Automotive technology has made quantum leaps

Since the mid-'70s, when electromechanical transmission systems became standard, the technology and what it requires to repair it has grown like wildfire, creating new jobs and forcing existing workers to adapt. That's not a description of the next sci-fi blockbuster, but one of the world that now exists, and it's a world, experts note, creating new jobs and requiring the current workforce to adjust its roles and acquire new skills to make a living in a science-fictional universe. Automotive technology is one area which has required some of the most significant jumps in the learning curve, especially for those who keep cars and trucks running, said Jerry Hampton, program coordinator for Hill College's Automotive Technology program in Cleburne. Since the mid-'70s, when electromechanical transmission systems became standard, the technology and what it requires to repair it has grown like wildfire, he said. By the 1980s, the earliest onboard diagnostic computers appeared -- equipment more sophisticated and with more control than the systems in the Apollo spacecraft that went to the moon, he said. This diagnostic equipment is now about 10 generations along and will keep moving forward as technology moves toward more automated systems, including autonomous driving systems.