Heat Dissipation Solution is the Key to Advance the Development of Autonomous Driving Vehicles – Interview with Yao-Nian Zhong

In an exclusive interview, Zhong shared his recent achievements, how his innovative work is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in industrial design and provided his vision for the future of autonomous driving and industrial computing.

Reporter: You are a very experienced mechanical design engineer with over 12-year experience in the industrial computer industry, can you briefly introduce your past career journey and your current design focus?

Yao-Nian Zhong: Sure. My career started from Taiwan where I was born and grew up. After I graduated from National Taipei University of Technology with master’s degree, I firstly joined a pioneer Industrial Computer Design company working on industrial computer screen product design for extreme and challenging environments, such as outdoor and marine settings. The projects I worked on allowed me to really focus on solving real-world problems, focused on optimizing heat dissipation and waterproofing features for industrial screens, which is crucial for extending the lifecycle of outdoor equipment.

After that I joined a One of Taiwan’s Leading ODM Companies, whose clients are mostly international computer Giant such as Dell, HP and etcs. During this period, I had chances to work on lots of major projects on the factory side, made me realize that optimizing the production process was as crucial as designing the product itself. So, I gained experience in optimization product design to help improve manufacturing efficiency.

Later in 2018, I decided to go outside Taiwan to see a bigger world. I got a chance to work in Shanghai, even it is still a Taiwan Company, I have more chances to work on projects from mainland China. Also, my focus shifted from the traditional industrial computer to industrial computer design for autonomous driving vehicles. I was very excited for this change, as I would be able to work on the most forefront and trendy industries and contribute my innovative design ideas.

Reporter: Can you introduce more about the design work you do now, which related to the industrial computer design work for autonomous vehicles.

Yao-Nian Zhong: I have many chances to work with many top autonomous vehicle companies from mainland China such as Baidu, Alibaba, and NIO. My work is mainly focused on the development of in-vehicle computing systems and roadside communication units for autonomous driving platforms. The shift to autonomous vehicles required a change in my approach to problem-solving, I would need to put more focus on heat dissipation and optimizing the size of the computing units, as these systems needed to be efficient and compact to ensure the stability and safety, yet powerful enough to handle the immense computational demands of autonomous driving.

Reporter: It seems that one of your key design directions is to solve the heat dissipation. Can you elaborate more on why?

Yao-Nian Zhong: Heat dissipation is a very crucial issue need to put lots of efforts on. Because autonomous driving relies on computer functioning well to follow the order that has been sent out. With more and more AI integration, the operation of the computer becomes heavy, and the computing power required is increasing exponentially, which leads to challenges in managing the generated heat effectively to ensure system reliability. The overheating would heavily impact the system function stability, industrial computer product usage lifecycle and driving safety. So I developed and implemented advanced heat dissipation designs for automotive computers used in autonomous driving. My new design is just a start, I shared my research findings and design ideas in academic publications. I wish my new design could inspire my peers, so that they could have more technology breakthrough for the heat dissipation technology to move the autonomous driving to the next level.

Reporter: Looking to the future, what’s your vision for industrial computer and autonomous driving vehicles?

Yao-Nian Zhong: We’re only just scratching the surface of what’s possible with autonomous technology. The potential for improving urban mobility, reducing traffic congestion, and enhancing safety is immense. But the key to making these technologies viable at scale lies in robust hardware solutions. I believe that advances in materials science, heat management, and compact computing solutions will pave the way for broader adoption of autonomous vehicles. The importance of cross-industry collaboration as No one can do it alone. Collaboration between software developers, hardware engineers, city planners, and regulators is essential to create a future where autonomous driving is safe and accessible for everyone.

Reporter: Any advice to aspire your peers?

Yao-Nian Zhong: Never stop learning, and always seek to understand the problem you are trying to solve. My journey has been one of continuous learning. From my early days for screen design to my current work in autonomous vehicles, each project has taught me something new. Understanding the real-world challenges and focusing on solutions that add tangible value is what engineering is all about. Engineering is full of challenges and setbacks. But it’s the willingness to keep going, to iterate and improve, that makes all the difference. Whether it’s an issue with a cable assembly on a production line or a complex thermal management challenge, every problem has a solution if you’re determined enough to find it.

Yao-Nian Zhong’s story is one of dedication, innovation, and impact. From industrial computer screen design for extreme environment to spearheading the development of computing systems for autonomous vehicles, Zhong’s work continues to shape the future of industrial computing and autonomous driving. His passion for solving complex engineering challenges, coupled with his commitment to collaboration and innovation, has positioned him as a true leader in the industry.

As the autonomous vehicle industry continues to grow, Zhong’s work serves as a reminder of the importance of robust and innovative hardware solutions in realizing the promise of autonomous mobility. With engineers like Zhong at the helm, the future of autonomous driving looks promising indeed.