Transform the use and meaning of the vehicle: from a pure mobility tool to an environment to live in and configure
After the launch of the 1.0 and 2.0 technology releases and the introduction of the Tuc.nestThe ‘Kit for Mobility Space Development‘ in Dubai, the company today presents its industrialized version Tuc 3.0 and the results of the last few years of research and development carried out within the Tuc.hub which led to the industrialization by Tuc.technology. The company’s goal is to provide a standard technological architecture with which to build the vehicles of the future, after having developed and patented an innovative technology that allows the development of modular solutions for ‘human-centric’ vehicles. Tuc transforms the use and meaning of the vehicle: from a pure mobility tool to an environment to live in and configure. A patented system for creating your own vehicle with no limits other than those dictated by your needs in a functional, flexible and coherent way with the new social needs aimed at the next decade.
Thanks to Tuc technology, the concept of vehicle can be moved from defined to definable, real ‘blank sheets’, completely reformulating what users can do on board. In fact, Tuc.technology makes it possible to customize the vehicle by integrating various types of components (seats, dashboards, smart components) making the mobility experience truly tailor-made: the system is aimed at all mobility players, from vehicle manufacturers to any type and use (by land, air and sea) and to manufacturers of vehicle components. The technology was designed to be able to interface the various internal devices, such as seats, infotainment systems but, being designed to enable complete modularity of any type of vehicle, it was also created to interface with devices outside the passenger compartment. Tuc 3.0 was included in 2 prototypes developed to show the application of the technology on the vehicle and combined with 5 demo plug&play devices developed together with excellent partners.
The first prototype developed is the Tuc.nest, the ‘Kit for Mobility Space Development’, an iconic sculpture representing the ‘Tuc mobile bubble’, a modular canvas that synthesizes all the possible combinations of spaces and proportions to define the vehicles of the future. With the aim of visualizing at a glance all the Tuc technology that will be implemented on a vehicle ‘powered by Tuc’ and, through 13 plugs that can be moved both longitudinally and transversely, it allows to “design” a mobile space tailored according to the real needs of customers to whom it will be available to allow everyone to study, integrate and develop Tuc.technology on their vehicles. Tuc.nest recreates the hubs of a network that brings together all the players in the mobility of the future. A structure through which a series of triangular surfaces take shape that symbolize the 3 ‘pillars’ of Tuc.technology, Mechanics, Electronics and Connectivity, synthesized in a single universal plug&play connector for all vehicles.
The second concept further emphasizes the real applicability of Tuc 3.0 and is represented by a running prototype of a city car inside which two mini plugs have been applied in order to be able to demonstrate its usability in real life and integration into existing vehicles by enabling a simple plug&play gesture a digital cockpit-steering wheel system with drive by wire steering controls which, thanks to the universal Tuc connector, can be plugged to steer the vehicle from both Passenger/Driver sides and vice versa.
“We are proud to be able to show the results of the hard work of the last few years,” said Ludovico Campana, inventor and CEO of Tuc. “Thanks to our technology, we want to demonstrate the way to create a new generation of modular digital vehicles, which will form the basis of the future of mobility. With Tuc.technology, vehicle manufacturers will be able to face the paradigm shift in mobility, with a solution designed to simplify both the development part, the engineering part and the production part. In addition, it will be able to enable new business models based on continuous customization even after production. In a nutshell, it will no longer be the user who has to follow the life cycle of the vehicle, but the vehicle will be able to accommodate the ‘life cycle’ of its user and adapt to his changing needs”.
Tuc 3.0 technology is an eco-system based on the Tuc.plug, a universal connector for any type of vehicle which encloses the 3 fundamental elements of vehicle interfaces: the plug&play and multimodal mechanical structural fastening (which allows 360° fixing in 4 different positions), electricity to power the various devices that are connected to the vehicle and connectivity, for exchanging data between devices and the vehicle but also outside the vehicle itself. The Tuc.plug is made up of two main components: the female which represents the main element as well as the interface inside the vehicle and the male which represents the interface towards the device to be connected to the vehicle. The innovative design, in addition to accepting all the functions already mentioned, through automotive grade connectors creates a network architecture called Tuc.network, a “Daisy Chain” to distribute through a single cable that starts from the vehicle’s main power battery all the plugs needed to connect the vehicle devices: seats, dashboards, displays or ad hoc devices.
The soul of technology is theHyperboards System, allows through layered electronic boards inside Tuc.plug to manage the distribution of electricity both at low voltage, typical of the latest generation vehicles, and at high voltage for devices that require it and of the data connection via an Ethernet automotive grade ensuring redundancy and customization. The Hyperboards allow the perfect and constant functioning of the devices connected through the Tuc.plugs and the Tuc.network. The operating logics are defined and managed through the Tuc.OS system which uses a firmware inside Tuc.plug and manages all the operating logics from the electromechanical actuation (closing and opening) through the dedicated Micro Power Unit, to recognition of the devices and their mounting direction in the vehicle. The Tuc.brain is the brain in which the main Tuc.Os software resides which allows you to manage the entire network and individual plugs intelligently, evolving according to the infinite reconfigurations thanks to the possibility of recognizing all possible connector/device switchings, always ensuring perfect functionality of the devices regardless of their movement within the Tuc.network.
An unprecedented development work that has allowed in the last 2 years to define a simple design which, together with the integration of new technologies, have optimized all aspects, from robustness to lightness, from compactness to simplicity, from speed to reliability and safety. Precisely these last two aspects have been taken care of to be in line with the main international regulations both in terms of safety and in terms of sturdiness and reliability to allow immediate integration into vehicles. Thanks also to the use of advanced materials such as the ALU7075 aluminum alloy, commonly known as Ergal, and used for the body of the Tuc.plug, it has been possible to combine high resistance and very low weight. Finally, Tuc.plug has been designed in two different sizes, both extremely compact compared to the interfaces of today’s vehicular devices in order to better manage the different interface areas.
The Tuc.plug it was the first development, designed to interface with large and heavier devices that must comply with stricter safety standards such as, for example, seats. From the studies carried out for Tuc.plug, Tuc.plug_mini was born which, to the same characteristics of electrical interface and connectivity, combines ultra-compact dimensions to be able to interface with lighter devices such as, for example, Infotainment systems. In the last 2 years, the engineering efforts of Tuc.technology have also been focused on being able to validate the Tuc 3.0 release according to the strictest safety, vibration, soundproofing and resistance to extreme conditions regulations. Validations successfully obtained in all these areas thanks to a path of virtual and real iterative tests that were conducted to obtain compliance with the Ece R17 standard relating to the structural strength of seat anchoring systems with decelerations of 20g at 50 km/h, to the ISO 16750-3 standard relating to vibration and soundproofing tests in extreme conditions both from the point of view of the road surface and from the climatic point of view. Finally, the coupling/decoupling tests recorded a value comparable to that of USB Type C ports.
Tuc.technology it is a validated and concrete solution for the next generation of vehicles. For the development of the devices to be interfaced with the Tuc.technology prototypes, partners of excellence in various fields of application were involved. The Partner Excellence Program of Tuc.technology, launched since its inception, has seen historic Partners and new names of absolute excellence committed to the launch of Tuc 3.0 in a program aimed at further emphasizing the enabling potential of completely modular mobile spaces.
Among the historical partnerships, Lavazza, which has been linked to the company since the first launch in 2018, contributed to the launch of Tuc 3.0 by creating its third version of the coffee machine for vehicles which it developed for the first time ever on the occasion of the Presentation of Tuc 1.0 on 28 September 2018. Another historical Partner is Adient, world leader in the production of vehicle seats series, and also linked to Tuc.technology since 2018, with which the integration of the new Tuc 3.0 technology on 4 High Level seats with various functions managed electronically. Technological excellence is further underlined by the partnership with Samsung Knox which, through its tailor-made solutions, has made it possible to develop a control interface for devices connected through Tuc.technology which can be used in absolute safety on any mobile device and which has been integrated for the Presentation of Tuc 3.0 in the latest generation of Samsung Mobile and Wearable devices. Furthermore, through the latest generation Galaxy Gaming Monitors it was possible to further underline the potential of the interface on commonly used devices.
The task of underlining the concreteness of the development of Tuc 3.0 in vehicles has been entrusted to 2 new 100% Made in Italy partnerships. The partnership with Sila Group, leader in gearbox command management systems and integrated remote control systems for cockpit functions, has led to the development of a multifunctional tunnel that integrates gear management commands through a rotary device and a haptic screen for managing various commands, from climate control to driving dynamics. Finally, the partnership with Ema Global Engineering, a leading reality among advanced engineering consultancy companies, has led to the development of an innovative integrated digital cockpit-steering wheel device with drive by wire steering controls developed by Tuc.technology which thanks to the support of Ema has been integrated both on Tuc.nest and on a really functional and running car prototype, emphasizing the real potential of Tuc 3.0.
Source-www.adnkronos.com