DataDots get robotised

SYDNEY-BASED microdot identification outfit DataDot Technology will actively canvas Australian car manufacturers from next week to install a robotic microdot system on their production lines.

The move comes on the back of a $1.5 million AusIndustry grant announced last week, matched by DataDot, to develop the fully robotic applicator – and news that New Zealand is poised to make microdot marking mandatory on all new cars from next year.

A further $500,000 has been pledged by the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, which has endorsed the technology.

Currently the identification system must be manually sprayed on each vehicle, a time consuming-process that to date has seen it limited to a handful of brands including Audi, BMW, Lexus, Ford Performance Vehicles, Holden Special Vehicles, Porsche, Subaru and select Mitsubishi models.

The robot will reduce the time involved, making it more appealing to mainstream manufacturers.

GoAuto understands that a leading car insurer is poised to offer insurance discounts on vehicles fitted with microdot security technology.



DataDot’s global distribution president, Chris Stott, this week confirmed to GoAuto that a leading insurer was likely to offer the rebate, however he would not confirm which company was involved. The rebates are expected to cover the total cost and fitting of the technology.

Mr Stott said last week’s grant was instrumental in assisting the company with the next phase of its business push for the robotic system, both in Australia and overseas.

He said the New Zealand government has recently decided to make "whole of vehicle marking" technology compulsory on every new and used vehicle up to 15 years old sold there from January 1, 2007, giving DataDot a front-row seat to be the primary provider.

Given that all four Australian car-makers export to New Zealand the robotic technology will become more viable as it will cost a third of doing it at a port facility in New Zealand.

A single sprayed DataDot car on the production line would cost under $20, compared to the current after-market retail cost of around $150.

The DataDot system involves the application to each vehicle of up to 10,000 microdots, all laser-imaged with the car’s vehicle identification number.

The robotic technology will allow for there application on the production line.

DataDot Technology chief executive officer Ian Allen said the grant was a tremendous boost.

"Here we have both AusIndustry and the government appointed National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council saying this initiative is worthy of support," he said.

"DataDotDNA has proven to be a significant deterrent to vehicle theft, reducing the incidence by as much as 93 per cent according to data from police and insurance companies, as collated by the council." He said the "major challenge" to its widespread adoption across the car industry had been to find a production-line solution allowing the application of dots to keep up with the rate of assembly of vehicles – as high as one vehicle every 40 seconds.

Mr Allen said the next step was to hold discussions with local manufacturers to encourage one of them to form a partnership with DataDot Technology and the council to support the critical stage of making our robot "commercial ready".

"At the moment microdots are sprayed on a car with a handheld patented spray system," he said. "A robotic applicator on the assembly line in real time will reduce the time it takes to spray one car from seven minutes to around 40 seconds." After proving technical and commercial feasibility in the hands of an Australian vehicle manufacturer, the next step would be working with the manufacturer to take the system to other domestic vehicle manufacturers as well as overseas.

"Australian vehicle manufacturers are investing heavily in becoming exporters of design and technology, and this innovation will give our industry another major exportable system," he said.

The executive director of the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, Ray Carroll, said there was a significant body of evidence to show that secure microdot technology was a major deterrent to professional vehicle theft.

"Its widespread adoption in a production line setting is likely to produce considerable benefits in terms of reduced vehicle theft, insurance premiums and a more efficient use of police manpower," he said.

The grant was approved under AusIndustry’s Commercial Ready program, a competitive, merit-based grants program supporting local industry innovation.