NKK Switches teams with Tony Kanaan on new IndyCar technology
The contest looks to the public to find new, innovative solutions to use programmable NKK SmartSwitches in a Driver Information Center for Brazilian race car driver Tony Kanaan and his KV Racing Technology’s No. 11 IndyCar.
The Driver Information Center is the information display of the odometer, fuel gauge, tire pressure, etc.
NKK’s SmartSwitches are programmable OLED (organic light-emitting diode) and LCD (liquid crystal display) devices that combine a push button or rocker switch into one interface.
“Together through the NKK SmartSwitch IndyCar Challenge, we seek to give the KV Racing Technology team a competitive edge in the IZOD IndyCar Series," said Marty Arch, NKK’s national sales manager, in a statement.
The contest winner will get airfare, hotel and two tickets to the IndyCar race in Sonoma, Calif. on Aug. 25.
Kanaan’s IndyCar engineers already use NKK switches on the timing stand, which features multiple computer monitors used to track the car’s performance during time trials and races.
The switches must be able to withstand the harsh environment of a race track. Components are exposed to high temperatures, vibration and dusty, dirty conditions.
Kanaan won his first Indianapolis 500 victory in May and received a third-place finish at the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway in June.
Mouser Electronics, a subsidiary of TTI Inc., is part of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway family of companies. The Mansfield, Texas company is an authorized semiconductor and electronic component distributor. Mouser publishes multiple catalogs a year giving designers up-to-date data on the new components available for the next generation of electronic devices.
The contest ends July 31. To enter, click here. Phoenix Business Journal