MOREY, an innovative Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company, has been providing award-winning comprehensive design and [...]]]> The X PRIZE Foundation today announced details of a unique partnership with Illinois-based MOREY Corporation to benefit the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE, a $10 million dollar competition designed to inspire a new generation of viable, safe and super fuel-efficient vehicles.

MOREY, an innovative Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company, has been providing award-winning comprehensive design and manufacturing services for over 75 years. Their clients include leading OEMs and other enterprises relevant to the aerospace and defense, industrial, utility, communications, heavy on-road/off-road and agricultural vehicles markets. However, it was their strength in telematics hardware design and Data Acquisition Systems (DAS) that led X PRIZE to partner with the Illinois-based firm.

Core to the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE mission is educating the public and K-12 students on highly efficient vehicles and associated technologies. As outlined in the competition’s multi-year education program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, an important component of this education is the ability to transfer important data from each of the competing vehicles in near real time back to a public education Web site, a service that MOREY will develop and lead through their existing DAS hardware.

 Prior to the start of on-track vehicle testing in April 2010, a MOREY Data Acquisition System (DAS) will be installed on each one of the competing vehicles. The system will transmit a range of vehicle data such as accelerator position, vehicle speed, fuel economy, and battery power – from each vehicle to a local event server and ultimately to the competition’s education Web site, www.FuelOurFutureNow.org, developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and Discovery Education. The site allows fans to track the progress of competition vehicles in real time.

One feature of the vehicle tracking will be the calculation of each vehicle’s efficiency, measured as MPGe – miles per gallon or its energy equivalent. A direct link will also be available from the main competition Web site at www.progressiveautoxprize.org. MOREY will work closely with fellow Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE partner, ThinkWrap, on the implementation of the online portal, which will feature a GPS-driven map with interactive vehicle icons and virtual instrument displays to make the experience truly interactive and engaging.

 “With a 35-year track record in building and implementing telemetry systems and rugged equipment built to withstand the type of testing that the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE will be performing, we had a lot of confidence that MOREY was the right partner for this project,” noted Steve Wesoloski, Director of Technical Operations for the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE. “Not only are they experts in their field, they hold a common interest in this competition. We’re proud to now officially have them on board.”

 “We at MOREY believe in the mission of the X PRIZE Foundation and the education initiatives of the Department of Energy with this competition and are proud to be selected as the data acquisition and communications link between the competing vehicles in the field and the public-at-large,” says Emad Isaac, Chief Technology Officer for MOREY. “We are honored to put our expertise and technology to work for such a worthy cause.”

 The Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE Education Program, funded through a multi-year grant by the U.S Department of Energy, will engage the general public in learning about alternative fuels, energy efficiency, climate change, and the science, technology, engineering, and math behind advanced vehicle development. A key goal of this national program will be to inspire the public to learn more about and pursue careers in related areas, and to generate excitement about the energy-efficient vehicle options of the near-future.

 The Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE will award $10 million in prizes to teams that can engineer clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 MPG or its energy equivalent fuel efficiency (MPGe) and win a rigorous stage competition. Winners of the international competition will be announced in September 2010. For more information about the competition, please visit www.progressiveautoxprize.org.

 ABOUT THE X PRIZE FOUNDATION

The X PRIZE Foundation is an educational nonprofit prize institute whose mission is to create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. In 2004, the Foundation captured world headlines when Burt Rutan, backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, built and flew the world’s first private vehicle to space to win the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE. The Foundation has since launched the $10 million Archon X PRIZE for Genomics, the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE, and the $10 million Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE. The Foundation is creating and conducting competitions in four prize groups: Exploration (Space and Oceans), Life Sciences, Energy and Environment, Education and Global Development. The Foundation is widely recognized as the leader in fostering innovation through competition. For more information, please visit www.xprize.org.

An innovative technology company, ThinkWrap has expertise in the delivery of high performance digital solutions spanning [...]]]> The X PRIZE Foundation has announced details of a unique partnership with ThinkWrap Solutions Inc. to benefit the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE, a multi-million dollar competition designed to inspire a new generation of viable, safe and super fuel-efficient vehicles.

An innovative technology company, ThinkWrap has expertise in the delivery of high performance digital solutions spanning internet mapping, ecommerce, and content management. Working for clients such as Google, Martha Stewart, and Quebecor Media Inc., the firm has implemented projects that range from advanced location based solutions to personalized retail ecommerce sites and real-time integrated SMS solutions, such as the project they developed for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. For the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE, ThinkWrap will lead the development and implementation of an online portal driven by actual competition data, featuring a GPS-driven map with interactive vehicle icons and virtual instrument displays that provide near real-time and cumulative feedback.

Once the online portal launches in January 2010, viewers will be able to follow the competition, monitor specific vehicles or vehicle types, and observe how vehicle technologies and driving styles affect important current and cumulative figures-of-merit such as fuel-economy, environmental impact, vehicle status, and more. Supporting the vehicle telemetry will be three main components: social media, a team tracker, and a dashboard gadget.

The online vehicle telemetry solution will be housed within www.FuelOurFutureNow.com, the competition’s education Web site developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and Discovery Education. A direct link will also be available from the main competition Web site at www.progressiveautoxprize.org, and all three components will have the flexibility to be embedded on multiple Web sites.

Bob Larsen, Senior Advisor, Technical Operations for the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE, is working collaboratively with Argonne National Laboratory to define and understand the data flow from each vehicle so that ThinkWrap can translate that data into an online visual display of information that can be accessed by anyone across the globe interested in watching and tracking the competition.

“One of the most critical components of this competition is to introduce new technologies and ideas to the public, while educating on the importance of sound vehicle telemetry,” noted Larsen. “Doing that requires a highly reliable solution that will provide correct data while engaging the public in the process. We’re confident that ThinkWrap will help us deliver just that.”

“ThinkWrap is absolutely thrilled to be a partner in this important and highly visible project,” commented Marc Lamoureux, Chief Operating Officer for ThinkWrap. “As an advanced technology company, we are inspired by the innovative efforts of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE teams towards building cleaner and more efficient automotive technology solutions.”

As part of their vehicle technology solution, ThinkWrap will create a Google Map API Implementation powered by Google App Engine. “We’re excited that the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE and ThinkWrap are using Google’s platform to help bring this wonderful initiative to life,” said Mike Pegg, Product Marketing Manager for Google Maps.

The Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE Education Program, funded through a multi-year grant by the U.S Department of Energy, will engage the general public in learning about alternative fuels, energy efficiency, climate change, and the science, technology, engineering, and math behind advanced vehicle development. A key goal of this national program will be to inspire the public to learn more about and pursue careers in related areas, and to generate excitement about the energy-efficient vehicle options of the near-future.

The Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE will award $10 million in prizes to teams that can engineer clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 MPG or its energy equivalent fuel efficiency (MPGe) and win a rigorous stage competition. Winners of the international competition will be announced in 2010. For more information about the competition, please visit www.progressiveautoxprize.org.

ABOUT THE X PRIZE FOUNDATION

The X PRIZE Foundation is an educational nonprofit prize institute whose mission is to create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. In 2004, the Foundation captured world headlines when Burt Rutan, backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, built and flew the world’s first private vehicle to space to win the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE. The Foundation has since launched the $10 million Archon X PRIZE for Genomics, the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE, and the $10 million Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE. The Foundation is creating and conducting competitions in four prize groups: Exploration (Space and Oceans), Life Sciences, Energy and Environment, Education and Global Development. The Foundation is widely recognized as the leader in fostering innovation through competition. For more information, please visit www.xprize.org.

ABOUT THINKWRAP

ThinkWrap Solutions Inc. is a leader in the delivery of high performance digital solutions. Founded in 2004, ThinkWrap specializes in Content, Commerce and Context based solutions and products. The firm supports clients spanning many industries including Health, Education, Finance, Retail, and Government. For more information, please visit our website at www.thinkwrap.com.