This year’s Connected Car Expo was packed with showcases of the latest in the future of automotive tech from cutting-edge infotainment solutions to autonomous driving. At the 2015 Connected Car Expo, we saw what’s in store. Here are 15 of the coolest things from the event.
Hyundai Virtual Guide
An augmented reality app that gives you instructions on how to do everything from fill your washer fluid reservoir to flipping down the rear center armrest, Hyundai’s Virtual Guide aims to cut down the owner’s manual size. Using images or your mobile device’s camera to pick up key points in the vehicle, the Virtual Guide will have videos, images, and instructions that will come in handy, especially for those who aren’t car savvy.
From the engine bay to the cabin and the instrument cluster, the Virtual Guide has directions for nearly all functions of the car, what each warning light means, and directions for basic DIY tasks like jump-starting and checking your oil levels.
Apple CarPlay
Essentially transmitting your phone onto the car’s infotainment screen, Apple CarPlay — along with Google Android Auto — aims to simplify the infotainment system by integrating your phone with the car. You’ll be able to access the Apple Music library to play anything off your phone’s playlist and Apple Maps to give you multiple routes to your destination.
The car’s voice command system also changes to Siri once you’ve got your Apple device paired with the car. Should you decide to use the car’s own infotainment system, you’ll still be able to switch to that and exit CarPlay.
Linux-Based Infotainment System for Jaguar Land Rover
A new infotainment system will arrive in Jaguar Land Rover vehicles sometime in the future, and, no, it won’t be another unit that’s slow to respond. This newest Linux-based interface comes with features such as swiping, pinch to zoom, a reconfigurable home screen, and a 3D navigation map for the massive TFT display.
No longer does the system respond like a turtle; instead your inputs are met with lightning quick reactions that make the unit extremely easy to use, meaning it won’t be as distracting as the older unit.
Podium
Want an app you can use to record your track times and personal records at an autocross? Then consider Autosport Labs’ Podium app, which lets track enthusiasts save times on their mobile device.
Additionally, there’s also community support for Podium, which means you’ll be able to post your times online and even have other members comment on them. Regardless of whether you’re into track driving, autocross, drifting, or drag racing, you’ll be able to find times for all kinds of automotive sports.
Volvo’s Drive Me Project
As a pioneer of safety tech, Volvo will be testing out their autonomous driving in the streets of Gothenburg, Sweden, using 100 XC90s. They will setup a standardized route in cooperation with the city of Gothenburg to evaluate everything from urban infrastructure to driving behavior.
Volvo will be using the Drive Me Project to determine how or if it will change people’s outlook on driving and the ways consumers can use autonomous driving systems as part of their daily life. In addition, the Drive Me Project will also consider traffic situations suitable for autonomous driving and consumer confidence in the technology.
NAUTO
A camera system that monitors you and the road ahead, NAUTO allows you to retrofit some advanced safety technology into any vehicle of your choosing. One of the key features of NAUTO is its ability to scan the entire cabin, meaning it can keep tabs on you and indicate whether you’re tired or distracted.
One key feature is its ability to share information with other NAUTO cameras around it, giving it the ability to share the share the information it gets. Currently, NAUTO is only available for fleet sales, but it will be available for consumers in 2016 with a target price of $400.
Magellan eXplorist TRX7
A portable navigation unit that’s specifically built for off-roading, the Magellan eXplorist TRX7 comes standard with every trail known in the United States and Canada. Maps can be seen in full detail on 2D and 3D view, and it even comes with a backtrack feature in case you need to get back to civilization as quickly as possible.
Other key features of this navigation unit are the ability to save a particular area you found on a trail, save a new trail, or even update an existing trail. A mobile app is also available and offers the same features as the actual navigation unit, including saving trails and maps to your phone. You can purchase a Magellan eXplorist TRX7 for $599.
Qualcomm Automotive Solutions
One of the neatest infotainment solutions at this year’s Connected Car Expo, Qualcomm’s unit makes it even easier to link your vehicle and your mobile devices. Personalization options are extensive and made for every phone, meaning each person who drives the car can have their own custom infotainment layout.
The ability to link multiple devices means there won’t be any fighting over who links their device to the car via Bluetooth. You’ll also have better voice commands, since the Qualcomm system uses natural language processing. This way, there are no specific sentences nor phrases you must say. Gesture controls are also present and use a camera to detect motions.
Vinli
At the Connected Car Expo, there was no shortage of OBD2 dongles paired with smartphone apps that promised to make things easier, faster, or simpler. A few, however, stood out from the rest, such as Vinli. They offer a similar combination (OBD2 dongle with 4G LTE) but have taken a slightly different approach. It’s less apples to apples, more apples to pineapples. Instead of trying to hit it big with a single great app, they are building a platform app developers can work with. They already have a number of apps covering a range of functions, but with partners like Samsung, Continental, and Cox Automotive we can’t wait to see what they come up with.
Open Bay
If the idea of trying to get repair/maintenance work done on your car has you in cold sweats, then a service like Open Bay might be worth checking out. While the service itself isn’t new, they’re announcing a bit more connectivity between repair shop employees and customers with a dedicated mobile app for the service professionals. Messaging through the service can include photos and videos, making communication a little easier. We’ve also heard than an Android app will be coming soon.
TTS (Traffic Tech Services)
While Traffic Tech Services doesn’t have a glamorous product, they did have an interesting application for the data they’ve been accumulating. TTS has been working with municipalities and civil engineers to figure out when traffic lights will be red or green. Why should you care? For one, it makes stop/start systems a lot smarter, allowing them to only turn off at a red light instead of at stop signs and in traffic. Audi, one of TTS’s partners, hopes it will encourage people to not turn off their stop/start systems as much, which will increase efficiency while decreasing frustration.
OSRAM
Ever wonder what all these lasers, lidar, and microchips look like? Check out this picture we took at the OSRAM booth, a supplier of such parts. The 75-watt laser is the long and skinny one in the picture. OSRAM also has a biometric sensor that has three LEDs. That’s the tiny one in the picture. In the coming years expect to see more cars use a variety of sensors to identify you (think: no more keys).
Rivet Radio
Rivet radio is a personalized feed of news radio, which allows users to narrow what is delivered to them based on the scope of their interests. Want clips on government, politics, business, and technology? Got it. Don’t care about that but want to hear about sports and entertainment? Got that too. The clips are short too, so you’re not locked into an hourlong podcast.
The Egg
The Egg is made by Eggcyte and is a novel alternative to “cloud” storage. The device has the ability to connect to the Internet and serve its contents (pictures, document, video) over the Internet, but it also has the ability to create a “local” wireless network, giving nearby users the ability to stream those contents without needing an Internet connection.
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