Android™ Infotainment System Coming Soon to FIAT Vehicles

The latest Android™ version, 7.0 Nougat, will be the base for the new Uconnect® system, meaning drivers will have easier access to many applications. But Google understands the importance of safety when it comes to using technology in a vehicle. The company has worked with FCA for the past year doing research on how to make the new system safe to use while driving. The outlook is promising: with how efficiently Android™ works, it’s certain that the new Uconnect® will be safer and more user-oriented than ever.

With the ever-growing importance of smart phones in our daily lives, many car manufacturers are looking to become more and more smart phone compatible, as seen by Apple’s CarPlay™. But Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) are taking things a step further. They have teamed up in hopes of making Android™ into a fully-fledged car operating system, as part of Google’s “Android Automotive” Initiative.

FCA hopes that the Android™ platform will advance their infotainment technologies, while Uconnect® does the job of offering drivers a user-friendly interface. Combining the two should lead to a more refined and connected infotainment system.

Best Infotainment Technology Coming Soon!

Integrating the Android™ as a base operating system is a well-thought out move by Google and FCA. Drivers will benefit through the Android™ based operating system as their favorite apps become car friendly, and they are given access to wider variety of apps! Google will be bundling all applicable Google services with the operating system. This builds continuity and familiarity for present and future drivers, as many of FCA’s vehicle infotainment systems already use Google apps and are Android™ friendly. Going through with integration is a logical move for both Google and the FCA Group.

What Google Must Overcome

As with any new technology there are a few barriers that Google must consider. With the constant changes and updates made to apps, Google needs to reassure its customers that this technology can do everything the current smart phone compatible infotainment systems do and much more. The main issue Google faces is developing a plan for the continual updating of their operating system after sale. The good news, Android™’s current system is already much more efficient than the way the auto industry currently takes care of updates.

@Info Credits FIAT LA

The New Truck Generation: Scania is Introducing Apple CarPlay

A Swedish manufacturer, Scania, announced plans to build CarPlay into some of it heavy trucks, marking perhaps the first time Apple’s platform has been integrated into non-consumer vehicles.

 

It’s main features are:-

• iPhones integrate with the infotainment system in Scania trucks
• Easy connection, mirrors Apple devices seamlessly
• Allows for voice commands via Siri
• Easy access to apps and other functions such as phone, music, messages and maps
• Everything from the phone to the navigation tool can be used without having to look away from the road 

Scania is introducing Apple CarPlay to the new truck generation’s infotainment system, allowing for smart, safe and smooth access to all the functionality of iPhones by mirroring them seamlessly. Scania is among the first in the industry to offer Apple CarPlay in heavy trucks.

“Scania’s infotainment system will work with Apple CarPlay, the smarter, safer way to use your iPhone while on the move,” says Björn Fahlström, Vice President, Product Management, Scania Trucks. “Apple CarPlay support is being introduced in June 2017, and earlier devices can be updated, provided that they have voice recognition. By intro­ducing this functionality, we will offer even more driver comfort and increased safety. For truck drivers, who spend a lot of time behind the wheel, everything that makes life on the road easier, simpler and safer is very much appreciated.”

Apple CarPlay functionality will be available for customers who have a Scania Infotain­ment System with a 7″ touch screen (AUS4) and the Voice Control Option. Devices from Apple with iOS 7 or higher can be paired via USB cable to the Scania Infotainment System.

“This is yet another example of how Scania continues to offer new seamless services and functi­o­na­lity in the new truck generation,” says Fahlström. “Apple CarPlay is an industry-leading tech­nology of the kind we will offer more of in our trucks in the near future.”

@info credits Scania

Ultrahaptics opens up its mid-air touch technology to future IVI systems

Ultrahaptics to integrate haptic sensations into connected car

The patented technology uses ultrasound to provide a unique touch sensation that can revolutionise the human-machine interface, enabling users to ‘feel’ virtual buttons, switches, dials and other objects in mid-air. Touchless controls are hygienic for use in medical, industrial and domestic environments, such as hospitals, kitchens and restrooms, while their use for automotive infotainment and dashboard functions enhances safety, allowing drivers to keep their eyes on the road.

The disruptive nature of gesture control with haptic feedback, providing two-way communication with devices, also opens up new possibilities in consumer electronics, computing and gaming applications.

What is Ultrahaptics?

Born out of education in 2013, Ultrahaptics is working to create the most remarkable connection between people and technology. By using ultrasound to project sensations onto a hand, Ultrahaptics is pushing through an era of change and allowing people to feel and control technology like never before.

From invisible buttons and dials that you feel when you need them, through to tangible interfaces that track your hand, this elegant and simple technology was created using complex mathematics yet is based on human nature.

To incorporate mid-air gesture haptic feedback technology into a range of infotainment and audio systems, Ultrahaptics has announced a collaboration with HARMAN International Industries.

Ultrahaptics has developed a technology that uses ultrasound to project physical sensations onto the user’s bare hands. Without the need to wear gloves or hold special equipment, users can receive haptic feedback for gestures they perform in mid-air. This type of user-friendly gesture control can be used to operate infotainment systems, such as in-car audio and connected car applications, enabling drivers to keep their eyes on the road.

HARMAN International is a global leader in connected car technology, lifestyle audio innovations, design and analytics, cloud services and IoT solutions. As the market leader in connected car solutions, there are more than 30 million vehicles currently equipped with HARMAN’s connected car and audio systems, including embedded infotainment, telematics, connected safety and security.

By using Ultrahaptics’ technology, HARMAN has developed an intuitive system that can control multiple in-vehicle systems, including audio infotainment functions. The system tracks the driver’s hand movements and gives mid-air haptic feedback for various gesture commands. Ultrahaptics and HARMAN worked together closely to design the solution that combines haptic sensations, gestural interfaces and HARMAN’s custom visual interactive Graphical User Interface (GUI). The system enables drivers to simply move their hands in the air and feel the controls to adjust their embedded infotainment system.

Driving just got a whole lot smarter

Feel in control. Gesture recognition for in-car controls free the user from reaching from the limitations of physical buttons or small touchscreen interface. Just as touchscreens have added haptic feedback to inform the user that they are engaged, the industry is moving to mid-air controls. Drivers need to know their gesture has been received, without taking their eyes off the road. Ultrahaptics adds touch to the mid-air. Safer, more responsive controls.

Speaking of the technology collaboration with Ultrahaptics, Stefan Marti, Vice President of Future Experience, of HARMAN said: “Driver safety is paramount as cars become more connected. The ability to track the user’s hand and give feedback for gesture commands reduces the mental load for infotainment controls, helping drivers to remain safe on the road. At HARMAN, we are always looking for ways to use new technology such as that from Ultrahaptics, to provide the best and safest solutions to our customers.”

Steve Cliffe, CEO of Ultrahaptics, said: “We are incredibly excited to announce our relationship with HARMAN. Ultrahaptics has received phenomenal market pull from many industries, especially in areas where consumers are looking for a technology that will replace touchscreens for many interactions. Haptic feedback in mid-air with gesture recognition is proving to be a very attractive option. HARMAN are an ideal collaborator, as we continue to move towards a technology-driven future. Together, we expect to develop some truly outstanding products.”

 

@Info courtesy Ultrahaptics

Car firms are still pushing hands-free phone tech – despite how dangerous it is

Get caught using your smartphone while driving in the UK and you’ll be in serious trouble. Authorities recently doubled the penalties for using a handset behind the wheel to six points on your licence and a £200 fine. Yet the law – and the car industry itself – hasn’t caught up with the equal dangers of hands-free phone calls while driving.

A week after the latest penalties for using a handset while driving came into force, the Advertising Standards Agency banned a Jaguar advert which highlighted the benefits of hands-free technology. The advert claimed that Wi-Fi and integrated apps ensure that “drive time is no longer downtime … without compromising safety”. The ASA ruled the advert promoted unsafe driving practices by implying that attention can be shared between tasks.

You might not think it, but research shows talking on a hands-free phone while driving is just as dangerous as using a handset. In fact, drivers remain dangerously distracted even after they’ve hung up. Thankfully, this message is starting to get through, as the ASA’s decision shows. But the fact that the advert was made in the first place, that in-car, hands-free technology is readily available – and that the law doesn’t prevent its use – show how far society still has to go.

What’s the problem?

Decades of research has demonstrated drivers on the phone are four times more likely to be involved in an accident than undistracted drivers, regardless of whether they’re using a hand-held or hands-free system. This increased risk lasts for around five minutes after the call has ended, suggesting that interacting with the technology isn’t the only issue. It seems that phone conversations take the driver’s focus away from their primary task of driving, even after they’ve hung up. People are largely unaware that their minds wander like this, or that it can affect their driving.

Distracted drivers take longer to react to hazards, miss other hazards altogether, and make poor decisions about their speed and distance from other road users. Research has also shown that the type of conversation a driver has, along with the difficulty of the driving situation, can further affect performance.

Some researchers suggest that these effects are down to increased “cognitive workload”, the amount of information your brain can process at any one time. This makes sense, as we have a limited supply of attentional resources, which include all the resources needed to perceive things in our vision, understand what we hear, and plan for upcoming actions. When driving, your workload may be relatively manageable, yet adding a phone conversation increases that workload. If the demands of driving suddenly increase –- for example when the vehicle ahead brakes sharply –- your workload may become too much to manage and your performance in one or both tasks can break down.

Other research more specifically suggests that workload increases to these unmanageable levels because the two tasks need the same attentional resources, leading to competition between the tasks. A driver can’t share their attention between tasks effectively because both tasks are drawing on the same limited pool of resources. If the resources needed for driving are being used on a phone conversation, the driver may not be able to fully focus, making them more likely to miss important parts of the driving scene.

We can see evidence of increased workload by looking at eye movements. When a driver talks on the phone, they move their eyes less around the driving scene. They use their mirrors less and tend to focus more on the area directly ahead of them, rather than to the sides of the scene. This reduction in their functional field of view could explain why distracted drivers often fail to react to hazards in their peripheral vision.

Yet the evidence reveals something even more worrying. Rather than simply not looking at all areas of the scene, distracted drivers can look at something yet still not register it. In one simulation study, drivers who were heavily involved in a phone conversation failed to detect traffic signals and were less likely to recall billboards at the side of the road.

By tracking the drivers’ eye movements, the researchers showed that distracted and undistracted drivers viewed the billboards the same amount. But those on the phone did not have the cognitive resources available to process what their eyes were looking at. They looked but failed to see.

Talking to passengers

What these issues don’t mean is that drivers shouldn’t talk to passengers. While adding any extra workload to a driver can be distracting, phone conversations are more distracting because the people talking don’t have a shared visual environment. The person on the other end of the phone can’t see what the driver can and so don’t pause the conversation when the driver needs to concentrate more on the road, for example at junctions.

One study neatly demonstrated this by comparing drivers’ conversations when talking to a passenger, someone on the phone, or a blind-folded passenger. The regular passengers stopped talking when driving became more challenging, but the blindfolded and phone conversation partners did not.

Having two eyes on the road categorically does not equate to “safe” driving. Yet current laws still perpetuate the myth that hands-free is safe, a message echoed in the media and supported by growth in hands-free technology in cars. Drivers need to know the real dangers of hands-free phone use so they can make informed decisions about how safe their actions are.

Impact of automotive technology: Brings Autopilot mode in trucks.

Daimler Trucks has introduced the first “autopilot” for trucks, a system that still needs the presence of the professional driver, but that makes it possible for him to relax and let electronics to get in charge when driving on motorways or highways.

Developed as part of the Shaping Future Transportation initiative, Daimler Trucks has come out with the first-generation of the intelligent system “Highway Pilot”, an autonomous driving solution which also helps to reduce emissions and ensure road safety.

“Highway Pilot “ is a system that allows drivers to take control of his truck until it is placed on a fast road (highway or motorway) and from that moment on, they pass the truck control to the “autopilot”, which will be responsible for driving for the most tedious and boring part of the route. Daimler Trucks proposes 2015 as the date for the commercial availability of the “Highway Pilot”.

Keep in mind that the driver is always driver at the wheel, to take over whenever necessary, although with the “autopilot” activated the driver can take a more relaxed attitude, taking back his seat and rotate it to the right in order to stretch their legs and get involved with other functions of his daily work such as managing orders, downloads, reading or surfing the internet.

The first “Highway Pilot” has been installed on a 449 hp Actros tractor with a 12-speed PowerShift 3 automated gearbox, dragging a semi-trailer with aerodynamic fairing. The complex technical and sensor equipment required by the “Highway Pilot” for its operation have been set in different parts of the outside of the cab, in a so subtle way that they are hard to spot at first glance.

Among other elements for control purposes, the vehicle has short and long-range radar in charge of sweeping the front of the vehicle up to a distance of 250 meters with a viewing angle of 18 °. This radar locates and identifies the position of the vehicles surrounding the truck as it does with any obstacle or other object that are within its scope.

The radar is supplemented with short-range sensors that are responsible for managing the distance control system as well as the emergency Brake Assist. A 100 meters range with viewing angles of 45 ° (horizontally) and 27 ° (vertically) stereoscopic camera is responsible for identifying the existence of one or two lanes and the presence of static or moving pedestrians, noting the free space available and reading traffic signals, as well as keeping the truck in the lane between the two lines that mark its limits.

This prototype also has the Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC), so that the truck knows its position at all times and has the mapping of the route and the topography of the road on which it is moving.

 

Brain and sensors

To interpret the data a high-powered processor, which is activated at the moment you insert the ignition key, has been developed. It not only analyzes the data generated by the vehicle itself, but also the data that it gets from the external interconnection systems. So the truck reports its own movements and also receives the movements of all those around it up to a distance of 500 meters, in real time.

But there are some maneuvers that the designers have not left to the “Highway Pilot”, such as overtaking, changing lanes on a road junction or getting out of a highway which are left to the driver.

Looking at the road ahead

Radar technology provides an all-round view. Wi-Fi could also allow the truck to communicate with infrastructure and other vehicles.

In developing the system, the engineers at Daimler Trucks had access to a sound existing body of assistance and safety systems. For instance, the front radar unit forms the basis for Proximity Control Assist and Active Brake Assist 3. These systems ensure greater safety, for example, in the Mercedes-Benz Actros and Freightliner Cascadia Evolution. The stereo camera monitors the area in front of the vehicle and is a further development of the mono camera used in today’s Lane Departure Warning system. The new camera detects everything that stands out from the background: traffic lanes, pedestrians, moving and immobile objects. This enables it to precisely calculate the available space. The stereo camera also registers the information on traffic signs.

Knowing exactly where you’re going

A digital three-dimensional map ensures that the Highway Pilot is able to perfectly negotiate every bend and gradient. The same map is used by the existing Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC). This means that the truck is always aware of the road ahead and its topography. And that also has a positive effect on fuel economy.

A strong team: human and machine

• Once the truck is safely on the motorway or highway, the driver can activate the Highway Pilot.

• The vehicle switches to autonomous mode and adjusts to the speed of the traffic.

• The truck automatically keeps to the legal speed limit, maintains the required distance from the vehicle in front or uses the Stop-and-Go function during rush hour.

• The Highway Pilot does not initiate autonomous overtaking manoeuvres. Those remain the prerogative of the driver. The same applies to leaving the highway or motorway as well as to changing lane.

• By means of the user interface, the Highway Pilot visually informs the driver about the current status and receives instructions.

• The driver can manually deactivate the Highway Pilot and override the system at any time.

• If the vehicle loses the ability to detect key aspects of the surrounding environment, the driver is immediately requested to take back control. This happens when driving through roadworks, in case of extreme weather conditions (heavy snowfall, ice, thick fog) or if there are no lane markings.

Good for the environment and the wallet

Autonomously driving trucks will enhance fuel efficiency, improve road safety, reduce traffic jams and lower CO2 emissions. Tests conducted with Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner trucks indicate that autonomous driving can reduce fuel consumption by up to five percent. According to a study by Frost & Sullivan, an autonomously driving heavy-duty truck can save an average of around seven percent in fuel on long distances. The figure for regional transport would be about four percent. Yet fuel consumption is not the only factor. A more even flow of traffic will, for example, put less stress on vehicle components. This means that a truck that is predominantly autonomous is also likely to result in lower maintenance costs for the operator.

Relief for the driver

Autonomous driving will free human truck drivers from “having to” drive. Tiring and monotonous long-distance trips are part of everyday life for a truck driver and make up a large proportion of the workload. While the truck is driving itself, the driver is not just free to relax or cultivate their social contacts. They could also, for example, take care of organisational tasks. Where required, owner-driver businesses will be able to perform office tasks conveniently while on the move. Carrying out other activities will significantly change the job profile of the truck driver. This will lead to promotion opportunities. Instead of just driving, someone could progress to become a transport manager, and the job of truck driver will become more attractive.

Future traffic could look like this: autonomous and networked.

@Info credits daimler

 

Delphi infotainment systems with innovated multi-layer display and Gesture control

Delphi’s multi-layer display gives your car dashboard some depth

Delphi showed an improved multi-layer display to provide the flexibility to optimise a 3D viewing experience on both the centre information display and cluster. This is a process that is a combination of software, optical and imaging technologies. Screens are literally stacked, like a triple decker sandwich. The rear display is used as a light source. The front screens are translucent. The result is higher definition, better resolution, crisper text and graphics and a true 3D effect. For techies, 1440 pixels by 540 pixels on a 12-inch instrument cluster. Future generations of this technology will become even sharper with 1920 by 780 pixels.

Delphi designers looked to the future and the past for inspiration. The 1957 Cadillac Seville captures a period when designers used physical layers in dashboards to create art. There was a national euphoria in post-war United States. The fuselage and fins of rockets and jets influenced car exteriors while the driver seats and dashboards resembled fighter cockpits. There is a new look in customisable car fashion this fall. Flat, boring, bland? Out. Multi-layers? In.

Delphi also debuted its scalable infotainment Integrated Cockpit Controller (ICC) family that spans the entry to high vehicle segments, and which we believe delivers best-in-class graphics and user experience. The system supports multiple interaction modes while integrating sensor inputs across both the infotainment and functional safety domains. ICC supports up to four high-definition displays providing a highly flexible and scalable solution. ICC also offers significant performance improvements in graphics (10x) and computational power (5x) when compared with systems on the market today. This integrated architecture also delivers estimated system cost savings of up to 12 percent while reducing mass by 33 percent.

This means that automakers who opt for the Delphi ICC will have the flexibility to combine multiple domains, such as infotainment, gesture control, clusters and other software features in an open architecture inside a single controller box. The ICC architecture provides domain isolation for another level of performance stability and functional safety certification.

Answers by Delphi infotainment designer During auto Show–>

How will the autonomous car change the look and feel of the cockpit?

In the future with the introduction of autonomous cars the location of the displays will no longer be limited to conventional spaces in the dashboard. The traditional disconnected cluster and infotainment display will be merged together to one wider display, seamlessly integrated into the dashboard. The form shapes of the display will influence the interior design. The display itself can be configured as a wider information display or as dedicated passenger display. A multi-modal control concept which combines voice, eye glance and gesture recognition technologies allows the driver to control the vehicle functions.

In some quarters of the auto industry, cars are almost seen as mobile app platforms much like a smartphone. What will this mean for how tomorrow’s infotainment systems will be built?

Supporting Apps on tomorrow´s infotainment systems is becoming more and more important. Delphi recently demonstrated one of the first Android N platforms powering next-gen automotive infotainment systems, delivering popular Android apps into the vehicle. The platform itself supports typical automotive applications like car media, HVAC control, radio, etc. and the support of Apps for Android Auto. Furthermore, the next generation platform will also support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Could you brief us a little more about Delphi’s eye glance technology and the possibilities for its further development?

Delphi demonstrated the first eye glance technology during CES 2016, enabling a driver to interact with the centre console display simply by looking at it, for example, to control climate control or change radio stations without touching the system. Infrared cameras integrated into the cockpit track the driver’s eye and head movements. This leads also to a way to monitor the driver attention called Driver State Sensor, which can initiate actions if a driver is distracted whether falling asleep or looking at a text on their cell phone. When determining the action, the system takes into account the driver’s workload and the environment around them. An alert, such as vibrating the driver’s seat or a combination of beeps, lights and gentle ‘smartphone computer voices’ can be used to redirect the driver’s attention.

Presumably using eyes, voice and hand gestures, it is possible to eliminate buttons from an infotainment system. What is your vision of this touch-free user experience?

Delphi introduced gesture control at CES 2015. In 2016, [we] demonstrated how using infrared cameras hidden behind the dash, eye movement can indicate what you are looking at and infer what action you want your infotainment system to carry out. When combined with improved gesture control and natural voice recognition, Delphi has made it possible to never touch a single infotainment control and still manage the system, simply by using your eyes, voice and hand gestures.

“… Delphi has made it possible to never touch a single infotainment control …”

Delphi’s done all the testing required in terms of classifying the tech as automotive grade, and is now in the process of talking to carmakers around use of the technology. An automotive OEM would license Dephi’s multi-layered display for use in their own vehicles, and then likely customize it to fit with their current branding, so a final product would look different compared with what you see here.

 

 

@Info credits Delphi