Future personalized production of automobile interiors will boost the US economy and create new jobs. Instead of compromising on an interior design offered by the auto manufacturer, buyers will be able to design their new car interiors according to their needs: Starting from an
open interior space and filling it with available modules.
Automobile interior future modules may
include file cabinets, computer stations,
sport equipment, microwaves, refrigerators,
beds, dog baskets, folding tables, clothing
racks, portable-potties for kids, etc.
We are proposing an open-architecture
structure for such mechanical components
for passenger cars, parallel to the i-Phone
open-architecture software, and to the PC
open-architecture electro-software.
When this approach is adopted by the auto industry and mechanical-electrical openarchitecture
standards are established, dozens of small new companies will start to produce
special modules (such as dog baskets and storage cabinets), which will evolve to several new
industries. In addition to trading used cars, people will trade used modules as their needs
change and they want to update and remodel their existing cars.
Because this personalized production business model is beneficiary to both the manufacturers
(that are being paid before the product is built) and to the customers (who are getting exactly
the product that they need), and because it will generate new industries that produce
innovative modules, personalized car interiors could be a significant booster to the US
economy. If domestic manufacturers will be able to produce and deliver personal cars within
short period, this new industry will sustain in close proximity to the customers and will not
migrate across the oceans.
The main engineering research challenges are
1. Creating a new-generation of CAD-based systems by which buyers, who are not
necessarily engineers, could easily design their car interiors; it will apply control
feedback principles, which will aid buyers to arrive at their desired product.
2. Creating a new-generation of assembly systems that will be able to handle thousands
of options, and produce cars at mass-production cost.

Download full report
http://erc.engin.umich.edu/PersonalizedProduction.pdf