As journalists covering the automotive industry we spend a lot of our time talking to engineering consultancies and like Munro & Associates. There are so many firms out there you’ve maybe never heard of that possess a ton of insight and information. One of these firms is ITB Group, which also holds fascinating conferences with many of the key designers and decision makers shaping the next generation of cars. We’re excited to announce a partnership with ITB Group that’s going to start with the New Cabin Technologies conference after the Detroit Auto Show on September 15th in Novi, Michigan.
ITB Group is a major automotive consulting firm that’s tracked technical developments in the space for more than 30 years. If an automakers wants to know what’s going on with battery cooling systems in China or biofuels in Brazil they’ll often call ITB Group for an answer. In addition, ITB Group holds conferences throughout the year that bring the biggest and most influential names in various parts of the automotive world together to preview the future.
Typically, these kinds of conferences produce a lot of insight but it’s not something that filters down to consumers until those developments end up in vehicles. We’re working with ITB Group to help start to change that.
Jason Will Be Speaking At The Conference And Covering What To Expect Inside Your Next New Car
Our own Jason Torchinsky, who spends a lot of time thinking about the human machine interface will be covering the conference and attending presentations like Automotive Smart Windows Enabled by Lightweight and Biaxially Formable Tintable Liquid Crystal Films and Enabling Dynamic and Functional Lighting Integration through Genuine Materials.
In the weeks after the event, Jason will be crystalizing and reporting on a lot of what he’s learned and will be explaining it on this site. I, for one, am curious to learn about biaxially formable tintable liquid crystal films.
At the event, Jason will be participating in a post-lunch panel called “The Future State of the Cabin” that’ll include a discussion about the return of buttons, upcoming HMI improvements, and what it means to have a cabin in a car without a steering wheel. It’ll be awesome.
How To Attend If You’re Into That Sort Of Thing
Obviously, this is an extremely insider-y conference mostly attended by people in the industry. If you’d like to attend, it’ll be at the Sheraton Detroit Novi Hotel outside of Detroit on September 15th, after the Detroit Auto Show. You can register to attend here.
If you work for an OEM and have an OEM email address, like fionabickerton@lotus.com, you can sign up and attend for free. If you work for a supplier or someone else and are an Autopian Member, you can get a 10% discount on attending by using a code that was emailed out to members. Note: the conference is $845 so the 10% savings is actually more than what a cloth membership costs, so if you want to sign up just for the discount you can! If you do, email us and I can send you the code.
If You’re Not Attending It’ll Still Be Cool
Obviously, $845 is way too much money to spend if you are just casually interested, but we have a large number of industry professionals who read the site so we thought we’d offer the chance to save a little money. If you’re not going, don’t worry, Jason is going to bring back a bunch of great stories.
The hope is that, through this partnership, we can bring readers a lot of fascinating information that you’d otherwise not get access to in any other way.
So does ‘partner’ mean they’re giving Autopian either money or info? Or you get to positively influence future design? Either way it sounds like a win.
Overall it sounds interesting with some subjects closer to very. Looking forward to any articles!
Whoa. Back the train up.
Matt, did you just reference Keen Eddie with that Fiona Bickerton name drop?
The early-2000’s, single-season show about a New York cop that winds up in London that I absolutely own on DVD?
Man, I bet Fiona Bickerton is gonna be pissed about this.
Fiona who?
It’s obscure but is in the article, LOL.
It’s the sample email address used.
Yeah it was more of a rhetorical question… LOL
I’m probably alone in this, but since you mentioned Jason would be speaking at a “post-lunch” panel, I would actually be curious about what was served for lunch (assuming it was provided).
Wheelbarrow full of shrimp.
Well $885 seems a bit much for a dry conference in Detroit, didnt you guys just remove the last man from Detroit, and now start conferences? But i guess if the corporate Ho gonna be there it might be worth it.
wow two events in detroit, never thought I would see it on the autopian
I want to see more cars with bare interiors designed for weight reduction, and simple toggle switches/buttons for everything. As long as the seats are sufficiently comfortable and everything is ergonomically placed, and there is enough room for the average sized person, it will be more than enough interior for my needs. I don’t need heated/cooled seats or steering wheel, nor do I need massage seats, I don’t give a crap about cup holders, I don’t really need power anything(in fact, prefer manual seats/mirrors/roll-up windows because they are generally less prone to failure and easier to repair), I don’t need or want any infotainment, and definitely don’t want capacitive touch screens with all of the car’s functions integrated into it…
I want my car to be a car. You know, something where I operate it, and it takes me where I need to go, and does so for minimal hassle, maintenance, repairs, fuel consumption, or expense. And also the faster it can do so and/or the more fun it is to hoon about when no one is looking, the better.
I agree with almost everything said here, I want my car to be a car rather than rolling wheels connected to a computer, but I do want some power features. Comfort and convenience take a bigger role for some of us after we’ve hooned numerous vehicles.
Post lunch, when everyone is drunk and sleepy.
When scheduling Torch to talk to normies, this was probably a strategic time slot choice.
Wakes up from post-lunch slumber.
”oh god is he STILL speaking?’
Nods off again.
Is this going to involve Ayahuasca and if so is the audience going to partake as well?
In related news, China announced today that it has reached an agreement in principle with Jason Torchinsky to transport all of its abandoned EVs to North Carolina where they will be permanently parked in Mr. Torchinsky’s back yard. Neighbors were unavailable for comment.
Congrats on the partnership with ITB Group. Very smart move. Jason probably shouldn’t wear the Airplane T shirt.
Who are they and does Jason get free throttle bodies?
Improvised
Throttle
Bodies
Biaxially Formable Tintable Genuine Materials.Sounds suspiciously as if it has something to do with the way octopuses change shape and colour.
I was tempted to sign up with my work OEM email, even though there’s no way they’d pony up for the hotel.
But then I thought about it for a second.
Jason, I love you lots. I would love to hang out with you and talk this stuff.
But for the love of all that is holy, please, please allow me to preserve the tiniest shred of my sanity by NOT giving me a preview of what absolute abominations the lowest paid ‘developers’ and ‘UX designers’ on the continent are going to produce next.
“What if we put the turn signal on a capacitive button? Or better, a contextual touchscreen!” <infinite screaming>
Having Jason there should provide some sort of balance, and a voice of reason. Buttons please.
“Jason” and “voice of reason”.
Wow. Never thought I’d read that.
I’ve never understood why so many people seem to assume that “reason” necessarily means “sound reason.”
“What if we put the turn signal on a capacitive button?”
Put it on the steering wheel so its position changes while turning, too, and you’ve got something pretty close to the Techno Wheel used in the Movitron Teener (among the many names under which this vehicle was sold):
https://ogden_images.s3.amazonaws.com/www.ljworld.com/images/2009/08/22145447/electric_car_teener017-1024×683.jpg
Just imagine what it will be like when the sensors start to fail/malfunction and your signals keep randomly turning on/off, along with your hazard flashers. Maybe even your headlights/brights/interior dome light too…
Im guessing pretty soon we will actually need blinker fluid. And will be able to order auto refill mailed on a subscription.
Just another reason to drive a BMW – never needs blinker fluid.
From chainsawing lead-acid batteries in a cheap Chinese old folks car to talking about the future of car interiors at a Detroit conference, Jason is really moving up in the world. Congrats, my man!