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IEE at the Frankfurt International Motorshow

6 September 1999

IEE at the Frankfurt International Motorshow; Luxembourg's IEE Nominated for an FT Global Automotive Safety Award

    LUXEMBOURG, Sept. 6 -- The latest in advanced technology --
hi-tech components slated for integration into the cars of tomorrow -- will be
featured at the 58th annual IAA / International Motor Show -- the automobile
industry's window on the future. 1,200 exhibitors from 43 countries, halls and
open-air exhibition areas on 225,000 m(2) -- from 16 to 26 September, in
Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, the whole range of automotive-industry innovation
goes on show.
    A trade event with a difference, IAA is the place where industry
professionals meet to exchange information and ideas.  At the conferences,
workshops and demonstrations held in conjunction with the show, car makers and
suppliers, traffic experts, researchers, developers, marketing and advertising
specialists get together and talk.
    At this year's IAA, IEE introduces Total Occupant Recognition (TOR), a
concept study aimed at reducing injury to small stature occupants and car
occupants positioned too near an airbag when it suddenly deploys.  TOR has
been installed in a test vehicle and will be demonstrated at the Luxembourg
booth, stand No 64, Hall 5 1A.  IEE will also be showing Occupant Detection
Network (ODN), a sensor system which detects which seat is occupied and counts
the passengers.  Information gathered by ODN goes direct to both the car's
automatic accident signaling system and the car's comfort system.  Another IEE
innovation to be shown at IAA, the Horn Pad Sensor (HPS), allows car
manufacturers to install the horn pad in the middle of the steering wheel and
stow the driver's airbag underneath.  The displayed Anti Trap Protection (ATP)
system eliminates the risk for injury to someone caught between the window
frame and window.
    During IAA, at a gala dinner to be held at Frankfurt-am-Main's
Intercontinental Hotel, the Financial Times will present the FT Global
Automotive Safety Award.  The award honours the past year's most notable
contributions to road safety.  IEE has been nominated for the FT award for its
Occupation Classification (OC) system, a sensor system which prevents
unnecessary airbag deployment by detecting occupation in individual car seats.
OC also enables car occupants to be ranged in up to four classes, limited by
10 year-old child, the 5th percentile female and the 50th percentile male.
When fully realised, "Smart Airbag" sensors, the key components of tomorrow's
"Smart Airbag" systems, will enable passenger-retention systems to instantly
adapt to the requirements of particular situations and the airbag to deploy so
as to neatly complement the action of the corresponding seat-belt tensioner.
    IEE stands a good chance of winning the award.  A total of four companies
are in the running.
    Since 1993 IEE is world-wide the only supplier to offer components for a
situation appropriate airbag deployment.
    Until now IEE has produced more than 5 million Passenger Presence
Detection sensors, a device to notify the presence of a front-seat passenger,
and 2 million child seat presence and orientation detection systems to detect
the presence of a child seat and the orientation it is facing.