How Samsung and HARMAN Digital Cockpit Drives the Future of Connected Cars
The Future of Connected Cars
Samsung and HARMAN have unveiled their new concept in connected car technology at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in 2018. This first collaboration between the two companies has given birth to what are now commonly named “The Digital Cockpit” platform, which integrates 5G technologies and an IoT (Internet of Things) platform, simply aimed to provide an intelligent and seamless connected car experience.
I mentioned in my previous article that our needs as consumer, when it comes to automotive technology have transformed greatly. Whether you are a driver or simply a passenger, we have always needed ease of use and safety, more than ever. The introduction of all these new technologies has also added personalisation factor into the mix.
Now we need to be able to connect our devices to each other and to offer simpler controls. The Digital Cockpit is set to meets these needs and more by providing infotainment and IoT services across a suite of OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) and screens.
The Digital Cockpit
Step into the futuristic cabin and you are presented with three displays and three dials, which all can be customised according to driver and passenger tastes.
The Display in front of the driver is a 12.3-inch OLED screen which provides your usual driving information such as speed and RPM. Infotainment display consists of a 28-inch QLED (Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diode) Central Information Display (CID) and Passenger Display, below these displays is the Control Display, a 12.4-inch curved OLED that enables you to control other features such as air conditioning.
The Digital Cockpit’s, three knobs/dials/circular thingy (whatever you want to call it), are customisable knobs that can be set to cover functions which are most frequently used by the driver, such as clock, temperature, volume etc…
It is all about user interaction. You are provided a gesture sensor in the back seat so that passengers can use motions to control music or the radio, so you no longer need to annoy the driver with your music request. Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant, plays an important role here, it offers automotive-optimised control functions such as moving the QLED display or changing the colours of ambient lighting.
All these control settings are not just localized to the in-car settings. You are also able to use Bixby and SmartThings to control a number of IoT devices not even in the car. So you can check the inside of your fridge to see if you have enough milk before you get home, can start up your washing machine or vacuum cleaner from within your vehicle.
Safety Features
Physical side and rear-view mirrors are done away with, and now you have a front/back HD camera and display system instead. This setup provides the driver a three-split-view for key moments such as changing lanes or parking. It can even detect moving objects and sound an alarm if things get too close.
https://youtu.be/6hsq-03wHJ8
Conclusion
Samsung sees the future of the car becoming a mobile living space. It will simply become a home away from home. If that is the vision, then to make this a reality, we will require new levels of comfort and also added safety and connectivity that has become such a norm in all aspects of our life. The Digital Cockpit showcases this vision, and also paves the way for further innovations. Based on Samsung’s technology and state-of-the-art IoT platform, the company will continues to lead the way into the era of the autonomous car.
