ADAS Showcase expanded and made interactive for this year’s SEMA Show goers

Through its newly launched ADAS Council, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is working with SEMA Show organizers to significantly expand this year’s ADAS Showcase, according to a press release.

SCRS and SEMA say the showcase will be newly interactive, bringing vehicle manufacturers, technical experts, working technicians, and calibration technology together on the show floor.

Located in Upper South Hall, booth 31200, adjacent to the Collision Repair & Refinish section, the expanded ADAS Showcase will feature two fully equipped calibration bays, late-model ADAS-equipped vehicles, diagnostic and calibration equipment, and a rotating schedule of technical discussions and hands-on demonstrations.

SCRS programming will be held daily, Nov. 3–6, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. SEMA will contribute to programming on designated afternoons.

“Unlike traditional classroom presentations or equipment demonstrations, the showcase is being developed as an interactive workshop environment where attendees can engage directly with the engineers who develop vehicle safety technologies and translate engineering requirements into service and repair procedures,” the SCRS release states.

Aaron Schulenburg, SCRS executive director, added: “One of the most important things we can do for collision repair professionals is create opportunities to understand better not just what a manufacturer requires, but why those requirements exist.”

“ADAS technology has introduced an entirely new level of precision and responsibility into the collision repair process,” he said. “Through this collaboration with the SEMA Show, we’re creating an environment where repairers can stand alongside the engineers and technical representatives developing these systems, developing the procedures and requirements for system restoration, and we are able to look at the vehicles and equipment together, and have conversations that connect the repair process directly to vehicle safety performance.”

Throughout SEMA Week, technical representatives and engineering experts from General Motors, Ford, and Rivian will participate in focused discussions and demonstrations that SCRS says will address “the increasingly interconnected relationship between collision repair, vehicle geometry, sensing technologies, calibration, and safety-system performance.”

Each day will feature manufacturer-specific technical expertise and a series of discussions centered on practical questions collision repair facilities encounter.

SCRS says the showcase will use short, focused conversations about vehicles, components, and repair scenarios.

Each programmed discussion will be followed by dedicated open engagement time during which attendees can ask questions, examine equipment, and continue conversations with the participating experts.

The release states that any buyer or exhibitor participating in the SEMA Show is invited and encouraged to take part in the discussions.

Each day will start with an open house and end with a discussion about building out an ADAS space.

According to the release, other topics planned throughout the week include:

• • “Small Changes, Big Consequences: How sensor alignment, mounting, positioning, and vehicle modifications can influence ADAS performance.
  • “Would You Calibrate It? Real-world repair scenarios examining when calibration is required and the engineering rationale behind manufacturer requirements.
  • “Calibration Failed. Now What? Interactive troubleshooting of calibration failures, including diagnostics and hardware/software integration.
  • “Find It, Fix It, Recalibrate: Following calibration challenges through diagnosis, correction, recalibration, and additional verification.
  • “Repair, Geometry & ADAS: Why the Repair Matters: Exploring how collision repair, vehicle geometry, components, and controllers influence ADAS operation.
  • “Successful Calibration ≠ Complete Repair: Understanding what a successful calibration confirms and what additional considerations may remain.
  • “Active Safety: What Does ‘Restored’ Actually Mean? Connecting calibration and verification requirements to the intended performance of vehicle safety systems.”

Additional hands-on programming will explore calibration and measurement processes, equipment and facility considerations, and how shops can evaluate the resources necessary to service different vehicle makes and technologies.

The release notes that the expanded experience development involves SCRS ADAS Council members who have firsthand experience in collision repair, diagnostics, calibration, facility operations, and technical training.

“These individuals have designed, developed, and grown ADAS calibration businesses and operate successful businesses that navigate real-world challenges,” the release states. “Working with SEMA Show organizers, the council is helping develop an environment that combines technical education with practical demonstrations and opportunities for direct engagement.”

AirPro Diagnostics, Alldata, Autel, John Bean, CarADAS, Hunter Engineering, OEC, OPUS IVS, Repairify, Revv, and others have all committed to providing equipment, software, or solutions to support the hands-on learning space.

Enterprise, Rivian, and others have provided support through vehicle availability.

Technical representation will include:

Ford

• • Brian Perkins, body and damageability commodity manager of design for service
  • Gerry Bonanni, senior paint and body repair engineer
  • Ron Richards, paint and body commodity specialist

General Motors

• • Michael Carpenter, global vehicle performance owner, active safety
  • Jameson Collins, staff product manager, active safety
  • Steven Vance, principal hardware engineer, engineering technical leader, ADAS sensors and sensing systems
  • Chad Zagorski, principal systems engineer, advanced driver assistance systems

Rivian

• • Ryan Davenport, senior manager, service engineering, propulsion and electronics
  • David Calabuig, ADAS service engineer

SCRS ADAS Council

• • James Rodis, industry relations manager at OEM Calibration
  • Michael Ambrosino, director of operations at ADAS Diagnostic Solutions
  • Joe Brookhart, managing partner of Summit Auto Calibration
  • Andy Dingman, owner of Dingman’s Collision Center
  • Jason Zeise, regional director at Minnesota ADAS Solutions

AirPro and K&M Collision have also provided technical support and will participate in the programming.

“The value of this experience is bringing together perspectives that don’t always have the opportunity to interact in the same environment,” said James Rodis, industry relations for OEM Calibrations, in the release. “We have engineers who understand how these systems are designed to perform, technicians who encounter the challenges of servicing them, and technology providers developing the tools that support that work. When those groups are working together around an actual vehicle, the opportunity for meaningful dialog is tremendous.”

Andy Tompkins, SEMA trade show director, added: “The SEMA Show is uniquely positioned to bring together the people, technologies and expertise shaping the automotive aftermarket. Working with SCRS and its ADAS Council has really allowed us to build an experience that goes beyond just displaying technology, and beyond what you would expect from exhibit space. We’re giving attendees an opportunity to interact with industry experts, explore real-world applications, and better understand the technologies influencing the future of vehicle service and repair.”

Cameras, radar, and other sensing technologies depend on precise relationships between vehicle components, mounting locations, structural dimensions, and vehicle geometry. Changes introduced by damage or repair can influence what those systems perceive and how they perform.

The release states that the showcase will explore those relationships while examining:

• • “What calibrations accomplish
  • “What successful calibrations confirm, and
  • “What additional considerations may be necessary before determining that a vehicle’s safety capabilities have been properly restored.”

“The objective is not to promote a particular calibration solution, but to help repair professionals better understand the entire process, from the underlying engineering and repair requirements to the safety performance those requirements are intended to preserve,” the release states.

A SEMA press release states the showcase, along with the return of the FutureTech Studio, will dive into the emerging technologies that are “reshaping” the automotive aftermarket, from advanced powertrains and artificial intelligence to ADAS.

“The rise of ADAS is among the most impactful developments for the automotive aftermarket, and SEMA has led the industry’s response through its substantial investment in its SEMA Garage program, impactful federal advocacy, and, now, a highly visible presence among SEMA Show programming,” the release states.

SEMA Garage and Government Affairs will provide additional ADAS Showcase programming on Nov. 3, according to the release.

“Advanced vehicle technologies are creating questions across the automotive aftermarket, and businesses need access to credible technical information they can apply to their work today,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events, in the release. “The SEMA Show brings vehicle engineers and aftermarket professionals together to examine these technologies in a practical setting, improve understanding and support more informed business decisions.”

The FutureTech Studio (located in Central Hall, Booth #24401) will feature more than 20 vehicles powered by alternative fuels and EV powertrains, plus a three-day education program that SEMA says will highlight technologies that are changing how automotive aftermarket products are designed, developed, and brought to market.

For more information about the ADAS Showcase activities at the SEMA Show, visit semashow.com/ADAS-showcase.

Images

Prior year SEMA ADAS Showcase and FutureTech Studio photos provided by SEMA