fraser McCombs Capital, along with financial support from Faurecia, Shanghai Automotive’s SAIC Capital and Glory Ventures, among others.
GuardKnox is one of many trying to develop the perfect formula for reducing (if not eliminating) cyber attacks, edging out three other nominees – IRYStec Inc., Harman and Trafi.
“It isn’t just a win for me, it’s also a big win for GuardKnox as well,” said Goldberg, who also leads the company’s business development in North America and Japan. “I’m very humbled by this. I am one of the younger people in the industry, so to be in this room – with all these really esteemed companies in the industry – is such an honor. I’m so happy to have been recognized.”
Tonight was a moment to celebrate, but soon it will be time to get back to work on protecting the future of mobility.
“Cyber-security is obviously the foundation of all of this,” Goldberg continued. “And when we talk about cyber-security in our vehicles, we’re actually talking about safety. The car is the smallest unit in which my entire family is gathered, so I care about the safety of my passengers, but I also am craving so much more. And the more and more connectivity end users crave, the more risks that creates. We want to be able to enable the industry to evolve the way that it wants to without affecting the safety of our loved ones.”
Recognizing the very best
Rachel Yoon, global marketing manager for Penta Security Systems, didn’t expect her company to win the award for Best Auto Cyber-security Product/Service. With so much competition – including BlackBerry, Karamba Security, Cybellum, SafeRide Technologies and GuardKnox – Yoon was taken aback by the win.
“We’re really excited we won it and we just think it’s a recognition of our 22-year journey,” said Yoon, whose company has become the number-one provider of Web application firewalls in Asia Pacific. “We’re looking to expand into the US and European market.”
Amazon – known for everything from e-books and online shopping to streaming video and commercial Web services – proved its prowess in yet another area: automotive. The tech giant scored a win for Best Auto Mobility Product/Service.
“This is a great award to be recognized by TU-Automotive,” said Chris Wenneman, director of Amazon’s Alexa Auto. “We’ve made some great progress, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us and a lot of great things we have to do for our customers in the car.”
Two-time winner
As anyone who has attended TU-Automotive Detroit can attest, the level of competition has never been higher. Between startups and massive tech companies entering the fray, and industry stalwarts doing whatever they can to up their game, it takes a lot to stand out.
Just ask Cambridge Mobile Telematics. Having raised $500 million from SoftBank Vision Fund, the company has developed a platform and wireless tag that could be described as OnStar meets forward-thinking telematics. CMT’s success has been so apparent that it took home the award for Best Auto Digital Insurance Product/Service two years in a row.
“The first year was for the DriveWell platform,” boasted Ryan McMahon, VP of marketing at Cambridge Mobile Telematics. “This year is for the DriveWell tag.”
When combined, the tag and platform allow CMT to gain new insights into the car and those behind the wheel, providing an unprecedented look at driving performance and vehicle dynamics.
Full winners list
The following is a complete winners list from this year’s TU-Automotive Awards:
OEM of the Year Nominees
Mitsubishi Motors
Toyota
Nissan
Winner: Mitsubishi Motors
Best Connected Product/Service Nominees
MDGo
Xevo
Harman, a Samsung company
iNAGO inc.
Honda
Winner: Honda for Smart Intersection
Best Connected Product/Service for the Commercial Vehicle Market Nominees
Tactile Mobility for Tactile Sensing and Data Platform
SafeRide Technologies
Zonar System
Sygic
Qualcomm
Winner: Tactile Mobility for Tactile Sensing and Data Platform
Best Auto Digital Insurance Product/Service Nominees
Trak Global Group
Carrot Insurance
LexisNexis Risk Solutions
Cambridge Mobile Telematics
Munich Reinsurance America, Inc.
Winner: Cambridge Mobile Telematics
Best ADAS or Autonomous Product/Service
WaveSense
PreAct Technologies
Tactile Mobility
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd
Harman, a Samsung company
Blackmore Sensors and Analytics, Inc.
Winner: PreAct Technologies
Best Auto Mobility Product/Service
Amazon for Alexa
Ridecell
Eyesight Technologies
Eyeris Technologies, Inc.
Xevo
Luxoft
Winner: Amazon for Alexa
Best Auto Cybersecurity Product/Service
Penta Security Systems for AutoCrypt
Karamba Security
Cybellum
BlackBerry Limited
SafeRide Technologies
GuardKnox
Winner: Penta Security Systems for AutoCrypt
Best Data/A.I. Product/Service
Tactile Mobility
SafeRide Technologies for vXRay
Agero
SoundHound
Eyeris Technologies, Inc.
Winner: SafeRide Technologies for vXRay
Best eMobility Product/Service
Konetik Deutschland GmbH for Konetik Electric Vehicle Feasibility Assessment
ChargeHub
Ensto
Winner: Konetik Deutschland GmbH for Konetik Electric Vehicle Feasibility Assessment
Newcomer of the Year
Quantoz Blockchain Technology
WaveSense
Privacy4Cars
Enigmatos
Aurora Labs
Winner: WaveSense
Influencer of the Year
Rio Hondo College
Navistar, Inc.
PreAct Technologies
The Floow Ltd
GuardKnox
robocars.com
Winner: Navistar, Inc.
Rising Star of the Year
IRYStec Inc.
Harman
GuardKnox
Trafi
Winner: GuardKnox