BRACKNELL, UK. 13TH JULY 2017: Volkswagen and Panasonic have collaborated to create a new rugged and versatile Automotive Mobile Test Solution (AMTS).
“Together with Volkswagen we defined the requirements of a mobile test device,” said Gunnar Samsen, Project Manager at Panasonic Computer Products Europe. “It was our goal not only to implement each individual technical requirement, but to optimise the product for other future applications as well and develop a form factor that would enable production employees to do their work as well as possible.”
Panasonic worked with its Computer Docking Solutions team in Cardiff, Wales, to develop the solution, which incorporated a unique design to attach the AMTS device to the steering wheels of the vehicles in production.
Christoph Lach, Project Manager, at Volkswagen AG explained: “The AMTS is based on the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 tablet and it meets our production requirements. We use the hardware for commissioning the control units in the vehicle. We have the option of connecting to an external vehicle communication interface, which enables us to communicate with the vehicle, but we can also load the UPS-Client from the vehicle. The steering wheel holder meets all the requirements we had here in the group, which means it’s compatible with every steering wheel.”
And for staff at the Volkswagen Wrzesnia Bialezyce manufacturing plant in Poland, building the new VW Crafter commercial vehicles, the device has been a hit. Sebastian Janiszewski, Automotion Specialist, said: “The device is much more ergonomic because it’s lighter in weight and easier to hold, and the new integrated holder means I can attach it to the steering wheel effortlessly.”
“For the duration of the project Volkswagen provided outstanding support for the development and finalisation of the AMTS,” concluded Panasonic’s Samsen.
