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| Porsche develops dual digital technology to predict maintenance problems |
About three years ago, Porsche developed a digital twin with the all-electric Taycan, and so far the automaker has focused on the chassis, as it is the most important part of its car, the part that can withstand constant high loads, especially when it crosses a lane.
A digital twin is a virtual copy of an existing object. Regardless of whether it is a vehicle, system or component, you can monitor, diagnose and even perform data-driven analytics without interacting with the actual vehicle or part of it.
Digital twins enable car manufacturers to monitor vehicle usage under adverse conditions, improve security systems, simplify access to services and much more.
The company hopes your vehicle can provide early maintenance alerts, proactively remind you of unsafe road conditions, and even help you increase sales revenue.
He leads the development work for digital twins Cariad, an independent automotive software company of the Volkswagen Group.
As part of this larger organization, Porsche can access information from all vehicles in the Volkswagen Group, increasing the amount of data it can process.
Predictive maintenance alerts can be activated using digital twin technology. After a pit, the vehicle can expect to replace one of the shock absorbers within the next two weeks.
The decision is made based on the data collected by the accelerometer. The vehicle can then alert the driver of an impending failure and even remind the owner's preferred dealership that relevant parts are available for a seamless service experience.
Porsche could bring this technology to market next year
The air suspension of the Porsche Taycan is monitored and half of the car owners decide to participate in the pilot program.
Acceleration data is collected and sent to the rear system, which compares this information with other vehicles in the fleet.
If the threshold is exceeded, the driver can be reminded to check his vehicle for possible damage. Secrecy is very important to Porsche. Car owners need to register to share all data and all data remains anonymous.
The data is pre-processed in the vehicle to reduce the amount to be transferred. However, the owner can deactivate this transmission of information at any time.
Engines can do that, too. The owner's driving style can be verified by comparing data collected from his vehicle with information collected from other drivers' cars.
This information can also be used to adjust service intervals and even remind technicians to check certain components, saving time and increasing safety.
Access to digital twins can also help technicians diagnose intermittent problems. If there is a click in the suspension at some point, the digital twin can display the type of input that caused the noise, the possible steering angle and driving speed.
This additional information makes it easier to identify and solve difficult problems. The digital twin can warn other Porsche owners of dangerous situations.
Digital twins can also help add value to your vehicle by improving your driving habits. Companies can provide car owners with historical reports on their vehicles.
The report concluded that maintenance and repair work was carried out as planned and that the vehicles had not been misused.
This information can help the car owner prove that they serviced the car, which could lead to a higher selling price. In addition, Porsche can offer drivers an extended warranty period if maintenance and repair work is carried out as planned.