Crossbow Technology, Leader in Advanced Sensors, Rides the New Acela High Speed Train; Company Worked with Bombardier/Alstom on Sensor-Based System

Business Wire, Dec 15, 2000

Business Editors/High Tech & Transportation Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 2000

When the new high speed Amtrak Acela train completed its maiden voyage from Boston to Washington D.C. Monday Dec. 11, Crossbow Technology -- a leader in advanced digital sensor technology -- was along for the ride.

The Amtrak Acela provides the first high speed rail service in the United States, and runs at 150 miles per hour. Its first 'revenue' run Dec. 11 followed an inaugural test voyage Nov. 20.

Crossbow is an emerging growth company whose board includes Wind River Founder Jerry Fidler, Tensilica Chairman Harvey Jones, and UC Berkeley Engineering Dean Richard Newton. Among its customers are industry leaders such as Marconi, Raytheon and many of the major commercial aircraft suppliers. In 1997, Crossbow began work with Montreal-based Bombardier/ALSTOM, the manufacturers of the new Acela train cars, which are shortening the New York to Washington trip from almost three hours to just under two and a half hours. Together, the companies developed a custom lateral accelerometer based on the Crossbow digital accelerometer and tilt sensor technology. The custom accelerometer monitors the train's tilt and if it exceeds a specified threshold, it activates a safety system that slows or stops the train.

The Crossbow accelerometer was built and tested to high standards and levels of performance required in military applications, including Environmental Stress Screening, which cycles the device multiple times over a very wide temperature range.

The Acela train was commissioned by Amtrak to run in the Boston-NYC-Washington corridor. Travel time from Boston to New York has been reduced from five hours to three hours and fifteen minutes. Time from New York to Washington is cut from three hours to two and a half. The trains have attracted large numbers of commuters since their initial testing and first commercial runs.

"We've been working closely with Bombardier on this very advanced accelerometer system and we're proud to have been taken for a ride on the first run," said Mike Horton, Crossbow founder and chief executive. "It's a very exciting new transportation technology that requires the kind of cost-efficient, digital sensor technologies that we have developed for the aviation, avionics, and similar markets."

Crossbow Technology, Inc. is the leading supplier of low-cost, intelligent digital sensor solutions.

Crossbow is located at 41 E. Daggett Drive, San Jose, CA 95134. Telephone: 408-965-3300. Fax: 408-324-4840. Email: info@xbow.com. Visit Crossbow at www.xbow.com.