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New research by Australia’s Monash University shows visual clutter around roads, including prominent advertising, signs and billboards, can dangerously distract drivers, particularly older ones.
Nürberg university will host two training events in July. The first is “Days of automotive Lighting / Tage der Kraftfahrzeugbeleuchtung,” July 7-9, 2009. This two-day tutorial will give engineers
One hundred and thirty abstracts were submitted for ISAL this year, and because of their high quality, it has taken a great deal of careful scrutiny by the Steering Committee to select sixty-five papers for presentation.
Hella are launching their RTK 7 special signaling system at the IPOMEX trade fair, which will take place from March 31 until April 2, 2009, in Münster. The new light bar bristles with LEDs
Councils across the UK have the opportunity to save around £35m of taxpayers’ money each year, cut an estimated 150,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, and reduce light pollution by adopting
Scientists in Philips‘ research brigade are developing OLEDs that are transparent when off, and uniformly opaque and luminous when lit. The company has released photos demonstrating
Japanese and French researchers are using evanescent waves to enhance the light output of LEDs.
Ichikoh have announced temporary closures at two of their plants in Japan as well the elimination of 730 jobs. The shutdowns anf downsizing are in response to declining demand from automakers.
Continental’s second-generation Intelligent Headlamp Control system is being installed in series production for the first time, on Mercedes‘ new E-Class.
“No defect in Lexus LED headlamp since SOP, May 2007”
After studying mechanical engineering at Kyoto University and its graduate school, Shuichi Goto joined Toyota Motor Corporation in 1969. From 1994, he was in charge of developing new vehicles as Chief Engineer at Toyota until he was appointed Director at Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in 1997, where he is now Executive Vice President.
He is also in charge of developing technologies and managing various overseas projects of Koito as Chief Director of Technology and Chief Director of the International Unit, respectively.
Driving Vision News: Koito is known as a special partner of Toyota like Visteon with Ford. Is it still true? What is the Toyota share of your portfolio? What are your second and third customers after Toyota?
Shuichi Goto: As of last year (fiscal 2007), Toyota accounts for about 40% of Koito Group’s sales, which is the highest percentage among our customers. This also means that the remainder, about 60%, is customers other than Toyota. Specifically, Toyota is followed by Nissan and then by Honda. Koito supplies lamps to many car makers worldwide and to all Japanese car makers.
DVN: Koito is more focused to Asia and North America with NAL. You are starting few years ago in Europe with Renault then Porsche, Audi and now you were awarded by PSA. What is your strategy in Europe?
S.G.: We consider Europe as an enormous market and also as the birthplace of automobiles; Europe has many automotive lamp manufacturers which have excellent development and manufacturing engineering capabilities in addition to long traditions.
Koito set up subsidiaries in the United Kingdom in 1996 and in the Czech Republic in 2001, yet we still do not have enough experience. We intend to become firmly established in Europe by continuing to learn European business styles and building upon our reputation for quality and product reliability.
DVN: How is your R&D organization? All research is done in Japan? Project development resources for European car makers are also in Japan?
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