Automotive
Implementing greater intelligence into vehicle cabins
By Cédric Deléglise, technical content marketeer, Melexis E
ver since the automobile industry’s inception over a century ago, car manufacturers have been looking for ways to differentiate their models from those of the competition. For a large proportion of the decades that have followed, this differentiation was mainly based on the development of vehicles that delivered better performance or road handling. In more recent times that has changed, however. Now, customers are more interested in higher degrees of comfort and a better overall user experience than what a vehicle’s top speed or horsepower figures are. The interiors of modern cars are where much of the enhancement work needs to be made. The following article is intended to highlight exactly how this is currently taking place.
Advanced lighting implementations The importance of internal lighting is finally being acknowledged by car manufacturers - both from a safety and a comfort standpoint. The ability to alter the surrounding environment so that it is better matched with the vehicle occupant’s preference is something of a game changer, as it allows personalization without the need for any hardware customization. This can also be tuned to suit their mood at any given time. There is the prospect of it going way beyond that though. As higher levels of autonomy start to be incorporated, the concentration of vehicles’ drivers on the road ahead may lapse. Smart lighting will consequently have a vital part to play in alerting them to any imminent danger. Under such circumstances, the vehicle could turn the interior illumination red to gain the driver’s attention, so that they are ready to respond. It could, likewise, notify any passengers in a stationary vehicle not to open their door if a cyclist was just about to ride past, by lighting up the trim. Animated lighting functionality could be
14 November 2021
combined with the interior illumination to add even greater emphasis to the seriousness of a situation.
Driver monitoring
Active real-time driver monitoring system (DMS) technology will be another key aspect via which intelligence may be brought to vehicle cockpits in the future. Here, sophisticated sensor arrangements, probably leveraging a time-of-flight (ToF) mechanism, will be able to track where the driver’s attention is directed and that both their hands are on the wheel. If their focus has been in some way distracted or they are showing signs of fatigue, and a critical situation arises for which they are not able to react quickly enough, then the vehicle can step in and take any necessary actions. Using ToF, accurate three-dimensional (3D) renderings can rapidly be derived, and the data made use of. This technology can also be of value in occupant classification. It enables the vehicle to determine whether there are children or adults in the passenger seats. The airbag deployment mechanism can then be adjusted
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Greater control responsiveness Intelligent vehicle cockpits will make a lot more use of x-by-wire technology - with the steering wheel, plus brake, throttle, and accelerator pedals no longer dependent on mechanical arrangements that are bulky and have certain reliability issues associated with them. Instead, high accuracy position sensors will be able to determine movement of these items (both linearly and rotationally) and react appropriately.
Gesture recognition
One of the best ways to avoid driver distraction is to make the human machine interfaces (HMIs) that they must manipulate as straightforward and intuitive as possible. If control can be undertaken through simple hand gestures (rather than having to operate a touch screen, push buttons, turn knobs, etc.), then the driver will only have to divert their attention for the briefest of
accordingly. As this form of imaging relies on infrared (IR) rather than visible light, variations in the ambient conditions will not impact on the operational performance.
periods. With the support of suitable imaging technology, numerous tasks could be carried out through gesture recognition. This could have a significant influence on reducing the risk of car accidents occurring and does not suffer from the background noise issues associated with voice control. According to a report published by analyst firm Global Market Insights, the automotive gesture recognition system business will be worth over 2.5 billion by 2026 - showing the uptake is already starting to get underway. There is scope for this to be used to fulfill a wide variety of different functions. In relation to a vehicle’s infotainment system, simple hand movements will enable the user to browse available content, then select an album or song that they want to play. Different radio stations may be scrolled through and picked, and the volume of the speakers raised/lowered as required. Regarding a navigation system, a pinching motion would allow zooming in to a particular point on a map. When making phone calls, the list of contacts could be accessed then a number rung without interrupting
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