Danger can take many forms when it comes to driving. There are the dangers a driver might fail to see because he or she is distracted. And, in the age of COVID-19, there are new dangers that are invisible to the naked eye.
GHSP, a nearly century-old supplier based in Holland, Mich., used CES to showcase technologies to remedy both kinds of hazards.
GHSP began as a metal stamping company and added injection molding to keep up with demands from automakers.
The company introduced dual-stack rotary and multifunction controllers that allow drivers to access and control vehicle functions from the center console, without taking their eyes off the road.
It also showed off a much different safety product, its disinfectant system, Grenlite.
According to GHSP, Grenlite kills 99.9 percent of viruses and bacteria using UV-C light, helping to ensure that vehicles are safe from unseen threats such as the coronavirus.
The UV-C light units connect to a cloud-based monitoring system that recognizes when a surface or environment, such as a vehicle, has been used and automatically emits a dose of UV-C light to eliminate viruses.
Marc Smeyers, chief technology officer of GHSP, told Automotive News that prior to the pandemic the company was exploring ways to keep environments clean.
Grenlite is already in use in emergency service, mass-transit and commercial vehicles, and the company says it is bringing the technology to personal vehicles.
Self-driving shuttle operators May Mobility and Voyage are among the companies to announce they are using the system to disinfect vehicles.
Smeyers said that demand for the technology will remain high in public transportation and ride-sharing spaces even as the pandemic wanes. People are now more aware of the cleanliness of the environments around them.
The mechanical and mechatronic systems supplier also recognized the need for a system to fight against another threat to vehicle safety — distracted drivers.
GHSP says its dual-stack rotary and multifunction controllers can be used for tasks as simple as volume control or as advanced as gear selection. The controllers have configurable software settings, built-in cybersecurity and automatic position sensing.
"GHSP is focused on bringing forward solutions that will bring about a better user experience," Smeyers said.