Iqe Share Discussion Threads

[crazycoops] 09/9/2018 13:16

Horse riding/racing survived the invention of the motor car!

[dr_smith] 09/9/2018 11:14

46maxon:
"whacking my foot to the metal, an experience I’ve always enjoyed up to 70mph on certain roads"
Yes, a very special experience, man and machine in harmony, tempered by personal risk to self/others.
“Lets start with driverless formula one”
F1 is the test bed for much auto-technology, but it wouldn't have viewer appeal to me - and I suspect most, so given that is driven (oops.. pun) by wordlwide advertising /sponsors for audience reach, I don't see it.

Given premium cost of autonomous car and deprivation of fun driving element, means communal car/taxi like use would be more prevalent.
Currently, longer distance journeys are expensive by taxi as having to pay for unoccupied return leg. As driverless taxi wouldn't have to return to base, or could find reurn passenger or parcel load (via app) would halve their cost, and no driver to pay, so cost effectiveness is much better than todays taxis.

That would mean goodbye to phrase
"I don't go saaaf of river this time o'night guvnor"

No parking fees at destination, door to door service, not having to sit by drunk strangers on train/tube, folks with loud music, so many benefits....but not for those that enjoy driving, motor sport, different car designs.

Motoring in its many forms and sports has a massive presence in our culture, that I will miss.

[squire007] 09/9/2018 10:21

Now battery power is a future, we are so close to topping up batteries in all things in seconds not hours, that then opens the floodgates.... :-)

[horneblower] 09/9/2018 10:16

I'm looking forward to robot Wimbledon.
A computer can beat the world's top chess and Go players.
Now the race is on for a robot to out-play Federer. That's a far greater challenge than chess but it will happen. I'd give it 25 years.

[46maxon] 09/9/2018 09:44

Interesting views and opinions, which present endless chalanges, but, why as an 18 year old should I be denied a driving test, and whacking my foot to the metal, an experience I’ve always enjoyed up to 70mph on certain roads, it goes on, but personally , fast forward
Any distance journeys, and I’d avoid a car, and take a train, plane, or in London, tube underground!
My son works for a small company called ETT industries, which operate electric bikes, I have now purchased the raker, and plug into the house 30 amp socket, but owning and electric car, and it gets tricky. I am now wanting to top-up with juice, in town, with my eon card, opps plug in is owned by SSE,
(very real experience) therefore unable to travel on. Petrol/ diesel
On one pump! Easy access to electricity, (one visa) before , driverless cars, one step at a time. “Lets start with driverless formula one”

[squire007] 09/9/2018 00:17

55 for your info, private lanes for auto cars is the only way you will see a volume of cars. As we cant accommodate space for what we have i guess it ain’t happening anytime soon. That before the tech has stressed to death. :-0

[lpavlou] 08/9/2018 22:05

Finisar went out of their way on the con-call to highlight VCSEL qualifications for automotive use. I presume we are also competing for this market. This will be huge in 5+ years as cars will need substantially more VCSELs than an iPhone.

[dr_smith] 08/9/2018 17:32

SH: Noted re margins.
On functionality - yes, top end features trickle down to lower end phones.

I believe in Western world that phones have big profit margin, but in China/East phones are drastically cheaper for similar if not same components (or LITE version).
If components are truly low cost, they can trickle down to cheaper models, if not a tendency not to use them.
So two dynamics for IQE in phones, one increasing, one decreasing, hopefully still increasing "net".

In 2017 results IQE mentioned Lead time to get new tools into production is 9-12 months. Payback 1 year.

It didn't say if this was 1 year of 8-12 hour daytime usage, or 24/7.
Also says:
"The photonics business is expected to grow at a rate of
35%-60% in the near term based on products currently
in production. The introduction of new technologies
provide potential for higher growth rates, and therefore
we will highlight new technologies as these reach
commercial adoption"

So with emphasis on "based on products currently in production", to what degree increasing use of car photonics is included in that range is open to question.

The expanding tooling costs eat into EPS, so idly guestimating Jam accumulation. :-)

[mad foetus] 08/9/2018 17:24

I understand they already have driverless cars at Heathrow between car park and airport. Quite possible to envisage lanes in cities for electric driverless cars only to encourage usage. It won't be ubiquitous or zero

[sheep_herder] 08/9/2018 16:22

I don't think there are any pricing pressures towards IQE in the phone business. They'll be selling the best technology in the market for the right price and the phone customers will suck up the costs. Just look at the sky rocketing price of a modern phone. Only a couple of years ago I was peed off at having to pay 500 quid and you're looking at near laptop prices for new phones.

[richardc77] 08/9/2018 12:16

Volume is peaking on phones but there will be mass adoption still to come of the features you see in the high end phones, such as FACE ID etc.

I think there will be many self driving cars sold in the next decade but we will all be dead by the time we see the futurescape that is free flowing motorways, of cars all driving at 50 or 70, with commercial vehicles staying in the left lane, and being picked up by a driverless car and being dropped off, paying per journey etc. The infrastructure needed is huge and critical mass needed to make such a system work as envisaged.

Even for critical mass of electrical vehicles the power upgraded power lines needed is a huge, timely and costly. I’m only early 40s so not looking at it with an old mans eyes ;)

[dr_smith] 08/9/2018 11:52

SH: Just seen your post whilst typing the below.
Thank-you.
Levels were covered in the Horizon documentary.
Will read golf article.
Good to see new technology "slid in" in more passive, non-invasive way, so both technology can iron out glitches and us humans adapt to reliance upon them.

Info overload on next gen car sensors looking at web but summary here (not for you as already familiar):



Last para:
Because each type has its advantages and disadvantages, sensors will need to continue to work together to create a complete picture of vehicle surroundings. While a sensor package for a self-driving car today can cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, when the forces of mass manufacturing come into full swing, we’re certain to continue to see these prices drop. We expect this trend toward automation to continue, with vehicles increasingly supplementing a driver’s senses and ultimately replacing them altogether—all to keep us moving safely on the road.

Was hoping for a real world figure per car, rather than "hundreds of thousands of dollars".
Phone market is very price sensitive, so IQE no doubt have margins pressurised, but motor trade can more easily accomodate perhaps higher margin return for IQE, especially as the benefit is very tangible, against say novelty of face ID on phone, so consumer more willing to pay for that benefit.

So increased margins, increased volume from now?? and for next 10 years in motor trade alone, in contrast to say phones, where volume expansion seems to be waning now.

[sheep_herder] 08/9/2018 11:31

DR_SMITH, it's useful to understand the SAE levels The sensors used in all levels will be pretty much the same but as you go to more autonomy, the number of sensors and the processing required increases. So IQE will be in LiDAR, RADAR, RF, possibly optical networking within the car, face detection and ToF sensors within the cabin, microphones etc. Not much changes between the SAE levels.

Here's the article I saw about the Golf but we're yet to hear the details of what they're planning.

[dr_smith] 08/9/2018 11:17

Cheers SH.
I've only seen headline comments from IQE on car sector and don't really have handle on volume of products being phased in to cars. I can imagine sensors going in sooner than later as aides rather than auto driver, and typically to top end cars first, so interesting to hear you feedback.

[jamesrowe] 08/9/2018 10:59

All these fully autonomous vehicles will enable us to commute to work more efficiently and arrive less stressed.... except that our jobs will have been replaced by autonomous systems so we won't need to commute anyway! :-)

Rumour has it that some politicians have already been replaced by Mark 1 level 5 autonomous androids.... however they appear highly unreliable and in one case tweet a stream of random tweets based on popularist views gleaned from searching the Internet.

[sheep_herder] 08/9/2018 10:58

DR_SMITH, sorry, squire refers to another poster. I try to post the name of the person I'm talking to when I post.

DR_SMITH, I'm talking to you now :-), vehicles will have over the air updates. Have a look at how Tesla do it and how often.

As for a timeline on when IQE's products will be in autonomous cars, they're already being used. Level 2 and 3 cars are already common and look at the manufacturers plans for future cars. For example, the next Golf announced recently is said to have the highest level of autonomous driver aid of any car in its class. Fully autonomous cars at Level 5 will take longer but nothing will change in terms of the IQE products included. It's only going to be the sensors and RF side of cellular connections.

[diplomat65] 08/9/2018 10:52

I think S_H was addressing his comments in response to a prior posting by Squire007, not you Sir.

[bocase] 08/9/2018 10:42

Autonomous taxis will be 'in service' in several states of the US next year according to last week's press article - sorry can't remember which paper as I scan them all.

[horneblower] 08/9/2018 10:33

DR_S, You're quite right, I will be fined automatically and the money taken out of my bank within seconds.
It will disadvantage pedestrians who will not be allowed to cross except at official crossings (Dodo Crossings?).
Tesco's car park will be a thing of the past (along with Tesco's, probably as Amazon will have made them redundant).

[belt n braces] 08/9/2018 10:10

Old boys rule!

[dr_smith] 08/9/2018 10:02

SH: I said PORT and bluetooth.
Test vehicles typically have laptops to augment systems!!!
You come over as unpleasant and derogatory.

[dr_smith] 08/9/2018 09:59

SH.I am on about the timescale for iQE components to be seen in future cars (autonomous or otherwise).
You say here now and 5-10 years for commonplace - that is the IQE aspect of my interest, timeline of ramp up.
I have interest too in the changing use of cars. Social chat.
Yes I am an old boy, and hope to see way past 2022 (barring being run over).
(I am not a squire. Odd term to be used by someone in 30's.)
(Edit..apologies...reference to poster "Squire".)

[sheep_herder] 08/9/2018 09:51

DR_SMITH, I love your innocence sometimes. :-) . A USB stick...