[By Seung-han LEE] It was the morning two days before the FINA World Swimming Championships. A cleaning car painted with green body, stopped on a road around the western part of Gwangju. Where the car stopped, there was a lot of garbage bags from nearby shops. A cleaning car is a 'pressurized dust and rubbish' model that can store many garbage by applying pressure to the inside of the car. After a while, the rear cover of the car began to open automatically. Then the environmental cleaner who stood around threw the garbage bag into the car.

The car rear cover was heavy at a glance. It seemed that people could be injured in the opening and closing of the car rear cover. Of course, safety devices are installed in the car to help prevent accidents. The process of opening the cover is monitored through an LCD screen mounted on the dashboard by the car driver. The screen contained the situation behind the car. The image quality was clear and it was not difficult to confirm. When the car rear cover was activated, the screen taken by the camera mounted on the outside of the cover was reflected on the monitor. As the cover went up, the screen went up with it, and at one point it turned into a scene taken by another camera. Also, the image behind the car. The moment of the screen change was so fast that could hardly confirm the screen interruption that could occur due to the time difference.

This was the first time the system was installed in a car. Both the car driver and the cleaning worker who watched the system operation process were surprised. Most of them looked at the system curiously. “When we work behind a car, we often have accidents even if we are careful, and we expect the system to help us with work safety,” said a cleaning worker at the scene.

◆The first ever 5 channel AVM installation in a cleaning car

The reason why the cleaning worker can work safely behind the cleaning car is because of the 'Around View Monitoring(AVM)' system mounted on the car. The AVM mounted on the car is a 5 channel system with a recording function. It was developed by AutoIT(오토아이티), which has unique technology in this field.

AutoIT attracted attention by introducing full HD 4 channel AVM-DVR to the market last year. The system implements a clear picture quality obtained from four cameras mounted on all sides of the car or construction machine on the monitor. In addition, it was evaluated that it had a marketability that overwhelmed the competition model by storing the image in the storage device. The product mounted on the Gwangju area cleaning car is a 5 channel product that has developed one step from 4 channels. AutoIT products are basically available for 8 channels, which is highly versatile. According to the product user is intention, it can utilize in the various situation. AutoIT's AVM-only camera can be waterproof or dustproof, so there is no problem with exposing it to the outside.

The 5 channel product was applied to the cleaning car for the safety of the worker behind the car. “When the cover is open due to the nature of the 'pressurized dust and rubbish' model, there is inevitably a blind spot behind the vehicle. If the rear camera is mounted on the cover, the camera screen will be turned toward the sky when the cover is opened. Which may not be able to confirm the cleaning worker that the driver is working behind. A major accident may occur due to a mis-communication between the operator(driver) and the worker. To prevent this, a fifth camera was installed in the rear of the car. We can monitor the rear continuously, including the part covered by the cover.” said Ki-jin KIM, director of the AutoIT Research Institute.

The system is not just outputting images, but it can record all channels. If 5 channel is applied, 5 image is always recorded. It can be extended up to 8 channels, so can install three additional cameras if need an image at a specific location.

◆Annual demand is notable as a big new market

AutoIT's attention to the cleaning car is due to the fact that the government is interested in the safety of cleaning workers and related systems are being established. On March 6, the Ministry of Environment notified local governments of the "Cleaning worker safety guidelines" that included the conversion of night and dawn work to weekly work for the safety of cleaning workers. From 2015 to 2017, 1822 cleaning workers were involved in the accident and 18 deaths occurred, then the government decided to solve them directly.

Among the accidents, there are many cases of vehicles or machines during cleaning work. Not long ago, a cleaning worker was hit by a back-up cleaning car, and another cleaning worker was killed by a cleaning car cover. For this reason, the 'Safety Guidelines' included the mandatory provision of installing an image device that allows the driver to check the worker's position and work situation on the rear and side of the cleaning car.

The number of cleaning cars produced in Korea is estimated to be 1200 to 1300. Based on this, it is analyzed that a new AVM market of quite large size will be created in the future. Unlike other products, AutoIT emphasized that its products perfectly satisfy the Ministry of Environment's work safety guidelines. In order to publicize the excellence of these products to the industry, AutoIT is actively promoting pilot installation business. AutoIT has already supported system installations for special vehicle remodeling companies operating in Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province and Gwangju metropolitan areas, and applied them to actual cleaning cars. This is a similar approach to the pilot installation of a cleaning car through the ‘Bit-Goeul’, a special vehicle remodeling company in Gwangju. Both special vehicle remodeling companies and cleaning companies are very satisfied with autoIT products. "I hope the system is expanded to more areas as it has proven its superior product quality." said a lot of people.

◆A Big Problem of Market Encroachment of Chinese Products with Low Price and Low Quality

The possibility of expanding the AVM market is high, but the problem to solve is also difficult. Low-quality, low-priced Chinese products are flowing into the market. Domestic companies such as AutoIT complained that Chinese products were brought into the country without standards, causing difficulties for consumers as well as competitive companies. Chinese AVM products are rapidly eroding the market, surpassing domestic products that are lagging behind price competitiveness. It is the same as an electric bus that has become a problem because it occupies 40% of government and local government subsidies while rapidly eroding the domestic market with low-cost products.

The bigger problem is that Chinese products come in Korea indiscriminately without being fully verified. Some Chinese products have been discontinued when user complaints have increased, and some companies have withdrawn. Under current regulations, Chinese products can be imported without any problem if they are certified as KC. KC certification is a single certification mark that integrates 13 statutory forced certification marks that were used differently by government departments. It was first introduced in 2009 and has been expanded to all ministries since 2011. Products that are officially launched in Korea are certified, but the procedure is not tricky. The industry claims that KC certification alone can not systematically and precisely verify Chinese AVM products. AutoIT also competes with Chinese products, so despite its excellent product competitiveness, it does not lead to large demand in the market. The most important item in the bidding conducted by the local government is the price, so it is impossible to compete with Chinese products.

"the Chinese products that were distributed on the market have been fully verified, so we expect that there will be problems in the future. In particular, we are worried about who will be responsible if a safety accident occurs after the quality guarantee period. Local governments should also look at a far future, not a price. In addition to the Ministry of Environment's ‘cleaner worker safety guidelines’ efforts are needed to establish accurate standards for vehicle application and to have legal binding power" said Ki-jin KIM director of the AutoIT Research Institute.

“We are also working to prove to customers that we use domestic components. The product competitiveness is very excellent because it is a domestic product and the 5 channel product made for the first time. However, the problem of price is a task to be solved. We can’t stop the Chinese inflow, but we plan to reasonably adjust the specifications and prices so that they can take a competitive advantage over Chinese.” AutoIT CEO Myung-hwan CHUNG said.

◆Government quality certification … technology to fight

AutoIT products have already been recognized for their competitiveness in various fields. AutoIT also plans to grow into a global auto parts company by producing and supplying various intelligent automobile products such as DVR, safety system, multi-view camera, monitor, AVM and smart factory products. Full HD high-definition AVM products that have not already blind spots have been featured in special cars, frozen cars, and excavators, attracting attention in the commercial vehicle market. In addition, AutoIT is introducing products suitable for overseas markets with its evolved technology.

Earlier last year, it supplied full HD multi-channel AVM-DVR mounted on Hyundai's ‘HARDOX’ mixer cars. In the second half of this year, the touch screen system is equipped with a HARDOX mixer car. AutoIT products are also used in school bus for the provincial office of education. Last year, it was installed in a school bus for special education institutions under the Gangwon Provincial Office of Education. and it has been recognized as having increased to 15 units this year. “It is highly likely that the AVM installation of school buses will be expanded to the National Office of Education. The prospects are bright as Gangwon Province is fully verified for its performance.” aid Ki-jin KIM director of the AutoIT Research Institute. Recently, it succeeded in delivering products to special vehicle remodeling companies in Ulsan area. The product was installed in the Isuzu 'Elf' truck, which is used as a tank lorry for fire suppression nuclear power plant at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd.

AutoIT also challenges the PPS to select ‘procurement excellent product.’ It is the first attempt ever made by an AVM developer. If it is registered as a procurement excellent product, it becomes possible to contract a veterinary contract rather than a bid when delivering the product. When the local government that has experienced the product once establishes the next procurement plan, it can sign a contract with the company immediately without bidding.

“Procurement excellent product is a kind of long-term insurance that is recognized by the government. The selection process is very difficult. Performance, function, and production facility inspection take about a year. Prior to the selection of procurement excellent products, our company is pursuing the acquisition of 'performance certification' issued by the Ministry of Small and Medium Venture. If we get a certificate within July after completing all the certification processes, expect sales to be easier in the market.” said AutoIT CEO Myung-hwan CHUNG.

[nyus449@gyotongn.com]

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