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20 The PCB Magazine • February 2017 They have seen the advantage of the technol- ogy and continue exploring VeCS technology. We have also developed workarounds in some of the CAD systems, as shown in Figure 4. There is still some manual work, but we can demon- strate the technology and gain advantage of the VeCS benefits. We can also train and qualify your preferred PCB suppliers, and offer training to the OEM under a license agreement. Starkey: Joan, I am very grateful for your time in introducing me to what I could confidently de- scribe as a potentially disruptive PCB technology. Tourné: Thanks for your interest, Pete. But I have only given you a glimpse of what this technology has to offer. I hope you have gained an understanding of the fundamental principles of what we can achieve. There is so much more I could explain about practical aspects, appli- cation opportunities and the VeCS technology roadmap. I would be delighted to prepare a se- ries of detailed articles if you believe they would appeal to the designers and fabricators among your readers. Starkey: That's a splendid offer, Joan, and well worth pursuing. Many thanks, again. PCB VERTICAL CONDUCTIVE STRUCTURES—A NEW DIMENSION IN HIGH-DENSITY PRINTED CIRCUIT INTERCONNECT Figure 4: VeCS technology in Altium design system. One in four passenger ve- hicles sold by 2025 is poised to feature digital instrument clusters, dedicated passenger infotainment systems, and integrated biometrics with bought-in device functionality. Original equipment manufac- turers (OEMs) are grappling to design components that are in line with fast-changing tech- nology trends and customer expectations. "The luxury segment car of the future will have augmented reality HUD, OLED displays, interac- tive cabin doors and windows, advanced biomet- rics, and ample infotainment for passengers," said Frost & Sullivan Intelligent Mobility Research Ana- lyst Joe Praveen Vijayakumar. "The mass-market car segment cockpit will have temperature-con- trolled seats, Combiner HUD, TFT LCD displays and substantial biometrics features for vehicle se- curity, Driver Monitoring and Health Wellness and Wellbeing (HWW)." Cockpit and Cabin Strategies of Automakers, 2016–2025 is part of Frost & Sullivan's Mobility: Automo- tive & Transportation Growth Partnership Service program. According to the research, ad- vancements in technology will influence every component of the cockpit, ushering in an era of new travel experience, ded- icated instrument clusters and infotainment screens. Leading players have adopted various strate- gies to gain market share and competitive advan- tage, including a light-diffusing fiber, which is an alternative to separately weaving light-emitting diode into interior fabrics for ambient lighting, developed by Corning; a solar-powered, organic, light-emitting-diode-fitted transparent car roof in partnership with BASF, in development by Philips. "Biometrics will be an integral part of cockpits and cabins of the future, and OEMs and suppliers should pursue partnerships with innovative bio- metric companies or fund relevant nascent start- ups," noted Praveen. Telematics to Shape Cockpit and Cabin Strategies