I'm not so much of a car fan as I am a technology fan. But as it turns out, cars and technology go hand-in-hand -- from social media to energy sources to ....
Here are some of the "non-automotive" things I learned from NAIAS...
2. Denso invented the QR code. I am familiar with Denso, a subsidiary of Toyota with a North American Headquarters in the 'burbs of Detroit, so this came as a huge surprise to me. In 1994, Denso invented the QR code as a way to track vehicles through the manufacturing process. Mind blown that this occurred so close to home! I wonder if they ever expected it revolutionize the way we conduct sales, marketing, supply chain management and basically everything else?!
QR codes are an essential link between the physical world and the digital world.
QR codes are an essential link between the physical world and the digital world.
| Photo courtesy of The Detroit News |
3. Smarter energy sources are on everyone's mind. And shouldn't it be? If I had to pick one industry that I thought would be stuck in their ways for all time when it comes to alternative fuel, it would be automotive. I may have even toyed with the idea that manufacturers and gas companies are in it together (I'm big into conspiracy theories). But as it turns out, alternative energy sources and electric vehicles were a reoccurring theme as the NAIAS this year. Toyota and Mercedes, as well as others, flaunted their EVs in style to the world.
Alternative energy sources have also been on my mind lately too. I purchased the Fuse 4W Solar Charger from Voltaic Systems for my boyfriend for Christmas. Now he can charge his phone while riding his bike this summer!
This technology has come a long way in recent years and it seems to be picking up momentum in one of the most important, and fuel dependent, industries in the country. I hope this keeps up.
4. Detroit is ready to make a comeback. Detroit, the Motor City, is ready to be front in center in the automotive industry once again. Officials coin 2012 as the "comeback" year for NAIAS due to the pickup of the automotive industry. This highlights Detroit again as the world's expert in automotive and its technologies. But a successful event also has a lot to do with the location. Despite recent(ish) financial troubles, Detroit is trying to make the best with what they have and making sure all expected 40,000 attendees are thoroughly happy with their time spent in The D.
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