CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- Recently, CAERI's Global Automotive Information and Communication Testing Technology Innovation Base (Phase I), which was built with an investment of nearly 350 million RMB in Chongqing, has been put into use. The base features over 20 world-class advanced laboratories, each filled with cutting-edge technologies, addressing the gaps in the current intelligent connected vehicle testing field.

In the largest domestic OTA (Over-The-Air technology) laboratory for vehicle antennas, with a height of 16 meters and an area of over 400 square meters, the space is filled with densely packed quadrangular pyramids. In the center of the rotating platform, a car is slowly revolving.

"The number of onboard antennas on intelligent connected vehicles is increasing, and these antennas employ different technologies to enable various functions such as satellite navigation, keyless entry, and vehicle connectivity," explained Zhou Liling, an automotive communication expert at China Automotive Engineering Research Institute (CAERI). To evaluate the performance of these antennas and the overall vehicle communication OTA, testing needs to be conducted in a darkroom. This helps automotive companies ensure correct antenna placement, reduce wiring and costs, and ensure optimal radiation direction while minimizing electromagnetic interference.

According to the introduction, the quadrangular pyramid structures on the walls are made of foam carbon, which can absorb electromagnetic waves without reflecting them. The darkroom itself also shields external electromagnetic interference, thereby achieving the desired simulation effect.

Due to the large size of vehicles, conducting the aforementioned tests requires a massive darkroom. The darkroom constructed by CAERI can accommodate testing for buses up to 13 meters in length, making it the only laboratory in the world capable of testing large buses. Additionally, the positioning accuracy of the laboratory's turntable can reach 0.02 degrees, and the positioning accuracy of the sliding rails can reach 0.01 degrees, making it the highest precision testing laboratory in the world.

"Automobiles are transforming from traditional transportation tools into intelligent mobile terminals, bringing new dimensions to the testing of intelligent connected new energy vehicles," stated a representative from CAERI. This base helps establish comprehensive industry testing standards and promotes the high-quality integration of the automotive industry with information and communication technology, having profound significance for the development of the automotive industry in Chongqing and across the nation. (Translated by Liu Xilin, Fathom Language Limited)