Pegasor brings new OBD-sensor to the motor vehicle market
pegasorFinnish Pegasor Ltd. has launched the first prototype of an On Board Diagnostics, OBD-sensor, which meets the requirements of the motor vehicle industry and public authorities.
The most harmful fine particles are produced by diesel vehicles. For this reason they are equipped with a special diesel particulate filter. In addition to the filter, public authorities of the EU and the USA would like to make the OBD-sensors obligatory. Developing the sensor, which is located in the difficult conditions in the vehicle's tailpipe, has proven to be very challenging. On top of tremor, corrosion, humidity and heat the low emission allowances set very high demands on the functionality of the sensor.
Pegasor sensor, which is based on an innovation by Pegasor's co-founder Dr. Eng. Juha Tikkanen, differs from other sensors for instance by its real-time, non-collective operating principle. Most of the developments in the field have applied a surface, which collects particles, which causes the device to deteriorate and perish rapidly.
Pegasor's sensor has raised ample interest among the end-clients and TIER1-suppliers of the world's motor vehicle industry. Pegasor has already received a bid for a delivery of several hundreds of thousands of ODB-sensors in 2012, when the company intends to start the mass production of the product. Demand for the sensor exists also in the development phase of vehicle manufacture, where the testing of engines and emission cleaning equipments could benefit from the new technology.
- Our goal is that Pegasor's technology sets the standards in the field, and we as the first functional concept will get a chance to steer the direction of future legislations, tells the CEO of Pegasor, Juha Kaartinen.
- There is a huge market for these sensors. The estimation of the size of the market in 2014 is 25-30 million sensors every year, which corresponds to about 1,5 billion Euro market. Although year 2014 seems distant, we have to remember that new car models for 2012-2013 are already being designed, continues Kaartinen.
In addition to the motor vehicle industry the sensor developed by Pegasor will also be directed to other markets, where its sensitivity to low concentrations and particles, real-time operation, reasonable pricing and easy maintenance will definitely give it a market advantage. Pegasor has negotiated for instance with suppliers of vehicle inspection equipment about replacing the old, optical measuring devices with more sensitive equipment. Also measuring the quality of outdoor and indoor air is considered a potential, growing sensor-market of the future.
Tampere-based Pegasor has been chosen as a member of the Tekes Young Innovative Company program, which is aimed at Finnish companies with high growth potential.
