Everyone knows not to text and drive. It’s common sense that looking down at a device, even for a split second, can get you into a life-altering wreck. But what happens when you’re a technician performing a dynamic Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) calibration and you have to look down at a tablet to check your progress?
José Gomez of Don’s Mobile Glass in Modesto, California, found that out the hard way. He was on the road doing a recalibration, something he does 10 or more times a day with no problem, when he glanced down at the system’s tablet. In the brief instant he took his eyes away from the road, he drove the brand new Ford truck he was working on directly into the car in front of him.
Jacques Navant says they were able to turn what was initially a bad situation into one that could potentially further safety in the industry.“We ended up turning a bad situation into a great situation,” says Jacques Navant, the technical director for Don’t Mobile Glass as well as president of the AGSC. “The truck was totaled, so we ended up buying the truck. And that ended up with all of us upstairs in the training room for a brainstorming session.”
During that session, Tyler Manual from Don’s Mobile asked, “Why can’t it be voice-activated? Why can’t the tablet just tell you when the calibration is done?”
Navant liked this idea, so he brought it to their ADAS calibration equipment supplier, Launch Tech USA. The company’s engineering team also liked the idea.
“Pretty much 48 hours later, we were testing software with voice-activated alerts telling us the calibration was complete, eliminating the need for the technician to look down at the tablet.”
Navant says he hopes this feature will help keep drivers calibrating safety systems out of unsafe situations in the future.
“It’s just another example of how AGSC is proactive in advancing safety,” he says. “I hope other calibration manufacturers follow suit.”
