Hello everyone, today I am at the toy fair (Spielwarenmesse) in Nuremberg and I am here at the Viessmann booth with Konstanze Viessmann. She now shows us the CarMotion driving system here… on a scale of 1:87 these are autonomous, self-driving vehicles… which were introduced here last year at the toy fair… virtually at the toy fair… and presented at all as a system… and now it has been expanded with some new vehicles. Yes … we have a great many beautiful new models for the customer in the new items catalog right on the first page … Actros beautiful new models … Magirus corner hood with concrete mixer … extra trailers that can be connected.
So also a bit of the old vehicles…
I see Era III here now too… wonderful. Beautiful … longer vehicles also with steered rear axle. So a nice new selection that the customer can also play with… sometimes even without a trailer… so that you can build your own… when the spare parts come… which ones you can build. But since I haven't even seen the Car System yet… haven't even seen this CarMotion system live… because there wasn't a toy fair last year…
Maybe I have to explain how it works in general. These vehicles themselves … they have built in a motor … built in a battery … and basically drive all by themselves … and you can see here … they have magnetic track tapes here … or what is that now here with which to be led? Maybe we can also show the steering axle? Basically, what is special about us is that we really have the intelligence in the vehicles. That means I have an intelligent vehicle and I can do everything with it. I can tell it all the commands. I can use the permanent magnets that we have here … with north pole, south pole, north pole … I can program the vehicles with the laptop and define my vehicle commands myself. Then we also have stop magnets, where the vehicle simply drives over a stop magnet …
And then says … oh … I have to stop here … and then with the remote control … you can then play again Press and let the vehicle drive away again. That's basically what's so special about us, that our vehicles can drive in a tunnel and come out again … they don't get lost … and we still have the great advantage that we don't have to grind on the slab, because our trailers . .. we work with the magnetic track tapes … that means there is no wire laid underneath but magnetic tapes … and the magnetic tapes in interaction with the magnets that are in the guide can have so much distance from each other that we don't open have to grind the asphalt. So we don't get any drag marks over time.
That means they don't lie at all… the magnets…
They don't lie at all! … can we take a close look at such a magnet? Here you can see that …
Or rather a guide for the magnet. … this is a very smooth tour here. That means…
That means there's a little magnet in there too, right? That's the little magnet that's lying on top of the sheet metal… and that… together with the magnetic strip has so much…
Has so much contact pressure that it guides the vehicles safely. And is it operated here with this small infrared remote control? There is a magnet in here at the top … that means the vehicles are turned on with magnets at the top … and they are also turned off at the top. So with a magnet on and off … aha … and the rest of the operation is via infrared? The rest of the operation is with infrared … we also have a rod with a magnet end where you can basically turn the vehicles on or off from further away. Another thing that is special about us is that the vehicles have a transmitter in the back and a receiver in the front.
That means we have vehicles that communicate with each other… and so… if the faster one is also set… it recognizes, oh, there's one in front of me… so I drive a bit slower… and adapts the speed of the car in front of you… by infrared…
That means distance radar, so I can't crash somewhere around here.
Exactly! With the infrared remote control… a little plus and then I drive faster… or correspondingly slower… and it keeps the distance wonderfully and they don't bump into each other… which of course increases the fun of the game enormously. .. and I didn't suddenly have my…my…
For example, here is an order that drives a bit slower … we can see here … because here is the entrance to the town (laughter). That means it's three magnets in a row…
Exactly! and that means… they already said… North South North… each magnet can be programmed up down… Can different ones! That means we have a total of eight options with three magnets… and this is a completely normal standard switch with a servo from some manufacturer… you yourself are currently developing a switch that is to come… nice and flat? Exactly … we want to make nice, flat little switches that can be optimally placed under the road.
What's nice about it… because of the magnetic tapes… we have an incredibly low installation depth. We also brought out something nice this year… we can mill this super well with a spacer so that you don't get on the track too late. How big are the magnetic strips… how wide… how long?
You can use the magnetic strips … they are 3 times 1 … 3 mm wide and 5 meters long. 5 meters … so meter goods quite normal but are 3 mm wide and only 1 mm high … so relatively flat installed. Yes, they are super flat… super nice… and you really have… we see… the cars have been driving here for a while… and you just don't have any… you can too adjust that a bit more individually …
The height … so you can bend up and down a bit at the front … but in general it should be the case that the vehicles don't drag on the ground. Can we still show one how it branches off somewhere… so we can see it?
Of course … we have the wonderful traffic light system here … and the traffic light system if I drive the vehicles … if I drive around again right away … then I can, for example, turn left here … and then they drive again over to the right… and now we have a projection effect… well… can happen.
Yes! It can happen…
And the traffic light… when the traffic light turns red… ultimately some infrared transmitter also ensures that the car knows where to stop, or how does that work? We have the infrared transmitters in here at the moment… or also… you can look at the bush in front of you… here's one too… so for the cars that come from here, it's here the little infrared transmitter.
I'll get one here… because they stopped at the moment…
It's hidden like normal speed traps… this is where the infrared transmitter is hidden. (laughter) Right! There's also a small vehicle coming now… but it's on green right now…so it's got the signal… I'm driving! If I signal now… ah, now we're going red here… then we can show again… it's driving… driving and driving and driving… and stop! That means it just says now… the stop point is a little further ahead…
Exactly! … and then it waits until it turns green again … and then we drive off again … Exactly … then we'll open again … green. And now it drives off very slowly …
Well! And they all wait here in a row. (laughs) We can also let the cars drive into a parking bay! Well, then let's take a look at the parking bay with this switch … which is currently still a conventional one with a servo … but will later become a nice compact (switch). And in this parking bay there is also a stop somewhere …
Did you tell me before … where it should stop or brake?
Yes! There's the stopping point… there's the magnet underneath… and it tells the vehicle… please stop… because something's coming straight ahead, of course. And then you see an infrared spot… an infrared module… at the place of the street… that is integrated here… where you then also… Yes… and at the moment… At the moment the traffic light is also green… and if I now… i.e. at the stop points with the magnets, I have to press play once for the vehicle…
And then it drives off. But it would stop again now if theoretically the traffic light was red there. The next one stops too.
The next one also stops … play once … and then it continues nicely. It's just a lot of fun to play with the whole system and see what works… what doesn't work… how do I set it up… also with the magnetic tape here we have, for example, from the big curve … we have a small gap inside here, for example. Then you have to come up with something, the big curve … so that a long truck with a semi-trailer can really get around here … it then has a drag curve here where it drives into the adjacent lane … and then you can see it here actually, that it can thread in here… and that the second magnetic track is available here… ah… you show me that…
That's a nice idea too! It actually makes it … this tight curve … just has to be in the next lane a bit … that's why the traffic light is red! With blink too!
Flashing yes.
Then it drives around nicely. And the others … now I can press play here … but it stops here again because …
The traffic light is still red.
… the traffic light is still red exactly! And as a novelty you presented this year…
An addition to the infrared module… that you can also combine a brake module… at any desired point? Yes!
Good.
I'll set the traffic lights straight … and then my colleague should drive off here … which he does very well. Oncoming traffic is coming straight again … and the blue THW is also driving away … and because the traffic light is green, it is driving straight on. Then we should take a closer look at the remote control … what kind of functions we have there … we can definitely bring the front of the vehicle to life with the magnet. Then of course we have plus. You can use the remote control when you are in the front of the vehicle…
You can make the vehicles drive faster. You can see that here on the tire … or slowly again. Realistically, of course, the rear light also lights up… the brake light… when I slow down. So then I have … plus minus … faster slower. The arrow…if it's pressed long enough…then the reversing light goes on at the back… and then the vehicle also drives backwards. Ah! That means we can already drive backwards. Yes, now it wants to ride backwards on my hand. Then we have high beam on the 1 … just like in the real car. On 2 are the all-round lights on top of it 3 is the hazard warning lights. Then you have here … right … and left turn signals … it does both in front and behind. So some things that can be controlled with it. Exactly… the right and left blinking is also controlled via a combination of magnets.
Ah yes! That means I can decide for myself … but I still want to use the turn signal now …
Exactly! as well as then by magnet!
Maybe I also have a realistic route where I just generally turn to the right …
And then of course it has to blink to the right every time … before. Good. I can do it again on the curve… Now it has found the magnet… I speed up… and also slow down again… until it comes to a complete standstill… and starts again with step 1. Well…then perhaps to this whole track with the magnetic tapes… I've already leafed through the catalogue… there's something new that makes it easier to build and plan… in general with the planning… how do you actually make such a system … such a CarMotion system if you want to integrate it into your railway system or even without a railway, of course? So… you told me before, too… there's kind of a tool I can use to draw…
Can we take a look at that? Yes, please… I've prepared something… and we thought about it… the most difficult models are the buses… because they have the wide wheelbase and the rear axle isn't steered either. Well… and the buses have an extremely large spatial profile… which of course also causes difficulties when I'm planning such a system… where are the mirrors… where is the rear… how far does it swing out… how far does it have to… when the bus drives… as in the case, I have to steer around so that it can get there…so that it can still do it…and how far around the system, for example, leave space next to the road … so that I can put the houses back a bit … or the traffic lights … and we thought about it … that you can store the model yourself with weights … here at the front there is space … you can put your pencil in at the front … and then you can basically …
That means where the magnet is then … there you have the pencil … and then do you draw the curve there?
Exactly! And then I drew the curve…
Exactly! … and then I can … how do I cut them? With a milling machine by hand? But you already said … you also have a new milling machine!? Exactly … well, we have the Proxxon … and you can also do the Proxxon yourself … a wonderful number of things with it. That means you buy the device. We do not offer the device itself … but we do offer the 3 mm wide cutter to go with it. I use it for milling too…
Exactly!
… straights mainly? And how do I do that in curves, so I'll probably have to do a bit of manual work then? For the curves …
We just thought about keeping a distance here … of 1 cm … then I have the spacer right next to it at the moment … with a hose where you can connect the vacuum cleaner … also. What does it mean… if I turn it on on the side… then I have it from above… can I see where my pencil is… I'll make another track next to the actual track … and then… whoops… well… I have to be a little faster… and so I mill my track. By aiming up here I can … I can follow the pencil to the left … and then I have a wonderful track deep enough here … we have a stop on the right and left that I can't get any deeper … and exactly the 3mm width for my magnetic stripe.
Good. That means I can use it to plan a system wonderfully… and also to lay/install my magnetic tapes.
And while we're at the planning stage… if you're planning a facility and maybe want to plan a new petrol filling station… you've got something new… I've already read that in the catalogue… you've built a complete gas station. That's right, that's our new Aral … we've thought of something particularly nice … namely … we also have an ad with us … we already know our illuminated Aral sign … but now we really have an Aral with lights all around it… you can illuminate the building itself.
We now have stop magnets inside the petrol pumps … that means I have a stop next to the petrol pumps. Pick up my remote again by the stop magnets… play once… and we'll keep going. And the gas station is a completely new kit made of different materials than before? That's right, we now have … this is our first composite material … that means we have our new material Polyplate … which is not wood but wood combined with plastic … where you have the upper parts and the large surfaces here. .. later the main building as well … that's still a prototype at the moment … and then we have the petrol pumps underneath, which you can also … lighting is planned for later … then you have beautiful ones gas pumps. And then we already see a price tag here … and here we are with one of the new highlights of the year, which they are presenting again this year at the toy fair.
That's a wonderful gimmick… our displays are double-sided… so there's another display on the other side… and because the diesel is a bit more expensive at the moment… That means there is a small display built in … the entire surface is a display …
Right! … I've already cheated … 80 x 160 pixels and you can also control them via an app on your smartphone … it works via Bluetooth … and you can change prices there too.
Correct! We have a wonderful app… where I say… diesel… will it be a bit more expensive… or super… And I can use the app to set all the prices as I like?
That's right … so we now have them in 1-cent increments to adjust … where I'm a bit cheaper during the day. The last time I experienced it was when I was filling up… I was filling up beforehand… then I went shopping… then the price was suddenly 3 cents higher… and when I got into the car, the price is back again lowered by a penny… Well! (Laughter)
… everything is going very quickly at the moment … and you can play it all wonderfully here.
You can imitate everything wonderfully … yes! This is this one with an application … we can take a quick look at it … I have it here then? Here is the Diesel … E10 … Super … and then I have plus or minus here. And then I can guess what price I want… aha.
Super … right … can't do it myself anymore … the only place where you can see the prices for the gas yourself … (laughter) And you also presented a billboard in a similar form … that's it the display itself is the same size … and I think you can then display 15 different image motifs as advertising? Correct!
But it's not set up here now…
here we have the gas station is also a nice thing … and that was actually a nice conclusion to this presentation of the CarMotion system … and I would like to thank Constanze Viessmann for the detailed presentation and for the explanations.
I would love to!.
