No, this isn't a toothy new GM auto-show stand. It's a $750,000 antenna testing facility at GM's Milford, Michigan Proving Grounds that the General created along with the data-transmission tech company SATIMO and claims is the first of its kind. The SATIMO Arch shots signals at vehicles from 103 separate probes on a rotating platform in an effort to make sure calls to OnStar don't get dropped when driving through a sketchy coverage area or that GPS and XM satellite radio signals don't get lost.
As more content is beamed down to vehicles from the "cloud," the weak link is often cellular and other signals. GM claims this sort of testing, which was first performed on the 2011 GMC Denali Yukon, helps the automaker develop antenna designs and placement that can keep data flowing even when the signal fades.
While this is great for when you're suffering from bad cell service out on the road -- and have an OnStar subscription -- it doesn't do much good for drivers of non-GM vehicles with Bluetooth connected phones. And we don't predict that phone car cradles will make a big comeback.
lostboyz says:
03:44 AM, 01/28/11
"The SATIMO Arch shots signals at vehicles" should be shoots
I've been in that room before, pretty nifty. Also, every OEM does this to some degree. I have not seen that type of antenna used before though