Photo Courtesy of Ultrium-(L-R) Paris Plain, Justin Ayler, Mario Patton
CEO Paris Plain and co-founders Mario Patton and Justin Ayler, driven by their unwavering dedication, have embarked on the ambitious journey of developing groundbreaking AI technology in the vibrant city of Detroit. Despite their demanding day jobs, they have poured their passion and expertise into creating Ultrium, the first-of-its-kind innovation set to revolutionize the tech and auto industry.
Ayler became a valued member of the Ultrium team just a few months ago, taking on the role of Fleet Management Advisor and becoming a managing partner. With over 15 years of experience, he successfully operated and ran a highly efficient fleet company.
“Ultrium by trade, we are a software company. That’s what we do and specialize in. We found that we had a lot of good talent and building knowledge to pivot into automotive and mobility. What we wanted to do was to understand what problems people have in the mobility space, Plain said.
“One of the things we found was just your day-to-day maintenance; it’s one of the biggest costs we all have when it comes to cars. It’s also a safety issue.”
Ultrium, the epitome of advanced technology, employs real-time vehicle canbus data and state-of-the-art AI to foresee maintenance needs well in advance. This proactive approach not only allows customers to avoid expensive and unforeseen breakdowns but also delivers a significant boost in vehicle performance, enhancing their overall driving experience.
“Because we have this data rate, we are able to supply this information to you in real-time. Usually, if something goes wrong with your car, you take it to a local mechanic or dealership,” Plain said.
“We’re giving you all that data on your phone, laptop, tablet, or internet-enabled device, and you can pull this up and see exactly what they’re (mechanic) going to see right now.”
Ultrium’s primary goal is to provide fleet managers and individual car owners with the necessary resources to ensure their vehicles’ smooth and safe operation. Through the comprehensive utilization of cutting-edge AI and machine learning technologies, they offer advanced predictive maintenance solutions. These solutions are designed to provide customers with peace of mind and ultimately save them valuable time and resources in the long term.
The data is gathered from a portable plug-in device linked to a data processing server located within Ultrium’s office at Newlab.
Photo Courtesy of Ultrium-CEO Paris Plain
“You plug it into your car’s OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) port. It has cellular data that just transfers data back and forth, and all the data goes here (to the server).”
“It starts sending that data to us right away. It takes about a month before we get a good portfolio about who you are and what is going on with your car, but after that, there are daily updates.” Plain said.
Ultrium’s groundbreaking technology is revolutionizing the automotive industry in Detroit by completely transforming the approach to vehicle maintenance. Ultrium’s cutting-edge software and hardware can accurately anticipate maintenance requirements well before they escalate into significant problems.
“Our industries collided to create this. I was on the vehicle testing side while he (Paris) was on the tech side. So I got to see how all that data gets put in and understand how that works. So, I’m familiar with working with this technology,” Patton said.
Receiving $100,000 from Michigan Central allowed Plain and Patton to roll out their first pilot of Ultrium and continue building the software and hardware. Ultrium has made significant progress in its research and development efforts, culminating in the successful development of a prototype.
This prototype has undergone rigorous testing in pilot programs, demonstrating its effectiveness and reliability. As a result, Ultrium has achieved a remarkable 15% increase in prediction accuracy, leading to a substantial 20% reduction in maintenance expenses for our initial partners. They have transitioned into the pilot stages of this technology with a local towing company.
“I met them (Access Point Towing) through Detroit Means Business; they are Black-owned, intelligent, super savvy, wise leadership and business. So we thought it would be a really good relationship because they touch and pick up cars daily,” Plain said.
“We are using that data to be a bridge to the actual consumers to figure out the problem, and we have been running that pilot for about three months now.”
New innovations are on the horizon for Ultrium. Plain recalls meeting an executive engineer from Tesla recently. After a few months, the Ultrium team is in partnership talks and discussing proposals on improving battery management for Tesla vehicles that will be prototyped in Newlab.
“My team is great; we have three engineers. Mario, myself, the full-stack developer, and Lindsey, our organizational development person. She’s amazing,” Plain said. “Mario, this man has a mind for numbers. I don’t know how this guy cracks numbers down, but his personality is so outgoing, and he has great outreach, too.”
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