LAS VEGAS – For Hunter Engineering Co., the future of Advanced Drive Assistance Systems (ADAS) isn't just in new equipment and technology, it's in education.
"We feel like what's been the challenge in the industry is that everyone sort of fears the number of procedures or the space required, or all of these sort of almost alarming headlines. And it really is frightening people off of ADAS," said Vice President of Marketing Pete Liebetreu at the 2022 SEMA Show.
Hunter has the technology and hardware shops need to bring ADAS calibration in-house, but what sets the company apart is its commitment to educating the industry and showing shops hesitant to embrace ADAS service — because they think they lack the space or know-how — that doing so is possible, he said.
Some shop owners are intimidated by the perceived size of ADAS equipment, but only a few procedures and hardware truly require a large footprint, he said.
"You can do a tremendous amount of ADAS reset in a regular bay," he said.
The fear that a shop owner will need to rent a pole barn to do any ADAS work isn't realized.
Hunter's website, hunter.com, has the diagrams and exact dimensions of ADAS hardware, so shop owners can see what equipment will fit into their space, he said.
"There's no real reason not to go into it," he said.
Liebetreu also points to Hunter's hundreds of business consultants and "technical and training reps," what other companies might call customer service representatives, all of whom are becoming experts in the field, he said.
Hunter also offers online training and resources for customers through its HunterNet 2 portal, including Hunter's ADAS Coverage Guide.
HunterNet's alignment specification guide lets shops know every step needed for a particular alignment and what extra procedures and costs could be passed on to customers, Liebetreu said.
An alignment with four extra needed procedures isn't going cost the same as standard alignment, he noted.
Hunter also offers a free video learning library on YouTube, at @HunterLearningChannel. That YouTube page includes a series on sensors used in ADAS calibration, Liebetreu said.
Over the last year, Hunter has produced videos of specific reset procedures — on how to work on a Subaru or Lexus, for example. What Liebetreu has noticed is that many systems have similarities.
And the ADAS equipment produced by Hunter has the necessary procedures built in. A technician doesn't have to remember all of the numbers, they just have to follow the procedure, he said.
Hunter highlighted its Hunter ADASLink, a full diagnostic scan tool, at SEMA.
The Bosch-powered ADASLink offers: Dynamic (driving) calibration coverage — as well as static coverage when paired with Hunter's DAS 3000 ADAS fixture, guided fixture positioning, accurate target placement, forward-facing radar and camera calibrations and blind spot and surround view calibrations. It can complete pre- and post-scans, is FCA secure gateway-compatible, and can be used with or without a Hunter aligner.
"We feel our particular mission for the industry is to sort of demystify ADAS as much as possible. And at the same time, get people into the business," he said. "Their business will be better served. It does nobody any good to send business elsewhere."
ADAS isn't going anywhere. And while ADAS service isn't going to be the same as changing oil and other procedures shop owners perfected decades ago, nothing is insurmountable, Liebetreu said.
"There's a tendency to sort of celebrate the complexity. I'd like us to start changing the story to a little bit about, yeah, it's complex but let's celebrate the capability," he said.
Shop owners aren't alone, he said. "There's plenty of excellent tools and knowledgeable people to help you along the journey."
