A night vision system and a collision avoidance device developed by a research institute under the Ministry of National Defense’s Armaments Bureau to enhance vehicle safety are expected to sold commercially in two years, the institute said yesterday.
Su Yu-ling (蘇玉玲), who heads a project at Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) for developing dual-use technologies that can be applied to both defense and industry needs, said that with funding from the Ministry of Economic Affairs since 1994, the institute has been in charge of the ministry’s technology development program to develop national defense industry-derived products and help traditional industries to upgrade technologically.
Brake pads
Among the most notable devices the CSIST has created are high-end metal and ceramic brake discs and pads developed based on the technologies used for indigenous defense fighter brake discs, replacing asbestos brake pads and linings.
Asbestos is a recognized carcinogen and is also bad for the environment, Su said.
She added the quality of the CSIST-made brake components is on par with similar products made in Japan, but their prices are much lower than Japan’s, which she said could give local manufacturers an edge when competing with Chinese low-cost asbestos brake product suppliers.
Vehicle safety
The CSIST began developing key technologies for vehicle safety in 1995, including an automotive collision avoidance radar system, a night vision system and an auxiliary airbag system.
Low Ming-feng (羅民芳), manager of the vehicle safety system project, said that if the night vision system — originally designed for military use — is converted into a system for civilian vehicles, it will increase a drivers vision and distance perception in the dark through the use of an LCD screen in the vehicle.
The collision avoidance radar system, meanwhile, will allow a driver to detect objects in blind spots based on their relative distance and speed to avoid a crash, Low said.
Transferring technology
He added that the technologies can now be transferred to manufacturers and that the devices are expected to go on sale within two years.
Meanwhile, the CSIST is also developing an in-wheel motor that can reduce fuel consumption by up to 50 percent, with plans to have it commercially available within five years.
HSBC Holdings PLC is deepening its commitment to Taiwan as the economy emerges as one of the bank’s fastest-growing markets globally, driven by an artificial intelligence (AI) investment boom, expanding cross-border trade, and rising wealth creation. “The advantage that Taiwan has is a growth story linked to the semiconductor and broader AI industries, strong underlying corporate performance, and wealth creation,” said Surendra Rosha, HSBC’s co-chief executive for Asia and the Middle East, in an exclusive interview with the Taipei Times on June 2, during this year’s HSBC Taiwan Conference. That combination has helped HSBC cement its position as the most profitable international
The New Taiwan dollar yesterday fell sharply against the US dollar to close at its lowest level since May 22 amid a massive outflow of funds from the country because of investors panicking over global equity markets. The NT dollar ended at NT$31.580 against the US dollar, slightly lower than its close of NT$31.568 on May 22, after moving between NT$31.5 and NT$31.648 on combined turnover of US$3.062 billion on the Taipei Foreign Exchange and the Cosmos Foreign Exchange. The NT dollar received a significant hit in the morning session, slumping as much as NT$0.173 at a time when other Asian currencies
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is now ranked ninth among the world’s 100 most valuable companies after its market capitalization more than doubled over the past year, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Taiwan said in a report last month. TSMC’s market capitalization surged 101 percent year-on-year to US$1.427 trillion as of March 31, the accounting and consulting firm’s 2026 Global Top 100 Companies by Market Capitalization report said. The gain catapulted the world’s largest contract chipmaker from 12th place to ninth in the rankings, and it was the fastest-growing among the global top 10, it said. TSMC was the only Taiwanese company among the top
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday reported record revenue of NT$416.975 billion (US$13.17 billion) for last month, putting the world’s largest contract chipmaker on track to set a record for quarterly revenue. Last month’s figure surpassed March’s record NT$415.19 billion and represented increases of 1.5 percent from April and 30.1 percent from a year earlier. For the first five months of the year, TSMC generated NT$1.96 trillion in revenue, up 30 percent year-on-year, it said in a statement. TSMC has forecast second-quarter revenue of between US$39 billion and US$40.2 billion, representing sequential growth of about 10 percent and year-on-year growth of about
RSS