Luxoft Consulting Germany’ s R & D team.
Human-machine interfaces within the vehicle are becoming increasingly complex.
as Android and Apple iOS-based smartphones and tablet PCs, including the extremely popular iPhone and iPad. We are also working on new user experiences with gestures to interact with the next generation of infotainment systems in a very intuitive and dynamic way. You can learn more at www. luxoft. com / automotive.
AI: The constant battle between offering high quality HMI features at affordable cost is one most OEMs are struggling with – how does Luxoft help solve this conundrum?
Preissner: We recognize this challenge. Sophisticated HMI has long been the domain of high-end cars and has started to enter the mainstream only recently. The important mission for us is to enable high-quality HMI even for the entry-level vehicles. We develop reusable modules( for both design concepts and runtime requirements) such as augmented navigation, multiple screen support, and UI skins that don’ t require the large investments associated with all-custom design and development. Our goal is to offer a selection of technologies that OEMs and Tier 1s can easily integrate into their products while reducing their development costs and time to market.
AI: What are some of the trends in the automotive HMI sector?
Preissner: User experience is a key factor for the next HMI generation. This means input devices that use natural gestures and touch. Touchscreens and touchpads have the ease of use of a haptic device with lower risk of driver distraction. For the output devices, higher resolutions and larger displays will give the designer more styling possibilities and better ways to cluster the information to minimize the driver distraction. The head unit, digital instrument cluster and head-up display will present drivers with information without requiring them to look away from the road. With a situational HMI and personalization, we will cluster all the new features coming from the connectivity world without overloading the driver with information. This will supported by an intelligent workload management system.
AI: What are some of the technological breakthroughs made recently by Luxoft in HMI?
Hand movements to replace buttons to activate human machine interfaces.
Preissner: We think of HMI as a combination of human factors and technologies. We’ re proud of our HMI solutions such as augmented navigation, multiple screen support, and the ability to enhance the in-car experience with two-way app integration. The only available open source automotive connectivity technology in the market is iviLink, which was developed by Luxoft. The important part of that technology is that it allows you to integrate applications on both the car and the smartphone. By exposing the APIs in a secure manner, OEMs and Tier 1s can build a more open and expandable system, one that also allows them to take advantage of cloud connectivity and related applications. At the same time, third-party app developers can work with OEMs to increase creativity and extend functionality. In our HMI concept, we see the car, the mobile device, and the cloud as parts of a single system.
AI: What are some of the platform technologies Luxoft has spearheaded that have changed the way HMI works?
Preissner: In the past, the HMI development platform was focused on native C / C ++ and 2D technologies. From a performance perspective, this could also make sense in actual developments. But technologies like HTML 5 will be more important in the future. This technology gives better possibilities for Rapid Prototyping and animations. For the future, we expect more 3D technologies, such as WebGL and OpenGL. Luxoft is developing the frameworks, tools, and processes for 3D technologies with the goal to build one of the best implementations for HMI in the automotive world. AI: How do you see HMI evolving over the next few years? Preissner: Automotive HMI will advance rapidly. Some years ago, it was a simple radio with a few additional features. Today the functionality for an infotainment system is advancing, but it is still very application-oriented. In the future, we expect very complex, intelligent systems with a personalized and adaptive HMI that will manage the driver’ s information and current situation safely. It will be intuitive to use and be able to handle complex traffic situations without distracting the driver. AI
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