Mike Haag covers motorsports for the San Antonio Express-News. Email: MichaelTHaag@aol.com. Twitter: @MikeHaag
Some of the newest, latest and greatest innovative technological designs and concepts that will soon hit the market are being showcased this week at the Freescale Technology Forum of the Americas.
The four-day technology conference, which is being held at the J.W. Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa, has attracted more than 2,200 people from around the world.
Freescale officials said that the attendees will participate in hands-on sessions and lectures featuring automotive, health care, consumer and smart devices, industrial, networking, enabling technologies and smart energy.
?We are so happy to be back in San Antonio for the Freescale Technology Forum,? said Steve Nelson, Freescale Director of Auto Marketing, Americas. ?This is our flagship event. We have partners from literally around the world that come here to network with each other. They also talk about Freescale products and our entire ecosystem. Automotive, which is one of the components, is a big part of our forum this year.?
NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Matt Kenseth's show car is on display this week at the Freescale Technology Forum. Photo by Mike Haag/San Antonio Express-News
One of the highlights of the technology forum and conference includes a panel discussion on Thursday with Doug Yates, CEO of Roush Yates Engines and Dr. Peter van Manen, Managing Director for McLaren Electronics Systems.
Nelson said that Freescale, along with Roush Yates Engines and Doug Yates will promote how they are using technology in NASCAR this season. Part of the discussion will be how electronic fuel injection is working in NASCAR this season. Yates has seen much success with McLaren and the Freescale engine control unit that is mounted on the right-side dash of every car that is racing on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit this season. In addition, Yates will talk about the success of the Ford FR9 engine.
?Introducing fuel injection into NASCAR has almost been flawless,? Nelson said. ?The big thing that all of the teams have seen now is the value of data. Most of the people here at this forum are engineers and our lives are built around data. Now the NASCAR teams are getting data after the race that they have never had before. So these race teams now have had to bring in people that can analyze the data. It?s what we do and it?s about intelligence. That box on the dash has literally changed the sport forever.?
Nelson also said that Freescale has introduced a contingency special award to NASCAR Sprint Cup competitors this season. Billed as the Freescale Wide Open award, the award is eligible each week for the Sprint Cup Series driver who is the most aggressive during the final 20 percent of the race, which is measured by having the throttle ?wide open? the greatest amount of time and finishing in the top five.
The Roush Yates FR9 engine is on display this week at the Freescale Technology Forum. Photo by Mike Haag/San Antonio Express-News
?At the end of the season one of the NASCAR Sprint Cup series drivers will receive $100,000 from Freescale,? Nelson said. ?This contingency award gives the drivers something extra to race for at the last stages of the race each week.?
Part of Tuesday?s technology?sessions?included a panel discussion led by Henri Richard, who is the Senior Vice President, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for Freescale. Richard also competes in the American LeMans Series with Silicon Tech Racing and Dempsey Racing.
Henri and Freescale announced a new line of automotive devices to expand basic auto infotainment functions beyond luxury cars and into the mainstream, including new devices that are coupled with software support to cover 80 percent of automakers development needs.
?One of Freescale?s passions is to partner with our customers to bring their innovations to life. There is no better example of this enthusiasm for our customers? creativity than the Freescale Technology Forum,? Richard said. ?We?re particularly excited about the 2012 program because it will be the first time for many of our customers to get a first-hand experience with some of our latest solutions, including the Kinetis L series based on the ARM? Cortex?-M0+ core, the QorIQ Qonverge QorIQ B4860 baseband processor and much, much more. The race for innovation is on at FTF!?
In addition, several of Freescale?s partners and vendors are?showcasing new inventions and features for automobiles such as voice command, smartphone integration and interactive, streaming audio.
An upclose look at the electronic control unit that NASCAR is using this year on all engines in the Sprint Cup Series. Photo by Mike Haag/San Antonio Express-News
One of the displays at the Freescale Technology Forum is a concept car that is complete with all kinds of new technology. Photo by Mike Haag/San Antonio Express-News
Mike Haag has covered motorsports for the San Antonio Express-News since 1988. In addition to writing for the Express-News, Mike also teaches American and British literature at Floresville High School. He can be heard on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon on Track Smack with Dawn Murphy on KMACSports.com and TrackSmackwithDawnMurphy.com.packers score ricky gervais napoleon dynamite michelle williams the descendants the descendants homeland
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