Not so long ago, the consumer electronics show (CES) was the place to exhibit the latest in computers, mobile devices and other home electronic gadgets. It still is although the accent is changing. Every year, this Las Vegas tech fest attracts a rising tide of automakers and suppliers who have been working overtime to turn cars into upgradeable, revenue-generating machines. Harman, a unit of Samsung Electronics, had a big presence at the CES last week, taking over a slice of the Hard Rock Hotel to display some of its latest cloud-based technologies. They included updates to its connected car technologies to enhance the driver experience, a suite of technologies to improve the EV-specific audio experience and boost range, and a system that operates on 5G networks making streets safer for pedestrians. Here’s a quick round-up of some promising technologies.
EV Plus+
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Given that range anxiety continues to be a barrier for EV adoption, this has made the inclusion of popular in-car features that require a power draw, including infotainment, especially challenging when engineering for an EV environment.
In addressing these concerns, the supplier has developed EV Plus+ Solutions that delivers an audio performance using less power and half the parts of traditional systems. It also introduces on-demand delivery of software-based premium experiences.
Integral to EV Plus+ Solutions is Ecotect, a delivery system that ensures a punchy audio performance with half the parts and boasts reduced weight, reduced complexity and power consumption when compared to a traditional system. It features speakers, a proprietary Prodigy Booster amplifier and Power Manager 2.0 technology, all layered in via an architecture that leverages speaker locations, sustainable materials and clever signal processing.
“At Harman, we believe the next-generation of mobility should convert the time you spend in your car into time well spent – and electric vehicles are no exception,” said Bill Wyman, VP of Global Marketing, Lifestyle Automotive. “Environmental concerns are guiding purchase decisions more and more, but the demand for premium experiences hasn’t changed. Through the groundbreaking delivery system of Ecotect that underpins EV Plus+ Solutions, we’re enabling automakers to fulfill these needs for their customers, without compromises, for the very first time.”
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By GlobalDataPedestrian safety
Harman also used the Las Vegas hi-tech show to unveil a new ADAS use case, called Vehicle-to-Pedestrian, which forewarns car drivers and pedestrians of potential safety conflicts through the use of Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology. The concept is another manifestation of the 5G-fueled C-V2X (cellular vehicle-to-everything) technology.
In the car, V2P can work on low latency 5G peer-to-peer signals to identify objects in the vehicle’s path through proximity scanning. Similarly, pedestrians or cyclists with a C-V2X-enabled mobile device will also receive a warning in case they don’t hear or see the oncoming car. As a result, vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists can be alerted to potential safety conflicts even in situations where cameras can’t see obstructions – such as around corners, or through parked vehicles.
“By introducing 5G technology to the car in a way that is both meaningful and practical, Vehicle to Pedestrian is an exciting innovation that will make our roads safer – and also has the potential to save lives,” said Dr Mike Peters, President, Harman Connected Car.
Such innovations come in the wake of OEM plans to deploy C-V2X. During an early morning CES press conference, BMW revealed plans to introduce its iNEXT in 2021. The automaker said it will be the first car in the world to be equipped with the 5G technology from Samsung and Harman. And at last year’s CES, Ford let it be known that it will begin deploying C-V2X communications in all its new cars as from 2022. The carmaker has since revealed plans to apply it in new cars in China from next year.
ExP solutions
Another new reveal by Harman is its ExP Integrated Solution Suite which creates connected driving solutions by bundling core technologies into one unified offering. The aim is to enable time in the car to be well spent.
The bundles include Advanced Driver Assistance; Hyper Productivity; EV Plus+ Solutions; Connecting the Unconnected; and Multi-Modal Experience Bundle. The latter uses Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology to enable vehicle access and connectivity as well as personalization. For example, as the driver approaches their car, a UWB token will be triggered and triangulate their location via 5G cell connectivity, unlocking the doors and initiating personal preferences. The token can then transmit to Harman’s own cloud architecture where the driver’s profile is unlocked – enabling connection to personal contacts, services, media content and location-based services. Voila.
Ignite Marketplace
Harman also used the Vegas tech show to launch its Ignite Marketplace, a network of cloud-based applications and services available on its Ignite Cloud Platform. It is based on the premise that user experience in the car is typically limited by embedded infotainment systems that offer little by way of choice or personalisation opportunities for the driver or passengers.
The Ignite Marketplace creates smart, personalized experiences for drivers by focusing on three categories: Media Content (music, podcasts, news); Crowdsourced Point of Interest (e.g. location of restaurants, shopping and local services and travel and booking platforms); and Messaging.
“Creating a superior experience in the vehicle comes down to enabling choice – giving drivers the freedom to bring leading cloud-based content safely to the car” said David Slump, President of Harman Connected Services. “The new Harman Ignite Marketplace allows OEMs to deliver this freedom in a way that is both scalable and flexible for the future – so consumers can enjoy the best vehicle experience – whatever that means to them.”
